Truckers in North Carolina are baffled by a sudden surge of tickets being handed out for parking their rigs on the side of on and off ramps along I-77 when the old law prohibiting it has been largely unenforced for as long as anyone can remember. It turns out, the crackdown may be motivated by contributions made to the Governor by a pair of long-time political donors.
Early this year, Charlie Shelton sat down with North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to express his concern over the truckers that were parking their rigs on the on and off ramps near the award-winning winery and the Hampton Inn that he owns with his brother, Ed.
“It’s unsightly,” said Shelton in an interview. “It’s against the law to park a tractor-trailer and go to sleep there and throw your trash out on the road.”
After that meeting state troopers began cracking down on trucks using on and off ramps for parking. In 2014 only 70 tickets were written for illegal interstate parking in the whole state, but in just three months following the meeting, 261 tickets were written, the majority of which were in Surrey County where the Shelton brothers’ vineyard is.
The Sheltons have been donating to Governor McCrory’s campaigns since he was running for Mayor in Charlotte two decades ago. They have supported his campaigns with political donations ever since.
Governor McCrory denies that the crackdown has anything to do with the meeting with the Sheltons, saying that it’s a part of a larger enforcement effort that started when a patrol commander for the Highway Patrol noticed a lot of illegally parked trucks, but according to the News Observer, a Highway Patrol memo said that the enforcement effort was coming from complaints “funneled through the Governor’s Office.”
Additionally, Shelton was quoted in an interview discussing his conversation with the Governor about the parking issue say “I asked to talk with him about it, and I spent a little time explaining it to him. And that’s when he got the troopers involved and the DOT involved.”
Drivers meanwhile are getting stuck with tickets that cost them a $25 fine plus $188 in court costs for parking in the only place they can. Troopers are being told repeatedly that drivers have not been able to find parking at local truck stops and face the choice of either using on and off ramps for parking or running over their allowable hours of service and driving fatigued.
Despite the huge increase in tickets over the past year, Shelton still doesn’t seem impressed.
“It got better, all the ramps were cleaned up for a few months,” Shelton said. “But it’s getting worse again. The only way you’re going to solve it is giving tickets until you get this problem solved. It will take a year or two to get these people to understand they can’t do this. This is 2015. We don’t need that stuff going on.”
Source: newsobserver, newsobserver
Bruce Campbell says
NC needs more truck parking. I understand why Sheldon’s upset and don’t expect him to have empathy but the police should know better. First you let us park, then you ticket us? Blow.
Dave says
This is something that happens in a large proportion of states, the worst is calif..
The ONLY way to solve this problem is not through ticketing as stated. The ONLY solution is more truck parking being made available, either at rest stops, trucks stops or other areas near heavily travel roadways.
If they wish to enforce any existing parking restrictions for trucks through ticketing then they should take the fines and a matching amount from their general funding and build, or expand, areas for truck parking.
However, courts as well as politicians DO NOT have the intelligence to do that.
It is all about the almighty $$$$ and how much of that they can put in their pockets. Note I said pockets not government coffers.
Mike says
Boycott Shelton Vineyards, how do they get their products? Mount Airy and Dobson are homes to many trucking companies. They need to be finished. That exit stinks. I don’t even know how people stay at the Hampton Inn. Truckers are treated like crap anyway because of ignorance. Truck drivers bring in alot of revenue to our county.
R.B Barnby says
One has to understand the parking problem at the truck stops. I think a driver should be permitted to stop and sleep when he runs out of hours, although the trash problem is uncalled for. It is a hard enough job hauling freight all over this country safely without having to deal with situations like this, and then having to spend a very two hundred dollars of your hard earned money.
Anthony says
Go ahead…Keep biting the hands that feed you.
Mike says
Boycott Shelton Vineyards, how do they get their products? Mount Airy and Dobson are homes to many trucking companies. They need to be finished. That exit stinks. I don’t even know how people stay at the Hampton Inn. Truckers are treated like crap anyway because of ignorance. Truck drivers bring in alot of revenue to our county
NH says
Sounds like the county needs a huge truck stop. Possibly near a certain vineyard since there are so many trucks parking out that way?
phatkhat says
THIS!!! ^^^ Wouldn’t it be great to have the money to do it! Sheldon might make more money off a TS than his precious vineyard.
d aut says
intresting idea, and possibly more employment opportunities in the area, but the model is not there yet, vineyards are an easy sell for a bank, not so much truck stops. and the culture at these big truck stop orgs, it is my guess they are not easy to play with, just judging by the attitudes of the the help at all the trucks stops i have ever been to in outer areas. but yeah, maybe approached as another business an exit or so down, maybe even the judge would want in on the action, bank it, give him something to throw his bothersome brother in law at?
