Are you wondering where to park your moving truck overnight without getting a ticket? If YES, here are the 7 best places to park a truck in 2023. When it comes to truck driving, most truck drivers will do everything within their control to ensure that they cut the cost of traveling.
Trust me, parking and ticketing are some of the expenses that truck drivers incur when on the road, and cutting such costs is just the way to go. One of the ways of cutting such costs is to look for places where you can safely and conveniently park for free.
As you know, in the United States and in most developed countries of the world, you cannot just park your truck overnight at any location. If you do, the truck can either be towed or you will be fined. Having said that, we were able to come up with some good locations where you can park your moving truck overnight without getting a ticket.
7 Best Places to Park a Moving Truck Overnight Without Getting a Ticket
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Grocery Stores, Shopping Malls, Fast Food Outlets, Parking Lots
Some of the areas where you can freely park your truck overnight without getting a ticket is a spacious grocery store, shopping mall, fast food outlets et al. As a matter of fact, if you are in suburban areas, you may be tempted to sleep in your truck at any of these places because parking here is convenient and it may be safe.
One good thing about packing in grocery stores, shopping malls, and fast food outlets is that they are well lit and some have security cameras too for the added safety factor. However, do be aware that it is probably not legal and you may be told to move on during the night.
The bottom line is that aside from the fact that you can park your truck overnight for free, your truck will be safe, but you must inform the security guards on ground if you are not going to be sleeping in the truck.
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Walmart
Another location where you can park your truck overnight for free is any of Walmart’s locations. You may have already heard that it is completely legal to park and sleep overnight in your vehicle at all Walmart parking lots. As a matter of fact, many truck drivers take advantage of this and park their trucks both during the daytime and at night.
Good enough, Walmart locations are easy to find and are located all across the country. It is such a relief when you find somewhere you can park overnight and know that you will not be told to move on in the middle of the night. In addition, their parking lots are well-lit for added security.
Some Walmart’s are 24 hours so you know there is always going to be help nearby if needed and you will have access to their bathroom facilities. Good enough, if you are going to be sleeping in your truck, you can enjoy free Wi-Fi. Most of the stores have free Wi-Fi!
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Casinos
Another secure place you can park your truck overnight for free is a casino. You will agree that casinos are great places to spend the night when it comes to feeling secure. They are always open 24 hours so you can be assured there are security officers patrolling all night long along with security cameras in the parking lots.
The fact that your vehicle is parked for over eight hours at a casino will not seem odd because people who gamble spend a large amount of time inside casinos, usually into the wee hours of the morning. As long as staff thinks you are inside spending money, I am sure they won’t mind you parking overnight here.
Interestingly, at casino parking, besides security, you will get access to bathroom facilities and the availability of food, tea, and coffee at all hours. As a matter of fact, most casinos usually have reasonably priced menu items available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Please note that casinos can sometimes be hard to come by if gambling is illegal in the state you are driving through.
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Rest Stops
If you are looking for a location to park your moving truck overnight for free, then one of the locations you should consider is any Rest Stop locations. Without a doubt, Rest stops are a great place to spend overnight in your truck if you are still on the way to your destination.
You will most likely pass many rests stops driving on highways and interstate roads in the USA. Interestingly you can stay for one night or maybe even two at Rest Stops because it is legal to do so. Good enough, most Rest Stops have 24-hour bathroom facilities and some even have picnic tables.
If you are lucky there may even be volunteers serving tea and coffee the next morning. Please note that not all Red Stops are safe for you to park your truck overnight which is why you must survey and get the required information before parking your truck overnight at a Rest Stop location
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Welcome Information Centers
Welcome Information Centers is yet another safe and of course free place to park your truck overnight. Once you have crossed a state line (for example from California into Oregon) you will encounter signs pointing you in the direction of a ‘Welcome Center’. These places usually have good-sized parking lots that you could potentially park overnight and sleep just for one night if you are desperate.
Good enough with Welcome Information Centers you have the privilege to have the whole parking lot all alone to yourself because they are not a popular or obvious choice when looking for somewhere to park your moving truck overnight for free.
So also, at Welcome Information Centers you will be able to obtain free maps and get some information on the state’s highlights and learn about things to do in the area once the center opens in the morning. Please note that at Welcome Information Centers, you won’t be able to access bathroom facilities until the center opens in the morning.
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BLM Land
Another location where you can park your moving truck overnight for free is BLM Land (Bureau of Land Management). This is so because BLM Land (Bureau of Land Management) offers dispersed camping for all so feel free to car camp without fear of getting into trouble with the law or if you have a tent with you, feel free to pitch your tent anywhere you like! Of course, the surrounding natural beauty, solitude, and open spaces found on these lands are also a huge perk!
Note that Camping (or car camping) is allowed on BLM land for up to 14 days and sometimes up to 30 days FOR FREE! If you do camp on these public lands, please make sure you follow the Leave No Trace principles to reduce your impact on the land. This means packing out all of your trash!
Of course, one good thing about parking overnight on BLM land is that it is completely legal to do so. Not only that, but it is completely legal to spend a considerable amount of time on BLM land even if you are sleeping in your truck. Please note that parking on BLM Land (Bureau of Land Management) is open to you, but if you are road-tripping through the eastern parts of the USA, this might not be an option for you.
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City Street Parking
Lastly, another place where you can park your truck overnight for free is along some streets in the city. I must say this, finding somewhere to park overnight and sleep in your truck in cities or urban areas can be sometimes difficult.
Having said that, parking your truck overnight in the street is to a large extent dependent on which city you are visiting (or area of the city you are visiting). It is probably pretty safe to sleep in your truck overnight on some streets.
Interestingly, overnight parking of trucks in the street is usually free (as opposed to parking meters used during the day). However, remember it is never legal to be sleeping inside a vehicle on city streets so therefore it is important to be inconspicuous.