Driver Verification: Creating a Balance at RigRest.com
RigRest.com, a market leader in truck parking, requires truck drivers to provide personal and truck information when they establish an account as a means of Driver Verification. This important requirement was established after gathering extensive feedback from focus groups to determine the information needed to meet truck driver and facility owner needs. The end result is a trusted community of drivers working together with known facilities toward the goal of increased safety and transparency throughout the RigRest network.
How were the Driver Verification requirements determined?
The RigRest team conducted focus groups to gather feedback on our driver verification process. Truck drivers in focus groups initially pushed back on having to share personal and truck information. Drivers mentioned that public car parking facilities don’t collect any data about drivers and they function well. As the conversation evolved, the drivers’ core needs were discussed. According to participants, the ideal truck parking location would provide safe, quiet parking, without late night visitors, and in a location near major freight routes. The group discussed ways to ensure that these needs were met, and it became clear that all drivers would have to become active participants in the system to achieve success. Drivers agreed to share their information as long as steps would be taken to protect that information, and the parking facility would better meet their needs because there would be no unknown entities at the facility.
Truck parking facilities are changing to meet the demand for short-term reservable parking
Truck parking facility owners provided interesting insights. The financial potential of offering short-term parking was a primary reason for their initial interest, since a facility can make to four times more per parking space on short-term vs long-term parking. Many were initially reluctant to offer short-term parking, however, citing the potential for damage, litter, and operational issues in general as primary concerns. Surprisingly, facility owners began to change their minds when they learned about the driver registration process. Many passed the tipping point when they realized that the RigRest driver verification process, combined with their own security measures, could minimize risks and make offering short-term reservable truck parking financially attractive and operationally feasible. In the end, most facility owners said that they would consider offering short-term, reservable parking to drivers who were verified by RigRest.
Meeting in the middle
Bringing drivers and facility owners together to meet the need for short-term truck parking has been one of the most rewarding accomplishments for the RigRest team. Drivers deserve a safe place to park while doing their jobs. Facility owners need to understand the market need and see financial results to make short-term parking worth their while. The RigRest platform provides a marketplace where drivers and facilities can find each other and do business directly together. The driver knows that a space is waiting for them, and the facility owners know who is coming to park at their facility. The RigRest team’s goal is to make truck parking easy, accessible, and beneficial for everyone involved.
By Jim Pfohl, Strategic Advisor, TSPS.IO RigRest.com