The Art of Blending In: How Telstar Logistics Transformed Parking into Urban Exploration

The Parking Trick

Salvador Betancourt-Ramirez
2 min readMar 17, 2024

Telstar Logistics began its journey back in the late 1980s as a clever solution to avoid parking tickets. In Providence, Rhode Island, someone had a bright idea: disguise an old van as a work vehicle by adding vinyl letters with a made-up company name. It worked perfectly, no more parking tickets in loading zones.

But the idea didn’t stop there. Throughout the 1990s, Telstar Logistics evolved. The person behind it started adding yellow stripes and cryptic numbers to their vehicles, making them look even more official. It wasn’t just about parking anymore, it became a way to blend in and protect their cars from theft and vandalism on some tough streets in San Francisco.

The Evolution into Urban Exploration

As the years went by, Telstar Logistics became more than just a parking trick. By 1999, it had transformed into a sort of alter ego, as mentioned by the mastermind. It wasn’t just about parking or protection anymore; it was about exploration. The person behind Telstar Logistics used it as a cover to explore transportation facilities and abandoned military bases, always flying under the radar with their branded disguise.

With Telstar Logistics stickers popping up everywhere and custom shirts for themselves and a few friends, the brand became a symbol of creativity and cleverness in the city. This story is one of the funniest logistic-related ones I’ve read, and I really admire how smart it is. I wonder where this genius is now and what cool stuff they’re up to.

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Salvador Betancourt-Ramirez
Salvador Betancourt-Ramirez

Written by Salvador Betancourt-Ramirez

I’m logistics and global trade enthusiast. As a muggle in the industry, I’m excited to share my journey learning in a freight forwarder

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