taking reserve parking

This happens every time you have to pay-park in the evening to make an early morning drop at a grocer nearby (without breaking the break or delivering near the end of a 14) then return at like 03:00 to find someone pulled into the spot, [probably 2 minutes after I pulled out].

In fact, more then once, in the 2 minutes it took for the one to pull out and for me to leave the fuel island post-fueling area and get lined up to back back in, I've had to threaten others who were attempting to take the spot. Granted they -may- have intended to park and go in to pay, but at 03:00 when the lot is completely full and then some, you have to know that beautiful, easy, open spot is already paid for.

I always make it a point to tell the manager just before I'm pulling out that I'll be back, and they will be called on to help me move somebody out in a few hours. They understand and that's part of what and why we pay for this service. Half the drivers understand (they knew good and well they were going to be rousted out), and some are complete dicks about it like they were somehow the luckiest driver in Indiana that night at 23:30 to magically find a spot in a packed lot ... never mind it was in the reserved section and they never bothered to go in and try and pay or check the status

 

Also, in my case it's not "my hard earned money", the company happily reimburses us for parking. They are a refrigerated carrier, their drivers do deliveries at ungodly hours every day all over the nation, it's the nature of the business, and they know paid parking is THE ONLY WAY in many places for drivers to have a way to deal with these situations, especially on eLogs

But some simply refuse to "get it". They think paid truck parking is "illegal and immoral and unjust" and somehow violates their "rights" as drivers to ALWAYS have free parking available. (Like if there were no paid parking section, they would have magically had a spot to park at, for free, after 23:00 and they somehow have more of a right to park for free then someone who opted to pay and reserve)

 

I didn't know you can leave and return to your paid for spot. Who woulda known.

How long do you get the spot for?

 

You can. But like was noted above, expect a hassle if you do.

From the PFJ agreement

 

Nobody is going to leave a paid spot at say, midnight unless they are going to deliver/PU and return, because for them to do so means they would have had to arrive at 14:00. At 14:00 there was plenty of parking and was no need to pay to park.

Honestly, it would be nice if they would put up a small electronic lit "number sign" near the paid parking area or on the fuel canopy that indicates the number of AVAILABLE paid parking spots at the time. if it says "0", then don't bother parking, or expect to be hassled later if you do. They keep a daily log of truck color/number/name so they can determine who's NOT okay to be there by process of elimination in the event they have to run somebody out. Also, they well aware of the tactic of taping some random receipt to the window.

 

I'm currently waiting in salt lake flying j for a trailer to be towed out of my spot. I delivered to the Denny's here and reserved a spot this morning got here unloaded and went to go park to find out reserve parking was full. So the manager had to get his list and the only one not on it is the dropped trailer meanwhile I'm waiting for the tow truck so I can park in the space I paid for.

 

I've never done the reserve thing. I was closing in on the Petro / TA Ultra Super Duper Gold Double Titanium status when I had to get off the road, and I think it came with free reserved parking. Or maybe it just qualified you for reserved parking.
How much does it cost?
I'm the guy that gets into the hole, or I've learned to just find a safe spot at 2AM.
But how much does that reserve thing cost?