Buckhead Parking Enforcement COVID-19 Truck Parking Relief Declaration

Along with The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Buckhead Parking Enforcement (BPE) is extending parking relief on BPE protected private property.
Additionally, BPE is extending temporary parking relief to commercial vehicles parked without authorization on BPE protected properties for the purpose of obtaining meals from nearby establishments.
This does not extend to those parked overnight.

View the full statement here

In The News – Buckhead Parking Enforcement

Police let's a trucker know there are signs posted everywhere on lot, company is a vendor with this business, and this is private property and a civil matter. Also if any equipment is damaged by a trucker, it will be a criminal charge against the trucker or their company.

@dennydansh
Original Article via tiktok.com
September 7, 2024

@dennydansh♬ original sound - DD24

@dennydansh♬ original sound - DD24

Commercial motor vehicle crashes in to multiple cars at local Walmart

Sierra King
Original Article via facebook.com
September 2, 2024

Business owners voice concerns on illegal truck parking

James Giles
Original Article via wtvm.com
One business owner says the truck drivers dump trash, are rude, and are simply bad for business.

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Business owners in the old Walmart parking lot on Buena Vista Road are fed up with semi-trucks parking there illegally. One business owner says enough is enough and is calling on the city to do something about it, because he says the truck drivers dump trash, are rude, and are bad for business.

Terrence Flowers trains clients at 4.0 Fitness on Buena Vista Road. He says pumping iron sometimes takes them outside to the parking lot which wouldn’t be a problem- if at any given time almost 50 semi-trucks weren’t outside pumping toxic emissions into the air.

“Not only is it an eye sour, they’re also starting to block businesses that are around here, making it hard for traffic, bringing trash and making a whole scene and bringing pollution with their idling,” said Flowers.

Chris Gagnon feels the same way. He didn’t want to talk about it on camera but the part of the parking lot he owns is where the trucks are parking. His business, True Storage, will be opening in the old Walmart next month and he wants the trucks gone.

District 4 Councilwoman Toyia Tucker said she’s aware of the problem and she’s working on it. News Leader 9 even caught a Department of Public Safety officer asking the trucks to leave the area Wednesday morning. According to the city attorney, Clifton Faye, there are city ordinances in place for this.

“Normally you would just give the city manager the address where you got a problem, and then either Mr. Pruitt from the building zoning site could look at it or law enforcement if it was a general violation,” said Faye.

“At the end of the day we are business owners, we pay our leases and we shouldn’t have to change anything that we do at our businesses for people who are parking here illegally and for free,” said Flowers.

District 4 Columbus City Councilor said, she realizes there are limited availability for semi truck parking within city limits and is aware more parking is needed. However, it’s unclear if any plans are in place to establish semi truck parking.

Residents Concerned About Tractor-Trailers Parking On Charlotte Neighborhood Road

Truck drivers calling for more parking in Charlotte as neighbors complain

Caroline Hicks
Original Article via wbtv.com
Homeowners have been reporting concerns about tractor-trailers parked in neighborhoods.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - People living across the city of Charlotte are continuing to share their concerns about tractor trailers parking on neighborhood streets and the entrance ramps to interstates.

“It’s illegal, so they’re not supposed to be parking here,” Susie Taylor, the president of the Pawtuckett Community Association, said.

Taylor hears frustrations from homeowners who say tractor-trailers are “eyesores” and causing safety concerns.

She said they’ve been trying to get ‘No Parking’ signs installed for years.

However, she did say in recent months they’ve had constructive conversations with CMPD and city council members and are hopeful to find solutions.

WBTV reached out to CDOT regarding complaints on Old Little Rock Road. A spokesperson said “the city is looking at that location to see what options there may be. There are sections along that road where zoning allows this activity.”

According to CDOT, “large commercial vehicles are prohibited from parking in areas zoned residential (Zoning Code 12.218) or where signage is erected that prohibits parking.”

According to NCDOT, this is illegal.

Truck driver Clarissa Rankin said it’s incredibly difficult to find parking.

“If you don’t like where we gotta park, then make somewhere for us to park!” Rankin said.

“There’s not enough truck stops to match the trucking world of people that are driving on the road,” she said. “They’re building up, they’re building houses, they’re building duplexes. They’re not building no truck stops, they’re not building or cleaning out land for you to have parking.”

Rankin said the city also needs to provide affordable parking. She says it costs upwards of $200 to park per week.

The city will fine drivers $25 if neighbors call 311 to report them.

Truck parking frustrating Warner Robins residents. Local officials are looking for a solution.

Viewpoint: Truck parking remains key industry issue

David Heller
Original Article via freightwaves.com

Congress is aware of the problem, but funding to find solutions remains elusive

 The U.S. DOT found that the truck parking shortage exists in every state and region, but it did not include dedicated funding for truck parking in the recent infrastructure bill. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Chairman Jim Ward describes our nation’s roads and bridges as a truck driver’s office, and good parking as their home away from home. But with only one truck parking space for every 11 drivers, the trucking industry desperately needs more parking.

Truck drivers consistently rank parking availability as a top concern in annual surveys. When drivers cannot readily find parking, they are forced to park illegally or continue searching, often violating federal hours-of-service (HOS) rules. In fact, 70% of drivers admit to violating HOS rules to find parking and 96% have had to park in areas not designed for trucks.

Drivers who are forced to park illegally put themselves and others at risk. As a last resort, drivers reluctantly park in unsafe, illegal areas like highway shoulders, interstate entry and exit ramps, and abandoned properties. Naturally, 84% of drivers feel unsafe when parked in illegitimate areas.

Illegal and high-risk parking intensifies safety concerns for women in the industry. Some female drivers have reported they will only park in the front of truck stops to avoid walking long distances to the back of the lot alone – shrinking the already-tight selection of options. The industry, now more than ever, needs to attract, retain, and protect female drivers, as they could help to solve the U.S. driver shortage. Women account for only 7.8% of the U.S. truck driving pool; if the industry could increase that by just 2.3%, it would end the 80,000 driver shortage.

To avoid unsafe or illegal alternatives, drivers often park prior to completing their available drive time – forfeiting an average of 56 minutes of available drive time per day and $5,500 in direct lost compensation annually. The loss of productivity further disrupts crippled supply chains and the loss in pay discourages driver retention. With 85% of drivers citing parking as the No. 1 cause of stress at work, alleviating the truck parking shortage will help retain drivers and prevent the driver shortage from getting worse.

The U.S. Department of Transportation found that the truck parking shortage exists in every state and region, making it a national problem worthy of Congressional attention and money. Unfortunately, the new infrastructure spending package did not include dedicated funding for truck parking. However, it did increase spending in accounts where truck parking is an eligible expenditure. This means that it will be the responsibility of state and local governments to prioritize and pursue funding for applicable grants.

With freight projected to grow, the truck parking shortage will worsen if action is not taken. If parking capacity is improved, drivers will be safer and more productive, with better pay and higher retention. Industry leaders understand that resolving the truck parking problem is crucial to taking better care of drivers and best growing the industry. Knowing this, industry advocates like TCA will continue to call on Washington to join forces to combat this problem.