That changed in Boston recently when the city turned its tow trucks loose against double-parking in the city's most congested areas. It is estimated that as many as two dozen delivery trucks a day got the hook during a crackdown that lasted for several weeks. "Even when space is available, they often don't pull into loading zones," says deputy transportation commissioner Dan Hofmann.
Some years ago, Burlington, Vermont, went a step further. When UPS fell delinquent on paying its tickets, city officials studied one truck's daily delivery route. At a frequent stop, they twice hid a tow truck around the corner, and as soon as the driver stepped away, carted the delivery truck off. Since then, UPS has paid all of its tickets on time.
For their part, delivery companies argue that every time one of their trucks gets towed, the real penalty is paid by businesses who receive packages late. "We don't seek to break parking laws," says UPS spokesman Tad Segal, who notes that drivers on cramped city streets are sometimes left with no other choice. "The bottom line is our drivers are typically in and out of a situation like that very quickly."
