Truck Parking for Chicago Tourist Fun?

[ATeam]

As many times as Diane and I have delivered freight in and out of the Chicago area, we have never gone downtown for tourist fun. We usually get dispatched out of here so quickly that tourism has not been an option.

We know about the trains into downtown. If we decided to take a break of the freight gave us one, what would be a safe place in the area to park the truck and leave it for a day?

 

[Jack_Berry]

phil, the only places i can think of would be a tollway oasis(des plaines or o'hare) and then try to get a cab to a metra station. the metra stations really have no strt trk parking.

there is a shuttle and cta trains from o'hare but once again where to park. the out lots are usually very full and i would not put it past people to park on your bumpers.

there is a small truck stop on 41 in gurnee /waukegan. that could be a good spot and then get a cab to a metra station. i think it is by 132 on the east side of 41. it is called full moon.

racine/sturtevant has an amtrak station, on rte 20, that is not very crowded and 7 or 8 trains a day. its a 1 hr ride to d-town chgo on amtrak).

 

[Doggie Daddy]

You could stop downtown at the Harpo studios and see if Oprah will let you park on their lot.

 

[greg334]

You could stop downtown at the Harpo studios and see if Oprah will let you park on their lot.

There is really no place around the studio to park any truck. She has one lot that is taken for the workers and the one across the street that had space for my truck but no apartment on wheels. There is a place down Aberdeen where there is a place to park but you will have to hire your own security guard.

I would say when Phil talks to her, maybe asking her to park the truck at her Lakeshore drive place would be better, she has the room there for a semi.

 

[Humble2drive]

. . .

there is a shuttle and cta trains from o'hare but once again where to park. the out lots are usually very full and i would not put it past people to park on your bumpers. . .

Is there a FedEx Express terminal at O'Hare??

Don't they let other FedEx trucks park there if there is room??

We have parked at several FedEx airport terminals when we were waiting overnight to load and we know one couple that claims to have parked at the JFK FedEx terminal and flew home for the weekend.

May be worth a phone call.

 

[ATeam]

We have been in and out of many FedEx terminals in the course of our work. While some managers may allow a FedEx Custom Critical truck to park there if asked, others will not. Going in on a load is one thing. Asking to park our truck there for personal reasons is beyond our comfort zone.

These terminals are busy, secure, professionally-run places. We don't want to be in their way or dump implied responsibility for our truck and its contents on them. People there have a job to do, actually, many jobs, to serve their customers. It seems a bit over the top to ask them to put our truck on their property so we can go play.

 

[moose]

A'hhh ,
well consider my experience.
i have left my tractor ,twice , at those locations .
as an out side carrier !
when i started my driving career , my carrier used to do a lot of FX loads ,
i left my truck at the OHare location , for 2 days , back in '02.
tho'w they change the street and parking lot since .
i left the truck at the Newark terminal , (across from IKEA ),winter of '03 , for 4 days .
no problem .
they really didn't mind.
to the point , i can't think of a spot , sorry.

 

[Slo-Ride]

Phil,,Why not just rent a car since ya maybe taking time off anyways,,it will give ya more mobility,,With some luck a local driver to the Chicago area may offer up his driveway for ya..If ya want tour Detroit,,park it at my house and grap my pick-up,,keys are in it,,,take it to Chicago for all I care
Gary Ind has a few truck stops maybe a choice for ya,,mins from chicago....From what I seen of the commuter trains in downtown chicago that would be my last choice...
Check out the aquarium there and let me know how it is,,,my wife has been hounding me to go the all summer..I hear its worth the vist...

Another Option: Hire one of the van guys or girls here for the weekend

 

[Dynamite 1]

if checking out the aquarium, museum, and the planetarium you can park at the south end of soldier field. that is designated parking for the museum. just go to the museum and they will direct you. get there from 41/ lsd.{lakeshore drive} use to be about 20$ to park. all three within walking distance. and buses avail. for the short trip to navy pier. or park at the pilot or petro at monee, il on 57 and rent a car. just let mgmt. know. i dont mind parking @ monee they have a good local police presence around the truckstops and have never had any problems there. constantly patrolling the area.