You spent months on the authority, the truck, the insurance — and on day one you discover the question nobody warned you about: where does this 70-foot machine sleep tonight? It is not a small question. The Federal Highway Administration's Jason's Law surveys count roughly 313,000 marked truck parking spaces in the entire country — about 40,000 at public rest areas and 273,000 at private truck stops. That works out to roughly one space for every 11 drivers, and 98% of drivers report difficulty finding safe parking. FHWA collected driver input for a new round of the survey through February 27, 2026 — the numbers are not expected to look better.
The law itself is named after Jason Rivenburg, a driver murdered in 2009 while parked at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina because he had nowhere safe to stop. Congress responded in 2012 with Jason's Law, which made truck parking a federal funding priority. Fourteen years later the shortage is still real — which is why every new owner-operator needs a parking plan before the first load, not after the first ticket.
In most of America — no. Municipal zoning and traffic codes almost universally restrict commercial vehicles above a weight threshold in residential zones, and tractor-trailers are banned nearly everywhere, including on your own driveway in many towns. Three verified examples from the corridors where many readers live:
| Jurisdiction | Rule | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | No commercial vehicles on residential streets 9 p.m.–5 a.m.; 3-hour daytime street limit (Traffic Rules §4-08); tractor-trailer overnight ban under Admin Code §19-170 | $65 (commercial vehicle overnight); $265 first / $515 repeat for tractor-trailers |
| Philadelphia, PA | Semitrailer or truck tractor on a residential street prohibited; also banned on residential property if visible from outside (Code §12-1135). Residents can file tractor-trailer enforcement requests directly with the Philadelphia Parking Authority | $1,000 per day (residential property); $300 + towing (residential street) |
| Voorhees Township, NJ | No commercial vehicle over 8,000 lbs registered weight in any residential zone except active pickup/delivery | Municipal court penalties |
| Barnegat Township, NJ | No tractor or trailer parked on any street in the township | Up to $1,000 per offense |
| Irvington, NJ | No commercial truck, tractor or trailer in residential driveways | $150 per day, each day a separate violation |
The practical rule of 2026: a tractor-trailer does not live in a residential neighborhood. A bobtail tractor sometimes survives in unincorporated or rural areas — but verify the local code first, because neighbors with a phone camera are the most efficient enforcement mechanism ever invented.
Free first-come spots still exist — and along I-95, around Chicago, and on the NJ Turnpike corridor they are typically gone by early evening. That is exactly why the chains monetized certainty:
| Program | Where | Typical cost per night |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot Flying J Prime Parking | 390+ locations, booked via the myRewards Plus app | varies by location and demand, commonly ~$15 |
| TA / Petro Reserve-It | TA and Petro network; phone 1-855-847-7275 | roughly $12–20 |
| Love's reserved parking | Select locations via the Love's Connect app | varies by location |
| Independent secure lots | Metro areas, marketplaces below | $15–35 |
Industry rate surveys in 2025–2026 put reserved travel-center parking at $12–25 per night in most markets. Do the math before you treat that as a lifestyle: $15 a night is ~$450 a month — more than many monthly yards charge, with none of the stability.
National rate surveys put monthly truck parking at $200–600 per truck, averaging around $400, with daily semi parking at $20–35. The spread is geography: a gravel lot in Nebraska sits near the bottom; fenced, camera-covered yards in the Northeast corridors — North Jersey around the ports, the outer boroughs of NYC, Philadelphia — price at the top, and waiting lists are common. A secured spot with cameras, lighting and 24/7 gate access is usually worth the extra $100 a month: one stolen catalytic converter or a cut fuel line erases years of "savings".
Where do you actually find these yards? Three marketplaces that work in 2026:
Parking is not just a comfort problem — it is a compliance problem. When your 14-hour window dies on I-80 and every rest area is full, the wrong improvisation becomes a violation. Two rules every new owner-operator should master: the personal conveyance rules (moving to the nearest safe parking after loading can be legal off-duty driving — with strict limits) and the split sleeper berth (pausing the clock when you did find a spot at 3 p.m.). Planning parking 2–3 hours before the clock runs out is cheaper than an HOS violation — and much cheaper than a bad night at an abandoned lot.
At TruckerNavi, parking is the first "real world" question almost every new carrier asks us after we file their authority — it is not FMCSA paperwork, but it decides whether week one goes smoothly. If you are still at the setup stage, we take companies from zero to active MC (Authority Bundle, $799) and answer exactly these operational questions along the way in Russian, English or Ukrainian.
Call (315) 871-0833 — starting a trucking company? We answer the questions nobody warns you aboutUsually no — municipal codes ban commercial vehicles above weight thresholds (about 8,000 lbs registered weight in Voorhees, NJ) from residential zones, and tractor-trailers almost everywhere, including driveways in many towns.
$265 first offense, $515 repeat (Admin Code §19-170). Regular commercial vehicles: $65 for the 9 p.m.–5 a.m. ban, plus a 3-hour daytime street limit.
Typically $12–25 per night. Pilot Prime Parking (390+ locations), TA/Petro Reserve-It (1-855-847-7275), Love's Connect app.
$200–600 per truck per month nationally, averaging around $400; NYC/North Jersey secured yards price at the top of the range.
Truck Parking Club, SecurSpace, and Trucker Path.
A 2012 federal law, after the 2009 murder of driver Jason Rivenburg, requiring FHWA to survey truck parking. Findings: ~313,000 spaces, ~1 per 11 drivers, 98% of drivers report difficulty.
Fencing, cameras, lighting, surface, 24/7 access, trailer-drop rules, insurance requirements and theft disclaimers, month-to-month terms, written agreement.
Yes — CC&R covenants ban commercial vehicles and enforce with fines and liens. Read them before buying the house.