Mike says
Exactly.
J Carter says
Fat chance of that. You’d never be able to get a building permit for it. That same governor’s crony would see to that.
One might ask the crony though – how does he get his grapes to market?
Oh, I know! He must have a magic carpet!
d aut says
be funny if they began to have difficuly on that front, trucking troubles, could look like something on that show Fargo, with those boys from kansas city moving in on mom. too bad trucking, as a group, is so retarded and short sighted. hey, i thoght it was funny, maybe grapes all over the road would not make the paper.
Mike says
They need to be buried. People don’t know this. I received a ticket for parking on a ramp in TN because of this same guy. Now it’s just been brpught to light by an old friend of my husbands. I won’t stand for it. Trucking is hard enough. Screw the cronies. Screw Sheltons Family. I will put it out there.
Mike says
Boycott Shelton Vineyards, how do they get their products? Mount Airy and Dobson are homes to many trucking companies. They need to be finished. That exit stinks. I don’t even know how people stay at the Hampton Inn. Truckers are treated like crap anyway because of ignorance. Truck drivers bring in alot of revenue to our county
Jimmy Lyons says
One way to help fix the problem is to stop closing truck stops, create more parking in rest areas, and allow parking in weight station’s, they pull you in for inspection but will not let you park overnight
Mike says
Boycott Shelton Vineyards, how do they get their products? Mount Airy and Dobson are homes to many trucking companies. They need to be finished. That exit stinks. I don’t even know how people stay at the Hampton Inn. Truckers are treated like crap anyway because of ignorance. Truck drivers bring in alot of revenue to our county
L says
Here we go again. I haven’t heard any suggestions from Mr. Shelton as to where driver’s can park. No suggestion about building truck parking only locations. Nothing as to where we can park. Maybe in his parking lot would work. 10 hr break, 30 min break, 34 hr break there is no place to go especially if it’still after 9pm because the truck stops are full of day drivers. And now there is a growing problem of local driver’s parking in the truck stops and going home. In a lot of cases they park their cars in the space during the day to save it. All local companies should be required to provide parking for their trucks other than a truck stop.
Mike says
They need to be shutdown. I have lived in surry county my entire life. My husband and I are truck drivers. People don’t kniw this. Do any of his family order stiff through prime? Unsightly. That hotel is unsightly. We have never patroned any of their establishments and we won’t ever. I’m not dopne with this.
John says
Maybe no one will deliver to his winery ?
sudon't says
Or, more importantly, take his product to market. But of course, it’s not up to the drivers.
Mike says
Exactly.
Micheal redding says
Well mr.Shelton why don’t you use some of your political clout and have your boy ( the governor ) build the truckers a safe place to park. North Carolina has the worst available truck parking in my opinion than any state in which I run in. And every one knows in order to maybe find a safe place to park rather it be a rest area or a truck stop in alot of states you have to shutdown by 3pm. And trucking just doesn’t work that way.but I’m sure a cry baby like yourself who has money and the governor’s ear doesn’t give a fat rats *** about anyone else but yourself but remember this those unsightly trucks bring you everything you need and most likely pickup and deliver your grapes. so let’s see how all that could change for you when the word gets out about how you had your boy the governor take money out hard working class truckers who are doing nothing more than trying to feed there families and get there rest. Myself I rarely spend a dollar in North Carolina nor do I purchase fuel in North Carolina. My belief is we all boycott you and the corrupt state north Carolina.
Jane says
Governor Pat McCrory has a FB page. You can go there and leave a comment. Perhaps if enough people did just that things might change.
Mike says
He likes the $$$$. $$$$ talks apparently. The sheltons have made this happen in TN too.
Big Bib says
A few drivers are filthy pigs but the majority are good clean hard working people the police on the other hand are mostly corrupt and in just
Big Bib says
The corrupt are led by the corrupt with the money
Robbdogg says
Start looking for your own way out before they force you out.
