Parking a moving truck on the moving day, NYC

In New York City, a seemingly simple task like parking, knowing how to load and unload a moving truck can get awkward because of parking and street-cleaning regulations, narrow doorways and rules about using the elevator. The most important thing to remember is to abide to the commercial vehicle regulations for parking and stick to planned routes.

Commercial vehicles have certain privileges as far as parking in NYC. You can double park pretty much anywhere, except in Midtown Manhattan, as well as in a “No Standing” or “No Parking” zone. So, if you get a ticket for either of these, you can appeal the ticket and get out of it.

As previously mentioned, commercial vehicles can’t double park in Midtown Manhattan or park in front of a fire hydrant, in a bus lane, a bike lane or park in a construction zone. If you get a ticket for parking in any of these, you will have to pay it.

You might be able to get around it by having someone stand next to the truck or driving it around the block in case you are blocking traffic. Leaving it unattended for more than a couple minutes is a sure way you’ll really run into trouble. Having to move your truck a lot and/or getting a ticket is not a pleasant thing, that’s why you need to plan out the moving day well in advance, to enable things run smoothly by ensuring enough space for parking and easily packing things on/off the truck.

For all of those who are planning for do-it-yourself moving, by renting a truck, which is predominantly an economical way to move into NYC, unless you get ticketed, towed, or take a parkway instead of a highway and shear the roof off your rental truck. In order to avoid these unpleasant outcomes, look for a suitable NYC moving company and we can suggest planning your route from your final destination to your pick up location. Starting with the block you are moving to, check out the local parking regulations and places where you might be able to legally unload. Instead of double parking in front of your building, choose the nearest ‘’No Standing’’ zone to park your truck, and figure out how many sets of hands you’ll need to safely transport your goods from that point to the door of your new home. You could still get a ticket, but if you take the rental agreement to the hearing, your ticket will most likely be dismissed. Don’t park near a hydrant space, as you’ll probably get a ticket that won’t be excused.

As for tips how to get the best spot from where you are moving from, you can double-park across the street at your current residence, the option is that you wait until the end of alternate side parking for that day, then move over either after the street sweeper goes by or until other people start moving over, whichever comes first, and you stay in the driver’s seat until it’s entirely over, at which point you can start moving your things.

Alternatively, you could have someone with you to ask people to give you a little room behind you, which most people will be probably do to accommodate, as you’ll need room to move your things, and also to back up when you are leaving.

Additional parking restrictions rules

Special Midtown Manhattan Rules

The two rules below apply in Manhattan from 14th to 60th Streets, and from First to Eighth Avenues, inclusive. They are in effect between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm daily, except Sundays. There may be different restrictions on particular blocks, so you need to check.

Standing time limit

No driver can be making pickups, deliveries or service calls for a period longer than three hours, unless it is otherwise posted. A vehicle or combination of vehicles not being used for expeditious pickups, deliveries or service calls counts as a parked vehicle subject to the parking rules applicable at that particular location.

Methods of parking

On all days from 7am to 7pm, except on Sundays, commercial vehicles that are stopping, standing, or parking must do so than parallel and close to the curb, and cannot occupy more than ten feet of roadway space from the nearest curb, and no truck or commercial vehicle may backed in at an angle to the curb.

Lower Manhattan Blue Zone

The Blue Zone is the area bounded by the north sides of Frankfort and Dover Streets, the east side of South Street, the west side of State Street and the centerlines of Broadway and Park Row. Some additional restrictions apply in this area.

On Mondays through to Fridays, from 7am to 7pm, no person can park a vehicle in any of the streets in “Blue Zone” (except as posted), or when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or to comply with the law or at the direction of any law enforcement officer authorized to enforce traffic rules.

Parking in Garment District restricted to trucks and vans

No vehicles, except trucks and vans bearing commercial plates can stand at the curb for the purpose of expeditiously loading and unloading on a daily basis between the hours of 7am and 7pm, including Sundays, from 35th Street to 41st Street, between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, all inclusive, in the Borough of Manhattan. Passenger vehicles or station wagons bearing commercial plates are not deemed as trucks or vans.

Parking Commercial vehicle requires payment in Midtown

Commercial vehicles are required to pay for parking in “No Standing Loading & Unloading” zones in Manhattan from 23rd Street to 59th Street and from Second Avenue to Ninth Avenue and on Canal Street on both sides between Bowery and West Broadway. These rules are in effect Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm unless it is otherwise posted. Commercial vehicles must stand or park at parking spaces controlled by meters, by purchasing parking at meters located on these streets, and displaying the receipt on the dashboard. The maximum time for such metered parking on a single block is a total of three hours, unless otherwise indicated by a posted sign. Both sides of the single street constitute a block.

We also have green bins to rent.