“Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act,”

[AC0GV]

NOTE NUMBER 3.It is already that way in some states.

Allocates $755 million for truck parking over the next five years. The funds would come from the national highway performance, surface transportation block grant, highway safety improvement and national highway freight programs.
Funds could only be used for projects that added truck parking capacity, including:

• Constructing new rest areas with commercial vehicle parking
• Constructing truck parking facilities, including adjacent to private truck stops and travel plazas, within or adjacent to publicly-owned freight facilities, and at existing facilities including inspection and weigh stations
• Converting existing weigh stations and rest areas to facilities for the exclusive use of truck parking

[steve dunham]

I guess I am a little slow on the uptake, but I have no idea what Number 3 is or which way what is in many states ?
All the sign indicates is that the rest area is for short term use such as a quick lunch or a bathroom break or to stretch your legs .

[Fred762]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I guess I am a little slow on the uptake, but I have no idea what Number 3 is or which way what is in many states ?
All the sign indicates is that the rest area is for short term use such as a quick lunch or a bathroom break or to stretch your legs .

Seems to me it means that an Armed Gvt Worker is liable to arrest you for over nite parking yer RV or travel trailer in a Rest Area, to get some..rest.

See, it's ok for 18 wheelers to overnite, while burning diesel all nite..but we serfs do not get to rest a few hours. What about a fair compromise where part of the lots are for RV/TT use and part for 18 wheelers??

[Raspy]

I consider "rest stops" to be for resting, or safety. I don't intend to move in and stay for a week, but I do not hesitate to go back to the trailer and go to sleep until morning, or until the weather allows the road to re-open, etc. This is one of the great advantages of traveling with a trailer; no tent to set up, no sleeping in the car, and nobody knows if you've been there for one hour or twelve hours.

If I am ever questioned by an officer, I will simply tell them that I considered it unsafe for me to drive any farther, I needed rest, and that I will be gone soon. All of that is true.

In Texas, we've discovered "picnic areas", "rest areas", and "parking areas". In CA there are "brake check" areas. Some areas have "public parks", that are intended to be used as stops for RVs. And, of course, there are "travel Plazas" and "truck stops" all across the land. Loves' has been great, where nobody even knows we are there amongst the hundreds of trucks. Flying J, and even Maverick. We've found well lit lots near hotels and next to McDonalds at a number of highway intersections, with numerous trucks or campers stopping for a rest. I asked a cop where we might be able to park for the night in Kanab, Utah, thinking wherever he suggested would be OK, and he directed us to the local Wendy's parking lot, where there were a number of RVs already there. We have never had a problem, or been asked to leave anywhere. In Nevada, on "the loneliest highway in America", we can stop at a pull-out, a sand mountain, a casino parking lot, or at a hot springs. In the morning, the views can be breathtaking.

After pulling into a place like that at around midnight, and then getting up and going for a walk with the dog at daybreak, coffee in hand, not in a hurry, everything seems right. The vast expanse of Nevada never gets old.

Of course, these are all used as stops on the way to somewhere else, not as destinations. But they are much better than pulling into an RV park and paying $40. just to park until morning.

We will be heading out to Moab, Utah in two weeks and are planning to meet our group and spend the night at a BLM area right off the highway, just out of town. A convenient staging area, before heading into Chicken Corners along the Colorado River.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Fred762

Seems to me it means that an Armed Gvt Worker is liable to arrest you for over nite parking yer RV or travel trailer in a Rest Area, to get some..rest.

See, it's ok for 18 wheelers to overnite, while burning diesel all nite..but we serfs do not get to rest a few hours. What about a fair compromise where part of the lots are for RV/TT use and part for 18 wheelers??

