How big is the truck parking shortage?
The shortage is well documented. Industry groups including ATA and OOIDA have cited roughly one truck parking space for every 11 drivers, as FreightWaves reported in coverage of the FHWA Jason's Law truck parking survey, which describes the shortage as widespread and especially severe in some regions. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) ranked parking as drivers' No. 2 concern in 2025, with drivers spending an average of 56 minutes a day finding a spot, according to Transport Topics.
Texas is a hot spot. A December 2024 TxDOT and Texas A&M Transportation Institute truck parking workshop identified I-10, I-20, I-35 and I-45 as the corridors with the state's highest shortages, with demand concentrated around Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso. The same presentation reported that 78% of drivers search 30 minutes or longer and that the identified public projects would add only about 3,600 spaces. Public rest areas will not close the gap, which is why private yards fill it.
What makes a good truck or trailer yard
Truck parking is a subset of industrial outdoor storage (IOS), and the same site rules apply, with a heavier emphasis on access and circulation.
- Access: within a few minutes of an interstate or major state highway, with turning radii and driveway widths that let a 53-foot trailer enter and exit without backing onto the road
- Surface: compacted crushed base or asphalt millings at minimum; concrete or asphalt at the entry and heavy-turn areas
- Drainage: graded to shed water, with detention sized to local rules, since new impervious cover often triggers it
- Security: perimeter fence, controlled gate, lighting and cameras; carriers pay for safety
- Layout: pull-through or angled stalls; roughly 20 to 30 tractor-trailer stalls per usable acre is a common planning range, depending on geometry
- Amenities: restrooms, a small office or guard shack, and power for reefer plug-ins can command premium rates
Entitlement and TxDOT access
Inside city limits, a truck yard generally needs industrial or heavy commercial zoning, and many Texas cities restrict outdoor storage, screening and paving materials by ordinance. Outside city limits, Texas counties generally have limited zoning authority, but city extraterritorial jurisdiction rules, county subdivision and floodplain rules, and on-site septic rules can still apply. Confirm with a land-use attorney before you close.
If the site fronts a state highway, the driveway generally needs a TxDOT access permit, and TxDOT reviews spacing, sight distance and turning movements. Frontage road access is often the deciding factor between a usable yard and a stranded parcel. Build permit time into the contract feasibility period. For land pricing context along the corridor, see our guide to land prices per acre on I-35.
How truck yards are leased and priced
| Structure | How rent is set | Typical term | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per stall, direct to drivers | Monthly, weekly or nightly rate per stall | Month-to-month | Owner or a hired operator, often with a booking app |
| Block of stalls to a carrier | Monthly rate per stall times a committed count | 1 to 3 years | Owner; carrier uses its assigned area |
| Whole-yard lease to an operator or logistics user | Rent per acre per month or per year, usually NNN | 3 to 10 years | Tenant operates; owner is passive |
The trade-off is income versus effort. Stall-by-stall income is highest but variable and management-heavy. A single-tenant NNN ground lease to an operator produces lower gross rent but bond-like cash flow that sells at a lower cap rate.
Underwriting a truck yard: worked example
All inputs below are illustrative assumptions, not market quotes. Consider 8 usable acres off SH 130 bought at $250,000 per acre ($2,000,000) and improved for $150,000 per acre ($1,200,000) for base, fencing, lighting, cameras, gate and drainage. Total basis: $3,200,000.
| Line item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stalls | 8 acres x 22 stalls | 176 |
| Potential gross income | 176 x $300/month x 12 | $633,600 |
| Effective gross income at 85% occupancy | $633,600 x 0.85 | $538,560 |
| Operating expenses at 30% of EGI | Security, management, software, insurance, taxes, repairs | ($161,568) |
| Net operating income | $538,560 - $161,568 | $376,992 |
| Untrended yield on cost | $376,992 / $3,200,000 | 11.78% |
Compare that 11.78% yield on cost to the 6.50% going-in cap rate on our anchor 50,000 SF South Austin flex building ($487,500 NOI on $7,500,000). The yard earns more per dollar because it carries more operating risk, shorter commitments and less durable improvements. Sensitivity matters: at 70% occupancy, EGI drops to $443,520 and NOI to $310,464 (9.70% on cost). Debt is usually sized conservatively on IOS, so stress DSCR at the low occupancy case. Our cap rate guide explains how buyers will price the exit.
Texas corridors to watch
- I-35: the NAFTA/USMCA spine from Laredo through San Antonio, Austin and DFW; chronic overnight overflow near metro edges
- I-10: Houston to San Antonio to El Paso, with port and border freight; TxDOT is adding a truck parking availability system on this corridor
- I-45: Houston to Dallas, feeding the Port of Houston and DFW distribution
- SH 130: the I-35 bypass east of Austin; TxDOT's workshop listed a grant-funded truck parking project in Caldwell County along SH 130, a signal of where public agencies see need
For the broader picture across metros, see our Texas Triangle industrial guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is truck parking a good real estate investment in Texas?
It can produce high yields on a modest basis because demand along I-35, I-10, I-20 and I-45 exceeds supply. The risks are zoning, access permits, operating intensity and tenant turnover, so underwrite occupancy conservatively.
How many truck parking spaces fit on an acre?
A common planning range is roughly 20 to 30 tractor-trailer stalls per usable acre, depending on stall angle, aisle width and entry layout. An engineer's site plan sets the real number.
Do I need a permit to open a truck parking lot in Texas?
Generally yes. Inside a city you will usually need compatible zoning and site development permits, and a driveway onto a state highway generally needs a TxDOT access permit. Check local rules with an attorney or engineer.
How is truck parking rent charged?
Either per stall (nightly, weekly or monthly) directly to drivers and carriers, or per acre on a longer NNN lease to an operator or logistics company that runs the yard.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or investment advice. Shortage figures are from the cited sources as of their publication dates; the worked example uses illustrative assumptions, not market quotes. Roesinger LLC is a licensed Texas real estate broker.
About the author
Zach Roesinger is the designated broker of Roesinger LLC, an Austin commercial real estate brokerage focused on flex-industrial, industrial outdoor storage, land, and investment sales across the Texas Triangle. He also buys value-add flex-industrial property as a principal, so the underwriting in these guides is the same screen he runs on his own acquisitions.
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