The Outpost network of managed truck parking/shared terminal facilities has introduced new tech tools aimed to help fleets and owner-operators reserve parking while also giving managers and operations teams visibility into their assets’ location and condition. Integrated hardware and software, coupled with supporting cloud services, are rolling out to Outpost’s 21 truck yards, with plans to accelerate deployment to the majority of managed properties over the course of the summer.
In addition to enabling customers to find, book and manage parking reservations (including daily, weekly and/or monthly reservations as needed), Outpost’s platform provides these features to back-office and/or on-site users through its portal:
- Real-time inventory, showing the number of trucks, trailers, and personal vehicles parked at each yard.
- Flexible access options, including full-service check-ins, unique access codes for each location or driver, and one-time access codes for temporary visitors.
- Asset identification using cameras equipped with machine-vision features, backed up by human verification, to read license plates as well as USDOT, MC, tractor and trailer numbers.
- Asset condition assessment with high-tech cameras to identify visible damage to tractor and/or trailer.
- Intrusion detection scanning perimeter fencing for unusual activity.
- Live and on-demand video of entrance/exit to confirm driver ID, equipment condition, and time of access.
Outpost’s new check-in/check-out kiosk device, featuring four cameras for vehicle and operator verification and more of the details described above.All photos courtesy of Outpost
Terminals and truck yards have “traditionally been locked away to very few enterprise fleets that can afford the associated capital expense and operational burden,” said Trent Cameron, Outpost co-founder and CEO. Cameron added he viewed opening up the company’s locations for subscriptions and one-time parking reservations serves a goal of “democratizing access to this real estate — giving fleets of all sizes a yard network that they can use as their own, with control over access and visibility into everything that happens onsite.”
[Related: Survey says: Paid truck parking generally not utilized, resented by many truckers]
This image shows a view captured by on-site cameras with sleeper damage detected and flagged. Greg Akselrod, Outpost CTO, said the company hoped to be able to “improve the driver experience at each yard” with tech deployment, while also “providing fleets with a new way to remotely manage their assets at scale.”
To hit the 21-managed-site total, Outpost recently added three new properties to its network in Detroit, Michigan; Memphis, Tennessee; and San Antonio, Texas. The Detroit and San Antonio yards will ultimately add 1,500 new parking spaces to the network, with development ongoing and plans to open in 2025.
The 5-acre Memphis yard, located at 563 Winchester Road, provides 150 spaces for tractor-trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles. Its location is near I-40, I-240, I-22, I-55, and I-69. Space can be booked online today via outpost.us/memphis, the company said.
[Related: Free spaces now pay-to-park: The future of truck parking?]
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