We are honored to introduce our newest Toy Storage Nation Advisory Board member: Andrew Jones, founder and owner of OTR Truck Parking as well as vice-president of the Truck Parking Club. He has been in self-storage for the last decade, working for Yardi, Extra Space and JustStorage, before pivoting to the truck parking industry–a promising new niche emerging within the storage industry. He grew up in Parker, Ariz., before attending Arizona State University and relocating to Utah, where he resides now. Get to know more about Andrew in this exclusive TSN interview.
How did you land in the self-storage business and what has kept you in it for more than a decade? How have those experiences led you to the truck parking industry?
I was introduced to the RV/boat and self-storage industry early in my life when my dad was working on metal spraying boat drive shafts for boat storage operators in my small town of Parker, Ariz. I was always interested in new and interesting niches, and when I heard about truck parking in 2021, I knew that was an industry I wanted to pursue.
How did you determine that there’s a future for truck parking?
When I looked at the data. It seemed like the same data that B. Wayne Hughes, founder of Public Storage, and Ken Woolley, founder of Extra Space Storage, had seen a long time ago, and I look up to those gents. So I thought I’d chase after my idols.
Do you have an idea of how many trucking parking facilities exist today … and maybe give us a prediction for what the future holds for this form of storage?
Right now, I think there are less than 300 secure truck parking facilities in the U.S. As far as a prediction, I think there is a need for over 40k facilities with the amount of just big rigs on the road today.
How does operating a truck parking business compare to operating traditional self-storage?
Not too much. I believe it is more of a remote management operation as the customers are pretty self-sufficient. Aside from that you need industrial zoned land that starts at 4 acres large!
How has the storage landscape changed since you first entered it compared to what exists today?
The demand has always been fairly consistent in self-storage and the emergence of 
RV/boat storage has been exciting. Self-storage operators are now looking to RV/boat storage as well as truck parking as the last couple years for them hasn’t performed perfectly.
Are you looking to expand your operations to include more truck parking sites?
Absolutely! Now that I utilize Truck Parking Club’s back-end suite of tools, I feel more confident than ever to expand and am working with many new investors!
How do you determine where truck parking would do well, particularly in terms of location and demographics?
Just throw a dart at the map next to any small or large city on the interstate and I can tell you that truck parking is needed there. Only one out of 11 trucks on the road today has a proper place to park in the United States, and we are the people that can solve this problem.
How does the land-buy differ from self/RV/boat storage?
The improvement cost is similar to RV/boat storage; however, you need to be situated next to an interstate or large state highway. Additionally, zoning is the toughest part of this business. Always make sure the town, county or city is okay with truck storage.
Can you tell us a bit about your current truck parking site, including how many vehicles it can accommodate, as well as explain security measures and software used to manage it?
It’s mine, so of course I think it’s perfect! In reality, it has stadium lighting, sophisticated access controls, extremely heavy security gates, restrooms and garbage services. It is a 5-acre site with 150 truck and trailer spots. I utilize Truck Parking Club as my call center, software solution, insurance, marketing and arrears solution.
Does the typical truck parking site feature only uncovered space? Is there a need for covered/canopied spots?
My customers would love canopied spots and are willing to pay for it. There is a huge need for this, but isn’t considered as the trucking community would just love a place to park.
Where can those interested in truck parking development, management and investment possibilities find out more to educate themselves?
The www.addtruckparking.com website is always a great start. From there I would look at Ron Rohde’s YouTube videos. Additionally, you can visit the “StorCast” podcast that I co-host with Steven Baldwin to go in-depth.
Finally, what do you like to do in your free time?
Oh gosh, I have a three-year-old son I love to raise around the business and go on hikes with. I am also a total nerd and build PCs to have the best gaming experience with my son, brother, brother-in-law and “Uncle Nico.”
Lastly, I went to journalism school at ASU and have an old school typewriter that I love to write on.
Interested in learning more about Andrew? Drop him a line at andrew@otrtruckparking.com. He is passionate about the storage industry and loves to share his experience of launching his first truck parking facility. Lastly, check out his autobiographical story about developing his first facility.
