B737-100 HAS WINGTIP STRIKE DURING PARKING AT CLE.

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THIS WAS AN ACR FLT FROM ATL TO CLE. DEPARTED ATL AT XA38Z; 2 MINS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFUL TO LNDG AT CLE; TOUCHING DOWN AT XC25Z. FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS; ON TAXI IN; WE CONTACTED COMPANY RAMP CTL AND WERE CLRED TO OUR ASSIGNED GATE. AS WE APCHED THE GATE AREA; WE OBSERVED ALL REQUIRED GND PERSONNEL (MARSHALLER; WING WALKER) WERE IN PLACE. THIS GATE FOLLOWS A J-LINE FOR TAXI IN; WITH CLOSE ADJACENT GATES ON BOTH SIDES. WE OBSERVED THE R WING WALKER GIVING AN ALL CLR SIGNAL WITH HIS WANDS; AND FOLLOWED MARSHALLER SIGNAL CALLING FOR L TURN IN GATE. AS MARSHALLER TRANSITIONED TO A STRAIGHT AHEAD TAXI SIGNAL; WE FELT AN IMPACT. 'THUD' -- MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT WE HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING ON THE GND WITH THE GEAR; BUT IN FACT; WE HAD CONTACTED THE R WINGTIP WITH A CATERING TRUCK. ONLY #1 ENG WAS RUNNING; SO WE SHUT IT DOWN AND ADVISED PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. AFTER CHKING FOR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS (FIRE; ETC) AND OBSERVING NONE; WE HAD THE ACFT TOWED TO THE GATE THE REMAINING DISTANCE TO DISEMBARK PAX. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. ON POSTFLT EVALUATION AND DEBRIEF OF GND CREW; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CATERING TRUCK WAS INTRUDED INTO THE SAFETY ZONE. THE AREA IS MARKED BY A WHITE LINE. THE RAMP AREA WAS WET FROM EARLIER RAIN; AND COMBINED WITH THE GLARE FROM RAMP AND TERMINAL LIGHTS; THIS LINE IS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT. ALSO; HAVING OPERATED AT THIS GATE OFTEN; I HAVE OBSERVED THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A LARGE AMOUNT OF GND EQUIP IN THE AREA MAKING IT VERY CONGESTED. UPON SPEAKING TO THE WING WALKER; HE SAID HE REALIZED THE WING WASN'T GOING TO CLR AND GAVE A STOP SIGNAL; BUT THE MARSHALLER HAD MOVED TO A POS WHERE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS BLOCKING HIS VIEW OF THE WING MAN. THE WING WALKER ALSO SAID HE NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS 'SLIGHTLY' OVER THE LINE; BUT FOR SOME REASON DID NOT ASK IT BE MOVED. IMMEDIATE CAUSE -- FAILURE TO STRICTLY ADHERE TO SAFETY OR 'CLR' ZONE. I FELT 2 OTHER THINGS MIGHT HAVE HELPED: 1) USE OF 2 MARSHALLERS FOR TAXI DOWN J-LINE IN VERY CONGESTED AREA MAY HAVE ALLOWED THE PROPER RELAY OF STOP SIGNAL FROM WING WALKER. 2) ALSO; IF THE SAFETY ZONE LINES WERE PAINTED WITH YELLOW OR WHITE REFLECTIVE PAINT; WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BETTER ASCERTAIN THAT THE TRUCK WAS IMPROPERLY PARKED; HOWEVER; WE ARE UNCERTAIN EXACTLY WHEN IT CAME INTO THE SIT. DID WE RELAX? DON'T KNOW; BUT REMEMBER; THE FLT ISN'T OVER UNTIL YOU'RE BACK IN THE CREW ROOM!