Truck Stop Parking fees vary greatly depending on amenities, safety, and proximity to the highway. Parking for truck drivers ranges from free to hourly, daily, or monthly. Learn how you can get the best value and safety from your parking spot.
How Much Should I Expect to Spend?
Pricing is based on the truck lot’s amenities and the overall quality of the establishment. Most truck stops offer different price points and packages for daily, weekly, and monthly payments depending on your truck parking needs.
Average Range of Prices for Truck Stops in the Continental United States:
- Daily: $15 – $30
- Weekly: $150 – $175
- Monthly: $180 – $275
Some truck stops also offer discounts for long-term stays. Paying 6 to 12 months in advance can even get you a 10 – 15% discount. This is a good option if you use the same truck stop for all your deliveries, especially if you make routine deliveries.
Aside from the price of parking, you can also expect to spend extra money on food, showers, and fuel. Many truck stops offer free amenities through rewards programs. A few premier secure parking lots provide everything within the cost of the parking spot. Others might offer perks such as free showers in exchange for the purchase of fuel or food. Fuel cards are offered at many truck stops, giving you a discount on each gallon of gas you buy. These are usually run on a membership basis, where you pay monthly.
To save money as a trucker, it is important to plan your stops. Know where you will stop for food, fuel, and showers and where you will sleep before you even start driving. Planning ahead gets rid of unnecessary stops and unnecessary spending. Reserving a parking spot before driving is much easier and safer.
Free Parking Options
Some truck stops offer free parking during the day but will charge an overnight parking fee. Regardless if it’s free, it is common courtesy to make a purchase while you are there, whether it’s fuel, showers, or food. Free stops will generally not have the same standards of cleanliness and security that paid stops offer. If you want to try your luck with some alternatives to truck stops, here are some options:
- Walmart Parking Lot – This is not the most reliable, as not all Walmarts allow for overnight parking. There are none of the amenities that official truck stops offer, like showers. While it may be helpful in a pinch, be careful because no security exists.
- Side of the Road – This is probably a bad idea since the law prohibits it, and you will most likely find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
- Rest Stops – According to Trucking Truth, each rest stop has differing policies on how long you can park based on their signage. However, as long as you are parked legally and out of the way, rest stops will let you stay for 10-12 hours.
- Residential Area – Most HOAs restrict big rig parking.
Know What Your Truck Stop Fees Get You
Not all truck stops are made equally; some provide better security, amenities, and cleanliness than others. Truck stops with higher-quality services are generally more expensive, but in most cases, the value is worth the cost. Truck stops that provide reserved spots eliminate the worry of showing up in the middle of the night without a secured spot. Truckers are usually willing to pay a little more to rest easy, knowing that the spot they paid for will be there when they arrive.
Security is critical to truckers and will often sway their decision on whether or not the truck stop parking fee is worth it. There are dozens of stories of break-ins, robberies, kidnappings, and murders at truck stops. Cameras, well-lit parking lots, and gates with personalized codes all play a huge role in how safe a trucker feels when parking his car, especially overnight.
Having mobile access offers a huge advantage to truck stops. In this day and age, everything has become mobile. Truckers prefer to check availability, reserve spots, and make payments through an app on their phone.
Planning Ahead Is Best
Truckers spend long hours driving in their trucks, and the last thing they want to do is spend more time trying to figure out where to park, how much to pay, and if they will even have a spot when they get there. They don’t have time to be constantly searching for places that fit their requirements. Planning ahead and knowing what you get for your truck stop parking fees will save you time and money in the long run.