Parking to Unload vehicles

Most dealers will tell you where they want you to park to load or unload. I have hauled cars 22 years and never been ticketed for illegal parking, not that it doesn't happen though. If the police stop and turn on their lights, approach them and say "thanks, these f in morons won't move over. I appreciate your help!"

 

I don’t really have an answer for you.
I park where ever I can find the safest spot but not always totally legal.
I arrive at these multimillion dollar dealerships filled with millions of dollars in inventory sitting there and I have to park illegally in the street and put my life and my property on the line just to deliver there cars.
I have not once during the years been bothered by law enforcement but I sometimes down right fear for my life in some situations.
It wasn’t long ago that a car hauler down in Miami parked in the street unloading and was standing on the bottom deck with his back to traffic unchaining his top car when a car with a driver texting ran up his deck and dismembered him and killed him.
I think of this every day when I’m unloading in the street.

 

I've only been in the business for about 5 years, but I normally call ahead and ask the dealer where is the best place to load/unload. If i forget and arrive without any directions on where to park, I use my best judgement at that moment. I have 6 orange cones and a reflective vest which I use if traffic is really heavy while on a berm or I am parked in a middle turn lane. Some folks slow or move over while others seen to simply keep moving without even noticing the truck, trailer, or me. For those folks, I do realize that their next post on FB is far more important than paying attention to what is on the road in front of them.

 

i have seen trucks parked curbside.

i have seen trucks parked in the middle of the road/turn lane, cars, whizzing by like the truck wasn't even there.

either way, make sure all your 4 way lights are in working order.

 

I have thought about that happen more than once. I always try and meave myself an out if i can. Always keep myself facing oncoming traffic etc and ready to bail at a moments notice.

 

Parking tickets cost around $25. Factor that in to your cost of doing business.

 

You will get big a ticket in bluemound tx, if you are delivering to carvana. The cops there dont play. I try and get there early or later in the afternoon. They have a place to park but its small and fills up quick. I once had a cop park behind me when i was delivering to a small dealership in gainsville,va. I thanked him when i was done.

 

Always call ahead. About 1 in 10 you will get someone who is clueless & suggest a bad spot. But for the most part, they are use to getting calls asking where to load/unload. Never assume the dealership lot has room for a truck trailer to pull in nor that they have frontage/shoulder area to work in. On the rare occasion, you can look at google maps & see where others hydraulics have leaked...errrr uhhh where there may be some room.

 

Great advice above. Call ahead if possible, use Google maps satellite view to plan an approach. My only addition is DO NOT pull into a dealer then backout into the street. Instead, back into the dealership. You can be cited for backing onto a public roadway but not for backing into a delivery from a public roadway. Further, you have less chance of hitting someone when you back into a lot - you know what is around and behind you, backing out the visibility across the street it awful.