Big Bib says
You will never work a job that will cost you so much just to work
(truck driver) and do so much for so many and get so little
Andrew Pelletier says
Won’t be buying any Shelton wine. Or hauling any of their product.
Charli says
Sorry, but if I owned a winery and a Hampton Inn, if feel the same way! I don’t want my rig in my own neighborhood either. Parking on/off ramps is just asking for trouble anyway.Drivers throwing trash out deals the deal.
However, truck parking NEEDS to be solved or the hotshots stop getting their ” STUFF”!
Charli says
Auto correct ^^^^^ ugh
Harrell says
I run up I-77 3 days a week from SC to WV then back each day. I noticed even in the Mt. Airy scale house trucks being ticketed for parking, also at exit 85 lots of trucks park there because its a large ramp with rock pull off area. Surry County is the only place I see multiple trucks ticketed. I am usually going through this area before 07:00. The rest areas on I-77 are very small and if you park on the entrance or exit ramp at these rest areas you will get a ticket I see H.P almost every trip ticketing drivers while trying to take their mandated rest period. What a scam, $213.00 it will cost you to take your federally mandated rest break in NC.
phatkhat says
Be cheaper to stay at the Hampton Inn. Wonder if he has truck parking…
d aut says
excellent, and have a case of the cooking sherry shipped to the crib.
KW says
Send letters to the Gov and legislators, the Chamber of Commerce, etc, reminding them that if you refuse loads to or from North Carolina, you won’t have to park on the ramps in the first place.
kyonna says
If we can’t safely pull off the highway to rest, maybe we should just park on shoulders, getting ticketed anyway… but we gotta do our resets somewhere. If us Truckers could band together for a one day protest, I guarantee that changes would be made. Guarantee it.
Mike says
Lets do it.
steve says
the good old boys in surry county are doing it again,maybe truckers should not deliver to sheltons vineyard,law enforcement just wrote a ticket to a driver last night for parking there,and as far as brintles,good luck getting in there,and when winter comes and bad weather they charge you to park in their lot.i live in surry county and this stuff has always went on,now they are trying to make mt airy a andyland tourist stop,but yet 90 % of the downtown merchants close early on Saturday and all day sunday.the only thing the American trucker doesn’t bring us is the air we breathe,GOD BLESS THE TRUCKERS AND MAY GOD FORGIVE US THE WAY YOU ARE TREATED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike says
Amen.
Ted Cosa says
I emailed his office expressing my disappointment.
JJ says
send him a link to this page while your at it…Thanks
Allen Martinez says
I’m guilty of parking on the on ramp in NC. My guess that less trucks are getting a ticket because thier running past HOS. Banding together won’t happen either. All us O/O have that option, but getting those mega carrier drivers to park is a pipe dream. Shame, it’ll take a major accident to get this fixed (maybe) hopefully the Winer’s (vitner) family won’t be the victims.
sudon't says
How ’bout this – put your triangles down, flip on your four-ways, and if they come around and bother you, tell ’em you’re waiting for road service.
Jennifer says
What are our truck drivers supposed to do, they only have so many hours to run in a day. There is not enough truck stops, towns are stopping people from building them, saying not good for there town or forcing one to close. Truck drivers are just like everyone else trying to make a living to support a family. State’s closing rest area’s saying no money to keep them up and going. What do you want truck drivers to do, we have families just like everyone else to support, stop worrying about feeling your pockets up with money and think about everyone else. If it was not for our truck drivers he would not have been able to build, or get anything for his place’s as well as anyone else. They are the soul’s that build this country, you have the farmers to grow, the pickers to pick it all, the packers, and then you have the truck drivers to drive it from the pickers to the packers, from the packers to store’s or the chain store’s warehouse, or the chain store warehouse to the store’s, or from the warehouse to your store. So that the average joe’s to the rich folks can order it on line or go pick it up at the store and use it in their house. Who do you think delivers those gift’s you send to family and friends that live on the other side of the country or a few states over…. That’s right truck driver’s,!!!!!!!!
Justin says
Put a couple trash cans out and find some greedy business to adopt it so they can advertise at the same time keeping it looking presentable .
