Lack of parking for large trucks causes headaches in San Bernardino – Redlands Daily Facts
On a recent morning, Alonzo Huerta and Gabriel Padilla sat in their semi-trailer in an empty dirt parking lot in San Bernardino, eating homemade sandwiches.
This simple task of taking a lunch break highlights a complex and growing problem facing the city: the lack of parking for large trucks.
RELATED: Truck drivers are having trouble finding parking in the Inland Empire
“You know, we truck drivers work all day, sometimes in 24-hour shifts. Driving an extra hour through the city looking for a parking space when I should already be taking a break or finishing my shift is something I just shouldn’t have to deal with,” said Huerta, a Semi-trailer driver from San Bernardino who was parked off Medical Center Drive.
The problem may be getting worse as the Inland Empire sees a rush of new warehouses and fulfillment centers, fueled largely by increasing online shopping habits, a large supply of available land and residents yearning for jobs in logistics. In San Bernardino and other Inland Empire cities, it’s now common to see semi-trucks hauling loads.
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To address the lack of truck parking in San Bernardino, some business owners have purchased properties where their trucks can park overnight.
Such a proposal was presented to the San Bernardino City Council on Wednesday, August 21, and passed by a vote of 4 to 1. The decision paved the way for a 53-space truck parking facility on a vacant lot at the southeast corner of Rancho Avenue and Rialto Avenue.
At the meeting, some residents criticized the proliferation of trucks in their city, but not everyone shares this view.
Aliyah Myles, a San Bernardino resident who lives in a neighborhood near Medical Center Drive, said in an interview that she felt sympathy for the truckers.
“I understand that these are these big, loud vehicles that nobody wants in their neighborhood, but there’s a human being in that truck,” Myles said. “Everyone has the right to rest after work.”
In San Bernardino and elsewhere, semi-truck drivers who have trouble parking their massive vehicles often park on the shoulders of freeways, in abandoned parking lots or in other residential areas when they take a legally required break after 10 hours behind the wheel.
Trevor Lyman, a semi-trailer driver in the city, has accepted reality.
“Staying overnight in dangerous areas is simply part of the job” when there are no parking or rest options, he said.
The problem has led to temporary parking lots being created to accommodate demand, San Bernardino spokesman Jeff Krauss said. To be considered legal property, owners need a building permit, a paved lot and must cause minimal disruption to surrounding properties, he said.
Shamsher Harika, a 34-year-old truck driver from Fontana, is one of those who has tried to provide parking for large trucks.
In May 2022, Harika opened an overnight truck parking lot in San Bernardino. But in October 2023, the city closed it and issued 79 parking tickets—one for each truck parked on his property.
The city intervened because his property on Medical Center Drive lacked the necessary permits, Krauss said. Harika’s property is no longer in use and is currently vacant. Harika said he plans to pave his property and is working with the city to obtain the necessary permits, although the process is “very lengthy and costly.”
In addition to bureaucracy, truck drivers face other challenges, Harika said.
“We can’t park on the street or on the shoulder or we’ll get a ticket. And the rest stops here are overcrowded. Some charge up to $50 a night for parking, which I consider robbery.”
There are no truck stop facilities in town, but neighboring Colton and nearby Rialto have facilities operated by Pilot Travel Centers that offer game rooms, showers, restaurants, laundry facilities and truck washes.
The Pilot Travel Centers serve drivers from across the country, said Rishi Prasad, regional manager at Pilot Company, adding that “the Rialto and Colton locations experience high freight volumes.”
The Pilot and Flying J travel centers offer prime parking for those with reservations, as well as public parking on a first-come, first-served basis, Prasad said in an email.
However, the centers cannot fill the gap.
Residents who live near highways, such as Jonathan Castillos, who lives near Highway 215, have expressed concern about trucks parking near their neighborhood.
“The noise of these semi-trailers wakes us up in the middle of the night,” Castillos said.
“I feel sorry for the drivers because I understand they’re just trying to make a living,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s affecting my four-year-old son’s sleep, so I would like to see something done soon.”
In San Bernardino, residents complain primarily about trucks parked near schools and residential areas, says 6th District Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin, whose district includes Harika’s property.
“We are a huge logistics city because we rely on moving goods from one place to another. But that doesn’t mean those trucks have to be in my backyard,” Calvin said.
San Bernardino law enforcement responds to residents’ complaints about illegal truck parking by punishing violators, Krauss said.
“For years, we have been significantly understaffed… recently we increased our number of officers from six to 20 and are now able to deal with quality of life issues such as illegal truck parking,” he said.
In addition, Krauss said the San Bernardino Police Department recently created a commercial truck traffic enforcement team to combat illegal on-street parking and truck traffic on streets without proper parking permits.
Calvin said the solution is to develop a plan that includes designated areas where truck drivers can park. She also suggested that converting more trucks to hybrid vehicles could reduce pollution.
The new parking lot, which will have spaces for trucks and truck trailers, is needed to alleviate the city’s shortage of truck parking, said Ricardo Pozos, deputy planner for Somos Group, which is overseeing the project approved Wednesday.
The councilors overturned the City Planning Commission’s earlier rejection of the project and placed two requirements on the property. Charging stations for hybrid trucks must be available and the roads must be maintained to prevent cracking and pavement wear.
Meanwhile, truck drivers like Padilla, the driver who was on his lunch break, are also hoping for a solution.
“People want their goods delivered, but they don’t know what we go through,” said the San Bernardino resident. “Expensive parking tickets, spending the night in dangerous areas, long shifts with nowhere to park and rest. I still enjoy driving my truck, but I wish more people would recognize the unnecessary hassle that comes with this job and do something about it.”