Oh, please. Wild fantasies about "armed Govt workers" arresting sleepy drivers? Really? Rest areas promote highway safety that benefits all of us. Arresting people for being safe and stopping while sleepy, is not gonna happen. Who are these "armed gvt workers"? Do you mean the guys cutting the grass, or emptying the trash cans? Or the highway Patrol, who have much more important things to think about? Or a vast new force of rest area police? BTW, many rest areas are already divided into "truck" and "autos" areas. Trailers are fine in the truck areas, as they don't fit in the auto area spots.

[Jon in AZ]

I don’t think the sky is falling. I don’t foresee all rest areas being converted to truck-only use. There are some that have been abandoned already, along with unused weigh stations and pull off areas that were planned and ramps built but never developed. Seems like this legislation provides funding to convert those into much-needed parking areas for commercial drivers taking their mandatory rest. Some states have been doing this for a while- converting unused ramped pull-offs into unimproved truck parking.

The need is obvious if you drive the major interstates at night. I’ve seen existing rest areas and truck stops filled to overflowing and ramps clogged with semis. If additional funding relieves pressure on the whole system that should be good for RVers.

It’s a delicate balance for state decision-makers. Commercial transportation pays the lion’s share of highway funding, but non-commercial motorists make up the large majority of the voting population. I suspect a few under-utilized rest areas might go away, converted to truck parking, but most will remain as they are. States like Arizona that depend heavily on tourism have an interest in maintaining good facilities for non-commercial users.

The sign is misleading. Some states have long prohibited overnight parking in rest areas. Others allow it. That’s not news.

[steve dunham]

i

Originally Posted by Fred762

Seems to me it means that an Armed Gvt Worker is liable to arrest you for over nite parking yer RV or travel trailer in a Rest Area, to get some..rest.

See, it's ok for 18 wheelers to overnite, while burning diesel all nite..but we serfs do not get to rest a few hours. What about a fair compromise where part of the lots are for RV/TT use and part for 18 wheelers??

I asked a simple question and got a ?????
I’ve never been part of the “ X got something I didn’t get so it’s not fair “ crowd , well maybe back when I was 7 or 8 years old
When they make people towing travel trailers comply with the same laws /rules / regulations and pay the same taxes as commercial truckers then maybe I could see your point .
I’d be all for a compromise in that if you get to camp at a trucker’s rest area then I get to park my semi truck in front of your house with the engine running all night . Seems fair to me !!

Now back to worrying about something that really matters
I always like Raspy’s common sense approach !!

[ShelbyM]

Originally Posted by Fred762

Seems to me it means that an Armed Gvt Worker....

Apparently soon here in TN we'll have more nutballs to worry about

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

Apparently soon here in TN we'll have more nutballs to worry about

I’ve visited Tennessee many times and attended school at the UT at Knoxville ,so I can empathize with your concerns

[k0wtz]

Truckers are only allowed on the road for a time then they have to stop for some hours I don't know what it is? Our rest areas here in Mo. are crowded at times but never completely full so frankly I don't get this?

We boondock so we use these areas at times also there is always room and at times we don't park with the trucks but over on the car side where there is always a lot of extra room. I see many many people now sleeping in cars or their vans so it must be a popular mode now with motel charges going over the moon!

I have never been questioned now if a party decided to spend a week then no doubt someone would be running them off?

We did find on the Pa. turnpikes you are limited to 2 hours and they mean it. England has 2 hours rules and you better not break them huge I mean huge fine if you do. Don't ask me how I know this? We did it got the huge fine but since we were from America we got out of it! We did hear of a trucker who broke the rules parked there a couple of days and got a 2000.00 fine! Ouch!

Oh one thing I read into this is they are considering putting in truck stop fuel and restaurants which is not allowed at most rest areas. So they may be thinking of doing this then eliminating all the maintaance issues.

But as in most cases who knows what the government is up to! LOL

bob

All the sign indicates is that the rest area is for short term use such as a quick lunch or a bathroom break or to stretch your legs .[/QUOTE]

[floyd]

Illinois has had signs prohibiting overnight parking in rest areas ever since they have had Interstate highways.

