Before Purchasing A Used Semi, Consider Where You Will Park It
You're ready to purchase a used semi truck for your business, fleet, or personal use. Before you do, put some consideration into where you will keep your semi. The laws for parking a semi, with or without a trailer, can vary widely across the country. Here's what you need to know.
Residential Isn't Always Out of the Question
Residential areas usually have zoning ordinances that regulate what type of vehicles may or may not park in certain areas. These ordinances can vary, so you'll have to look into your own local laws regarding parking your semi. Some examples include:
- The ability to park as long as the vehicle is under a certain weight or height
- The ability to park at certain times or on certain days
- The ability to park as long as there's no trailer
- The ability to park with a trailer as long as the trailer is of a certain class
Some private properties may also have deeds that dictate parking rules. Between the private parking rules and the public ordinances, you can often find some room for legally parking your semi. Sometimes, you can park on a residential street, as long as nobody complains.
You can find yourself in a weird situation where you can park on the street, but you can't park in your own driveway. Or, you may have the permission to leave a trailer on the street, but you must park the semi in the driveway.
Occasionally, the truck itself doesn't violate an ordinance. Rather, the service the truck performs is the culprit. For example, you can violate an ordinance against doing business in a residential zone, if your truck has a trailer with goods on it. Conversely, an empty trailer, or one that only held personal items, would be just fine.
All of this also applies to parking your truck out of town. If you don't know the rules where you are, then seek a dedicated truck stop or business you know allows truck parking.
Local Businesses Can Sometimes Help
Many businesses with large parking lots will often let trucks park in them. You should ask for permission beforehand. Even if a business lets you park or leave a trailer once, you should ask again each time. Don't assume you have perpetual permission from the one time they allowed it.
Plan Ahead and Use Dedicated Truck Parking
To make sure it's safe to park your semi somewhere, you should plan ahead. If you're on a route, identify places along it that let trucks park. You can also find smartphone apps that identify truck-friendly areas and places.
Buying used semi trucks requires you to consider how you will use and store them. Parking isn't the only thing to plan for, but it's certainly something you want to keep in mind.
For more information, talk to companies like Arrow Truck Sales.
