Securing a parking space before the end of a driver’s working day remains a major operational problem for European hauliers. Drivers must comply with mandatory rest periods while dealing with limited parking capacity, particularly on the busiest freight corridors.
Research cited by the European Commission indicates that drivers spend an average of 45 minutes a day looking for secure and compliant parking. The resulting detours, additional fuel use and lost time can cost an operator as much as €19,200 per truck each year.
The pressure is greatest when a driver is approaching the legal driving-time limit. With little flexibility left, each full parking area increases the risk of a breach and leaves fewer safe alternatives.
Lack of secure spaces increases theft exposure
The shortage also has implications for driver safety and cargo security. When guarded sites are full, drivers may be forced to stop in less secure locations, where loads are more vulnerable to theft.
Figures cited in the integration materials suggest that almost 40% of cargo thefts in Europe take place in unguarded parking areas. Annual losses to the transport and logistics sector are estimated at €8.2 billion.
“Access to secure parking needs to be an integral part of transport companies’ day-to-day operations,” said Chris Quin, vice-president of European sales at Trimble.
Max Zillinger, sales and business development manager at Travis Road Services, said drivers should not have to choose between their personal safety, the security of the load and compliance with driving-time rules.
CoPilot adds access to more than 750 truck parks
Trimble’s CoPilot navigation platform has been integrated with the Travis Road Services network in an attempt to make parking searches and reservations easier.
Drivers can look for truck parking along their route, near their current location or close to their destination. Once a site has been selected, they are redirected to Travis to check availability and complete the booking.
The service is available to CoPilot users in 26 European countries, with more than 750 registered truck parking locations listed by Travis. Parking conditions and prices are set by the individual sites.
The Travis Driver app also provides parking information and entry instructions in more than 10 languages, helping international drivers understand local access requirements.
Reservations cannot solve the capacity shortage
Advance booking can reduce uncertainty and allow drivers to plan rest periods before they come under pressure from expiring driving time. It may also cut the number of kilometres travelled solely to find an available space.
However, the integration does not resolve the underlying shortage of secure truck parking. Reservation platforms can improve access to existing infrastructure, but they cannot create additional capacity on routes where demand already exceeds supply.
