By Andrew Jones
Truck parking is one of the most “obvious” supply-and-demand businesses in real estate–and one of the most misunderstood. The need is real, persistent and measurable: Trucks must park somewhere, and most markets do not have enough safe, well-managed spaces. That shortage creates opportunity, but only for operators who treat truck parking like a true operating business (not just “fenced dirt”).
In this installment of the Truck Parking Blog, we’re going to discuss how you can identify the right opportunity to launch your truck parking business.Â
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The North StarÂ
A great truck parking site incorporates the following features::Â
- Easy access for Class 8 trucks (without drama);
- Close to freight (interstates, distribution, ports, oilfield, manufacturing, agriculture);
- Simple to permit (or at least predictable);
- Low-maintenance to operate;
- Secure, well-lit and enforceable; and
- Priced and sized to produce strong cash-on-cash returns
Market and DemandÂ
You do not need a fancy study to sniff demand, but you do need a method. Here are green lights that signal strong market and demand:
- Within 5–10 minutes of an interstate interchange;
- Near logistics concentrations: Amazon/UPS/FedEx hubs, rail yards, industrial parks;
- Places where trucks routinely “spill” into: shoulders, vacant lots, retail edges;
- Markets with winter parking stress, strict enforcement, heavy industrial activity; and
- Regions with driver populations and long-haul corridors.
Here’s a simple field test that you can do without paying a penny:
- Drive the market between 9 a.m and 11 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and
- Note where trucks are already parking and why (lighting, quiet, proximity, lack of alternatives).
Site Characteristics That Make or Break You
Access is everything. A site can be perfect on paper and fail because trucks cannot enter without hopping curbs or blocking traffic.
A minimum “good site” checklist includes these key considerations:
- Two-way truck-friendly ingress/egress (or a solid plan to create it);
- Turning radii that accommodate tractor-trailers;
- Minimal conflict with passenger vehicle traffic; and
- No “gotcha” restrictions (bridge heights, weight limits, tight frontage roads).
Zoning and Entitlement Reality Check
Before you fall in love with a parcel, ask the following questions:
- Is truck parking a permitted use, conditional use or prohibited?
- What are the screening and landscaping requirements?
- Are there paving, stormwater, lighting or noise conditions?
- Is there a maximum number of spaces per acre allowed?
- Are there operating hour restrictions or neighbor sensitivity issues?
Financial Screening (Fast Underwriting)
At a high level, you are balancing numerous issues:
- Capacity (spaces you can build);
- Rate (what the market can support);
- Occupancy (how quickly you fill and how stable it stays);
- Development cost (capex + timeline); and
- Operating friction (labor, enforcement, security problems)
Ask the following for a strong, early filter:
- Can this site be simple, secure and scalable?
- Can it hit meaningful net operating income, without hiring a full-time human?
Closing Thought: Build Trust, Not Just Stalls
Truck parking is a trust business. Drivers are tired, time-bound and operating expensive equipment. They are not looking for perfection, just predictability. If you deliver a safe, simple, enforceable parking experience, you’ll earn repeat customers, stable occupancy and a reputation that compounds.
The opportunity is real, but it rewards operators who treat truck parking like a high-demand operating business built on access, security and systems.
Andrew Jones is the Contributing Editor of Toy Storage Nation’s Truck Parking Blog. Andrew has been in the self-storage business for the last decade working for Yardi, Extra Space and JustStorage before co-founding OTR Truck Parking, where he remains co-owner. He currently serves on the Toy Storage Nation Advisory Board in addition to serving as Vice President of Property Member Optimization at Truck Parking Club, Andrew can be reached at andrew@otrtruckparking.com.
Truck Parking Club (TPC) is a truck parking locator database that books hourly, daily, weekly and monthly parking spaces across the United States. TPC’s system allows site entry without onsite staff, supports reservations and real-time inventory as well as logs entry/exits for enforcement and disputes. To learn more and list your facility in the nationwide truck parking locator database, visit Truck Parking Club.
To view all installments of the TSN Truck Parking Blog, sponsored by Truck Parking Club, visit here.
