Truck parking was not a business I originally set out to build. 

I was fortunate to own the properties where my other company, Badger Box Mobile Storage, operates, and we had some unused space. Over time, I started receiving unsolicited calls from truck drivers asking if they could park there. 

Eventually, I decided to give it a try and set up a few dedicated spaces. 

They filled quickly. 

So I added more. Those filled too. 

We continued expanding and improving the property until we eventually ran out of room. That experience became Mile Marker Parking and showed me firsthand just how much demand exists for dependable truck parking in the Fayetteville area. 

Now, after searching for the right property for quite some time, we are preparing to expand with a new location at 5545 U.S. Highway 301 South in Hope Mills. 

Fayetteville’s Truck Parking Need 

Fayetteville sits along one of the country’s most important freight corridors. 

I-95 carries a tremendous amount of truck traffic through the region, while I-295, U.S. 301 and the area’s industrial, construction and military activity create additional local demand. 

But every truck moving through the area eventually needs somewhere to stop. 

North Carolina transportation studies have identified truck parking shortages along the I-95 corridor, and the problem is easy to see locally. When designated parking is unavailable, drivers can end up looking for space on ramps, shoulders, commercial lots or other areas that were never intended for tractor-trailers. 

For local drivers, the problem can be even more basic. Many owner-operators cannot park a tractor-trailer at home because of neighborhood restrictions or simply because they don’t have the space. 

What we found at Mile Marker Parking was that many drivers weren’t necessarily looking for a traditional truck stop, where parking is generally intended for shorter-term stays and may come with time restrictions. They wanted a reliable space they could return to, with good access, lighting, security and enough room to comfortably maneuver their equipment. 

Why Adding Truck Parking Isn’t Easy 

Once our existing Fayetteville location filled, expanding seemed like an obvious next step. 

Finding a property that actually worked was much harder. 

Truck parking requires a lot of land, but the property also needs appropriate zoning, good tractor-trailer access and a location convenient to the routes drivers use. 

Development costs add another challenge. 

Grading, drainage, stone or pavement, fencing, gates, lighting and security systems can quickly make a project economically unfeasible. We looked at multiple opportunities where either zoning regulations or construction costs ultimately prevented the project from making sense. 

That helps explain why truck parking shortages can persist even when the demand is clear. 

Our New Hope Mills Location 

Our new property at 5545 U.S. Highway 301 South in Hope Mills finally gave us the opportunity we had been looking for. 

The location is convenient to I-95 and the broader Fayetteville transportation network, and it will allow us to add more dedicated truck and trailer parking to the market. 

As with our existing location, our goal is simple: provide drivers with a dependable place to park their equipment. 

We have also tried to make renting a space as convenient as possible. Drivers looking for truck parking in Fayetteville or Hope Mills can use our online reservation system to review available parking and complete the rental process online. 

For an industry that operates around the clock, I think that matters. A driver shouldn’t necessarily have to call an office during normal business hours just to find and reserve a parking space. 

A Business We Didn’t Plan to Start 

What began with a few unsolicited phone calls turned into a business because the demand was already there—and we paid attention. 

We added a few spaces. They filled. We added more. Eventually, there was nowhere else to expand. 

Our new Hope Mills location is the next step in that progression. 

Truck parking may not be the first thing people think about when discussing infrastructure or economic growth in Fayetteville. It is also rarely the highest and best use of a property from a traditional development perspective. But it plays an important role in supporting the drivers and businesses that keep goods moving throughout the region. 

Sometimes the best business opportunities don’t begin with a business plan. 

Sometimes they begin with a customer calling and asking, “Do you have somewhere I can park my truck?”