Parking Safety Tips for Female Truck Drivers

The lack of safe parking has been a top concern for the trucking industry for years. When safe parking is unavailable, truckers may have no choice but to park on the shoulder, in an abandoned parking lot, or somewhere else that feels unsafe. 

Parking shortages impact all truckers, but women drivers face heightened risks. They experience harassment, stalking, and physical violence at higher rates than their male counterparts, making personal safety a constant concern even in secure parking areas. 

We’ll look at the risks associated with truck parking, where danger may be highest, and share some safety tips for women truckers.

Why is it difficult to find safe truck parking? 

The scarcity of truck parking begins with math — for every 11 trucks on the road, there’s just one parking spot. And because federal law requires drivers to take breaks based on drive time, they’re often racing against the clock to find a spot before they become non-compliant with HOS rules.

An ideal “safe” parking location is one that’s: 

• Legal
• Well-lit
• Monitored by security cameras
• Close to restroom facilities
• Not on the shoulder

Safety also has a lot to do with other people. 

Truck drivers can’t control the actions of other people, of course. But for women, it’s critical to understand what the risks are and have a plan for staying safe. 

Where (and when) are women truckers at risk? 

The FMCSA’s 2022 Crime Prevention for Truckers Study explored the topic of harassment and violence for all truckers, looking at trends for women, male minority truckers, and male non-minority truckers.

Specific threats the study reviewed included:

• Physical and sexual assault
• Verbal threats
• Robberies/break-ins
• Stalking
• Road rage
• Being threatened with a weapon

Almost every threat was higher for women than the male study groups. And these incidents largely occurred in areas that a trucker would consider safe. 

Source: Crime Prevention for Truckers Study (FMCSA, 2022)

Women reported that most harassment occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. All three groups that had experienced harassment and/or violence said the perpetrators were predominantly another trucker who they didn’t previously know. 

Safe parking tips for women truckers

Develop situational awareness

In its June 2024 report, “Identifying and Mitigating the Challenges Faced by Women Truck Drivers,” the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) emphasizes the importance of situational awareness in detecting and avoiding risks.

Situational awareness means focusing on what’s happening around you, and that involves “pattern detection” — being alert to behaviors that fall outside of norms. For example, if you’re parked at a rest stop and there are several open spaces, another truck pulling into the space right next to you is suspicious. 

Making eye contact with people, observing their body language, and assessing their facial expressions is another way to be situationally aware. Trust your intuition if something seems “off.” And carry your phone with you at all times, but avoid the distraction of “screen time” when you’re alone outside your truck. 

Be selective about social sharing

Posting your location in real-time, sharing your route, or disclosing what cargo you’re carrying can create a lot of risk. Avoid details that would make it easy for someone to anticipate your next stop. 

Periodically review your social privacy settings and followers. If your profile is “public,” consider restricting the audience to “friends only” or “private,” and don’t accept connections from people you don’t know.  

Carry personal protective equipment

The choice to carry self-defense equipment is a personal one, but if you decide to carry pepper spray or some other device, make sure you know its limitations, how to use it, and what the expected outcome is. Pepper spray, for example, is designed to momentarily debilitate an attacker, giving you time to get to a safe space. 

Secure doors when sleeping

Truckers who answered questions for the ATRI report suggested doing more than simply locking cab doors before sleeping. A tarping strap attached to interior handles was one idea for adding an extra layer of security. 

Find a driving partner

“Safety in numbers” applies in trucking! If you’re open to team driving, you can use a trusted private load board to find potential driving partners. Aside from the safety benefit, team driving makes it easier to get the rest you need because you can alternate who’s driving and who’s resting.  

Bring a dog

It’s not uncommon to see dogs riding along in a truck cab. Dogs can make life on the road a little less lonely, and dogs are a natural defense system — if someone tries to break into your cab while you’re sleeping, your dog will sound the alarm.

Start early, finish early

If your route requires an 8-hour rest break, get an early start and try to find parking before sunset. This might cut into your available driving hours, unfortunately, but the tradeoff could be feeling safer. 

Find parking in advance

There are tools that can help truckers find and reserve parking before they reach their destination, like Prime Parking from Pilot Flying. Truck Parking Club is another option — it’s like Airbnb for truck parking, and reserving a spot through Truck Parking Club adds a layer of security. 

Avoid unexpected delays

Sometimes, truckers arrive at the delivery destination only to discover there’s no one to accept the shipment, or there’s no space to unload. That can create an immediate need to find nearby parking. But this is another problem technology can help you avoid.

With Truckstop Go, you can predict ETAs based on real-time conditions, securely communicate with customers through the app, and know about delays well in advance. 

Stay safe with Truckstop

Your safety is important to us. That’s why Truckstop vets carriers, shippers, and brokers before they can use our load board, and we work hard to eliminate fraud in the trucking industry.