SEATTLE -- Independent truckers that haul cargo to and from the Port of Seattle have found a convenient way to save money on fuel, but it's got neighborhoods surrounding the port fuming mad.

Some truckers have developed a routine of parking their rigs overnight in residential neighborhoods such as Georgetown and South Park instead of driving it all the way back to their company lots or homes. They park their personal cars in the neighborhoods in the morning, then hop into their big rigs and travel about a mile to begin their work at the port.

When their day is done, they bring their rig back to the neighborhood, pick up their personal car and drive home in a car that may get 30 miles a gallon rather than a big rig, which gets 4. With diesel now over $4 a gallon, it's become an efficient swap that's saving these independent owner/operators a lot of money.

Michael McGrath has seen an increase of trucks in his South Park neighborhood and has complained to port officials about the fumes, the noise and the congestion they cause. He understands the plight of the truckers but says "please don't park in my yard."

Because these neighborhoods are zoned for both industrial and residential, it's not illegal to park a truck that weighs under five tons in these areas overnight.

After acknowledging their complaints, port commissioners believe they've come up with a solution.

On Tuesday commissioners will consider designating land at Terminal 10 on Harbor Island as an interim truck parking site. The plan calls for the port to hire a vendor to run the lot, which would handle roughly 250 trucks. Each operator would be charge a fee to park overnight which port officials estimate could be $50 a month.

"The Port wants to be a good neighbor, so it's time for us to step with the city and help take those trucks off the streets," said Port of Seattle Commissioner Gael Tarleton.

The location is an EPA-designated superfund cleanup site. In order for the parking lot to be completed, nearly $5 million in improvements need to be made. Some of that money will be paid by local taxpayers.

Port critics say it's a good first step, but are calling for the trucking companies and the shipping lines to pay for the parking lot construction, not taxpayers.

"It's dollars that should be spent by the trucking companies and the shippers who are profiting off of what the truck drivers do, not the taxpayers," says Heather Weiner, a spokes person for the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports.

But at least one trucker isn't convinced truckers will go for it. The trucker, who did not want to be identified, told KOMO News, "If it's over 50 bucks a month, maybe it's a little bit high for us."

He parks his rig every night near a residential street in Georgetown. He says it's a safe neighborhood, but the proposed lot would be safer.

"I'm trying to make a living. It's really slow right now so I need to save money" said the big rig owner.

The trucker says he approves of the proposed parking lot, but it's going to be hard to beat parking that is currently free.