It is known that insufficient short- and long-term truck parking is unsafe and creates hazardous conditions for all users of the roadways, including truck drivers. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and ParkUnload are conducting this study to understand how truck drivers use existing truck parking spaces and to test the benefits of using technology (i.e., a parking app) to provide drivers with truck parking availability and location information.
We need your help to test the parking App so that we can collect actual, on-the-ground information to help us understand the benefits of parking Apps, but also to plan for and invest in more truck parking and services.
In the Summer of 2022, the study team will instrument truck parking spaces along I-80 in Iowa and along I-39/90/94 in Wisconsin with the Truck Parking Technology. The truck parking spaces where the technology will be tested will be clearly painted in green. Signs will also be installed to provide you with additional information.
Enter the monthly amazon gift card drawing by checking-in at a parking space in the ParkUnload App
Winner Board
| August 2022 | Jeff Serafin of Freemont Contract Carriers (FCC) |
| September 2022 | William Watts from Wisconsin |
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify the parking spaces that are part of the study?
The truck parking spaces where the technology will be tested will be clearly painted in green. Signs will also be installed to provide you with additional information. When you park in one of the truck parking spaces that looks like below, we need you to check-in to the space upon parking using the ParkUnload App.
How to download the App?
Download the ParkUnload App: 
For more information, please visit our Parking with ParkUnload App page.
How will the truck drivers find the parking spaces used for this study and its availability?
The ParkUnload App shows all drivers with the App where and how many of the truck parking spaces are available at the facilities included in the study.
You can also find more details on our Parking Areas page.
How to claim the parking space after parking the truck?
- Open the ParkUnload App. Bluetooth needs to be enabled for the App to work.
- The app automatically detects where you are and allows you to check-in to the parking space by clicking the “start parking” button in the App.
- Please follow the steps on the App because we are testing both short- and long term parking needs at different facilities.
What do you need to do when you leave?
When you leave, open the ParkUnload App and check-out by clicking the ”stop parking” button in the App. This will let other drivers know that the parking space has become available.
Parking space is shown available on the App, but someone else has already parked there. Why is the App not showing the correct parking availability information?
For the test to work and for drivers to have accurate information on the location and number of truck parking spaces available, truck drivers parking at the marked truck parking spaces need to check-in to the space upon arrival and check-out of the space upon leaving.
We would appreciate if you report such an event, so that we can fix any issues with the technology. Please visit Contact Us page for more information.
What are we doing with the vehicle information?
We use your vehicle information to collect accurate data on the use of the parking spaces. ParkUnload does NOT track the driver NOR the vehicle. If you don’t feel comfortable including your vehicle information, you can provide dummy data to use the parking spaces (rather than not using the App). Actual vehicle information is not needed but some basic data is needed for the technology to work. Please contact us if you need further guidance.
You can read about the terms and conditions for using the app here: https://www.parkunload.com/en/drivers/conditions-of-use/
The privacy policy for the app can be found here: https://www.parkunload.com/en/drivers/privacy-policy/
What are the benefits to the truck drivers for participating in the study?
Each month, one truck driver will receive a $150.00 Amazon gift card for using the App in the marked truck parking spaces. The winning truck driver will be announced at this website every month for the duration of the study.
You are also helping us explore the feasibility of implementing a new technology that will inform all truck drivers with an App, where and how many of the truck parking spaces are available at the different parking areas.