Running a Truck Parking Lot Without Software? Here’s What It’s Costing You (and How to Fix It)
If you already operate a truck parking lot, you don’t have a “demand problem.”
You have a control problem.
Because when your operation runs on clipboards, cash boxes, texts, and memory, the same issues show up night after night:
Drivers arrive tired and stressed, and your staff (or caretaker) is fielding chaos at the gate
You can’t clearly prove who paid, who didn’t, who overstayed, or who has permission
Fleets ask for invoices and recurring billing—and you don’t have a system
You’re full overnight, but revenue doesn’t match “full”
You don’t have clean occupancy or revenue reporting to make confident pricing decisions
And all of this is happening in a market where the truck parking shortage is already a national safety concern.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) warns that when official parking isn’t available, tired drivers may keep driving—or park in unsafe places like shoulders and exit ramps.
In FHWA’s Jason’s Law survey update, 98% of truck drivers reported problems finding safe parking.
That means your lot is part of the solution—but only if it runs like a modern business.
The shortage is real—and it’s not just inconvenient
This isn’t a marketing talking point. It’s a documented safety issue.
In a 2025 highway investigation report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that combination vehicles routinely parked on a rest area exit ramp shoulder because of limited truck parking, which increases collision risk.
FHWA also notes that inadequate truck parking can create hazards for truckers and motorists due to the increased potential for collisions with parked trucks.
Translation for operators: demand exists every night—and when safe spaces aren’t reliably available, the outcomes get dangerous fast.
If you’re still managing manually, you’re not alone (but it’s holding you back)
FHWA’s Jason’s Law stakeholder findings show how common “low-tech” operations still are:
73% of truck stop owners/operators do not monitor parking (and those that do often monitor it manually)
78% do not offer reservations
75% do not charge for parking
Facilities reported operating over 100% capacity overnight during key periods
That’s not just an operational detail—it’s a business signal.
When you don’t monitor inventory, don’t reserve inventory, and don’t have billing controls, you’re essentially running the highest-demand hours of your business with the least visibility.
Why this gets worse at night (and why “hours-of-service” matters)
Truck parking demand spikes when drivers must stop.
FMCSA’s hours-of-service summary for property-carrying drivers includes:
11-hour driving limit after 10 consecutive hours off duty
30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving without a qualifying interruption
So when drivers are nearing legal limits, they’re not casually shopping for a parking spot. They’re trying to avoid a compliance violation—and avoid parking somewhere unsafe.
FHWA’s Jason’s Law update shows the most frequently reported shortage periods are 4 PM to 5 AM, especially Monday through Thursday.
It also documents that unofficial/unauthorized parking occurs mostly on ramps and highway shoulders, most frequently between 7 PM and 9 AM.
That’s exactly when your lot is under maximum pressure—and when manual processes crack first.
The “silent leaks” that drain revenue from manual truck parking
If your lot is busy but still feels “messy,” these are usually the culprits:
1) You can’t reliably confirm payment
Cash handling, screenshots, handwritten receipts, and “I paid last week” arguments create disputes—and usually the operator eats the loss.
2) You can’t enforce overstays consistently
Even if you want to charge for overstays, you need time-stamped entry/exit or a consistent workflow to apply rules fairly.
3) You can’t package pricing by vehicle type
Truck parking isn’t one-size-fits-all. Box trucks, oversize, cab + trailer, trailer-only—those are different inventory products and should be priced differently. If you can’t manage those products, you’re leaving yield on the table.
4) You can’t sell to fleets the way fleets buy
Fleets don’t want “text me and I’ll send a receipt.” They want:
monthly billing or group billing
invoicing and audit trails
account management (vehicles, plates, drivers)
5) You have no real reporting
If you can’t answer these questions quickly, your pricing and expansion decisions become guesswork:
What was occupancy by hour/day?
What inventory types sell out fastest?
What portion of customers are repeat vs one-time?
How many overstays occurred last month?
Which rate changes increased revenue vs decreased utilization?