I and millions of others have ignored them successfully for well over 50 years so far.


There are,however, Truck Only Parking Areas around the country which don't allow RVs or car traffic to even stop there. Different things altogether. Truck drivers are restricted by miles and hours per day, RVs and cars are not.

[Jon in AZ]

Floyd, better watch out when you wake up to find chalk marks on your tires... LOL!

But yes, regulations and actual practices are often out of sync. I’m sure they want the rule on the books so they can start enforcing it if there’s a good reason in the future. CDL rules aside, sensible people realize that all motorists are subject to driver fatigue, and we all benefit from letting sleeping dogs lie.

As Raspy (I think) pointed out, there are lots of other and often better places to catch a few winks than interstate rest areas. Too much continuous coming and going for me. I like the auto side of truck stops, well away from the diesels, pumps, and store entrance.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Floyd, better watch out when you wake up to find chalk marks on your tires... LOL!

But yes, regulations and actual practices are often out of sync. CDL rules aside, all motorists are subject to driver fatigue, and we all benefit from letting sleeping dogs lie.

As Raspy (I think) pointed out, there are lots of other and often better places to catch a few winks than interstate rest areas. Too much continuous coming and going for me. I like the auto side of truck stops, well away from the diesels, pumps, and store entrance.

My real point is that rest areas are not the same as truck parking only areas.
I just got home from Florida and there are plenty of each along the Interstate routes we took... While I generally like WalMart, some rest areas are nicer than some actual campgrounds.

[thrifty bill]

Maybe in Missouri: "Our rest areas here in Mo. are crowded at times but never completely full so frankly I don't get this?"

Where I travel, rest areas, exit ramps, truck stops, Walmart parking lots, etc. all have a lot of trucks parked on them. Some states even post the # of empty spots at rest areas (I think it is Kentucky, not positive). Now I have never seen a full Walmart lot, but I have seen plenty of full rest areas, truck stops, and freeway ramps.

My last trip to Utah I stopped at a Flying J in Limon, CO on the way home. Conveniently, they had a parking area for trucks, and a second area for just cars and RVs. By the time night arrived, the truck area was full, and the car/RV area was full as well (full of semi trucks). It was difficult to get out in the morning, it was jammed.

Going east, the next Walmart is 110 miles away. I've stayed there before, but I was not ready to go that far that night.

[Justus C]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Floyd, better watch out when you wake up to find chalk marks on your tires... LOL!

Why, that would be a violation of your rights under the Fourth Amendment. https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/71624...s-constitution

But there are other ways to enforce parking limits.

[cpaharley2008]

My question refers to the last phrase "Commercial use prohibited" - I always thought trucks were commercial vehicles, particularly those that haul items. Would not that prevent trucks from using the area, since they are commercial vehicles? You need a commercial drivers license (CDL) to operate one.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

My question refers to the last phrase "Commercial use prohibited" - I always thought trucks were commercial vehicles, particularly those that haul items. Would not that prevent trucks from using the area, since they are commercial vehicles? You need a commercial drivers license (CDL) to operate one.

I think that means the area cannot be used for commercial purposes, such as selling something there at the rest area. No setting up a stand to sell jewelry or ice cream, etc. The only allowed use is resting. But those resting can rest while they are being paid to drive.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

My question refers to the last phrase "Commercial use prohibited" - I always thought trucks were commercial vehicles, particularly those that haul items. Would not that prevent trucks from using the area, since they are commercial vehicles? You need a commercial drivers license (CDL) to operate one.

Buying and selling cannot take place on the premises (except for vending machines and the like operated by the state, of course).

[cpaharley2008]

Perhaps trade or business use prohibited, but trucks are commercial vehicles, poorly written sign....

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Perhaps trade or business use prohibited, but trucks are commercial vehicles, poorly written sign....

Isn't that the least of your troubles right now?