What efficient truck parking looks like in 2026
Efficient truck parking is not “more staff.” It’s better systems, especially for high-demand overnight operations.
At a minimum, modern operators are moving toward:
✅ Reservations (so demand becomes predictable)
Give drivers and dispatchers the ability to reserve parking in advance with real-time pricing and availability.
✅ Controlled access (so your lot stays secure and fair)
Use modern credentials (plate/LPR, QR, RFID) and connect access hardware where appropriate.
✅ Digital payments + digital receipts (so disputes go down)
Drivers want fast checkout. Operators need clean records.
✅ Fleet billing + monthly accounts (so revenue becomes recurring)
This is how you move from “nightly chaos” to a stable revenue base.
✅ Reporting + audit logs (so you can actually manage performance)
You can’t optimize what you can’t measure.
How netPark helps truck parking operators modernize fast
netPark is built to run secure parking operations with cloud-based workflows—particularly useful for truck and trailer parking environments that need reservations, billing, access control, and real reporting.
Here’s how it maps to the exact problems “manual” lots face:
Reservations & passes that reduce uncertainty
netPark enables drivers or dispatchers to reserve through a branded reservation website, with digital vouchers and modify/cancel options.
Flexible credentials that fit your operation
Depending on your access hardware and policies, netPark supports credential types including plates (LPR), QR codes, or RFID.
Access control + overstay tracking
netPark can integrate with gates, kiosks, LPR cameras, automated self-park equipment, and approved access hardware, and includes workflows to track and charge overstays.
Monthly + group billing (built for fleets)
For recurring business, netPark supports monthly parking with group billing, integrated payment processing, automated ACH/credit-card charging, invoicing, and customer account management on a branded site.
The truck parking page also describes a monthly module with capabilities like automated recurring billing & invoicing, vehicle/account management, and multi-location support for large operators.
Reporting & analytics you can actually use
netPark includes reporting designed for revenue, occupancy, and operational visibility—plus activity logs to help audit access.
Optional: ticketless workflows with license plate recognition
netPark’s LPR solution uses plate recognition to identify vehicles, grant access, and validate sessions—supporting ticketless entry/exit and matching plates against reservations and monthly accounts.
Optional: SMS-based workflows that reduce friction
If your drivers hate apps and your lot needs speed, netPark Text To Park provides SMS-based entry/payment/reservation flows designed to remove friction.
A quick self-audit: Is software your next move?
If you answer “yes” to 3+ of these, software will likely pay for itself through revenue control + time savings:
We can’t quickly tell how many trucks are actually on-site right now
We regularly deal with payment disputes or “lost receipts”
We can’t enforce overstays consistently
Fleets have asked for invoicing or monthly billing and we can’t support it
We don’t have real occupancy/revenue reporting by day/time
We want to add reservations, but don’t have a clean way to do it
We’d like to run overnight with fewer staff, but security/revenue control is a concern
The bottom line
Truck parking shortages are documented by FHWA as a safety concern, and agencies like the NTSB have tied real-world crashes to unsafe shoulder/ramp parking driven by limited capacity.
If you already operate a truck parking lot, you’re sitting on demand. The next step is to capture it cleanly—with software that makes reservations, access, billing, and reporting predictable.
Want to see what a modern truck parking workflow looks like for your lot? Request a demo of netPark and ask for a workflow review focused on reservations, fleet billing, access control, and revenue visibility.
Source:
FHWA – Truck Parking (safety impacts, unsafe shoulder/exit ramp parking, freight context):
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/truck_parking/index.htm
FHWA – Jason’s Law Survey Results (Dec 1, 2020 PDF / 2018–2019 update findings):
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/infrastructure/truck_parking/coalition/2020/mtg/jasons_law_results.pdf
FMCSA – Summary of Hours of Service Regulations (property-carrying drivers):
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations
NTSB – Highway Investigation Report HIR-25-02 (Highland, IL crash; trucks parked on exit ramp due to limited truck parking):
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HIR2502.pdf