Mark. Smith says
Quit doin the OTR stuff & run local. Problem solved
KE says
I say any business that receives more then 10 trucks a day should have to provide parking. 10 trucks a day you provide one or two overnight spots. Walmarts and mega shippers and receivers should have to provide at the very least 10 spots for 10 hr breaks, hell it can be along their fence lines, who cares just provide…..they should share the burden……
Jane says
There are several trucks parked in the Walmart parking lot near my house, and they’re not even making deliveries to the store.
Casper says
Just wanted to warn drivers parking on the ramps in rest areas on I-30 in Arkansas. DOT and law enforcement officers are writing tickets daily for parking on the ramps. You may want to park at the 106mm (JJ’s TS), 63mm (Southfork TS), 46mm (Love’s TS) or 44mm (TA TS). They all have pretty good size lots. Hope this helps.
starhauler says
I found the solution! I said to hell with it and no longer drive for declining wages or hunting for a parking space.
Andrew says
Why I’m trying to get a job locally in my home region of Northern Michigan. OTR is getting progressively worse as the seams of the infrastructure keeps getting pushed.
Jeffrey says
We all understand that the rules for this job. Not delivering; they can create their own fleet. Protesting by continuing to park on the off ramp’s will loss money for us and gain more government $$$$$$$.
Having the Companies ask the same questions posted here. So fix it or f$%&* it.
We lose money and time for court. As well as earnings for our time.
A larger group as we are, can affect not only loads in and out, but we can also affect their economy too. No trucks. No fuel, food, business will see losses to the bottom line quickly.
Just my thoughts.
Be safe.
Bill Flatt says
Very easy solution. No trucks pick up at this a– holes winery, no trucks deliver. Maybe he’ll figure out this country relies on trucks!!!
jason says
Or maybe if people would stop throwing their damn trash bags and pissed bottles on the ground, nobody would’ve complained in the first place.
Jane says
I can empathize with any business not wanting to deal with litterbug drivers near their property and it’s unfortunate a few idiots ruin things for everyone else.
That being said, I live in Charlotte, NC, near I-85, and have seen about a dozen rigs parked in the Walmart parking lot every night when I drive by. They are far enough from the building to avoid hindering customer parking so the security guard patrolling the lot doesn’t mess with them.
With the proliferation of Walmart stores along the interstates, parking there could be a viable option to pulling over on off ramps or other undesirable places when there’s no room at rest or truck stops. And since most stores are open 24 hours, there is also access to restrooms and food.
Dancing Shadow says
Right outside of my hometown, there is a ramp that truckers frequent. It has a garbage can on it, too. No mess. Actually, if these guys would see that the ramps are so convenient, it would not take a ton of money to widen these on- and-off ramps to accommodate a few rigs safely. Just doing that would solve a lot of parking woes. Also, it would be easy for a trooper to slide through once in a while as they patrol.
Wayne says
Yeah we do need more parking. But if you read between the lines I think he’s saying Stop throwing your trash and pee bottle’s out in front of his business.
jason says
Exactly. Act like scum, get treated like scum. Everyone needs fuel, most on a daily basis. Trash cans are at every fuel pump. Ive never been inconvenienced by keeping a Walmart bag for trash.
JJ says
To these people wanting deliveries and pickups, most of us drivers just need the land/paved/or gravel lot to park on. When we are out of hours or trying to pick up or deliver your damn stuff, we, at least I just need a place to park. Thats the least you could provide instead of going like a crying ass baby to the Governor, expect your deliveries and pickups to be interrupted, because even many mega carriers don’t want to put their drivers in a position where they get tickets and have to illegally park( you see we are in demand and a company doesn’t want to lose drivers due to people like you). At least its that way for the mega carrier I work for. All we have to do is say its a safety issue(which it is) and the safety department will step in if they have to, then your so called pick ups and deliveries will have some screwed up pickup and delivery times, so think about it. Some of you shippers have the room for us to do the required DOT break to park at your facility, and some of you just need to learn more about what we have to go thru to get your damn products picked up and delivered. The company I work for will drop an account that keeps this damn problem up.
Michael Hofmann says
At last, a place to abandon retired decommissioned trailers. Watch that you don’t scratch the Welcome entrance sign.
Robert says
Here’s an idea pull off the shoulder lift the hood put out your triangles and if the po.po shows up you broke down pull your ecm fuse and tell them and show them your truck won’t start problem solved
Laura says
I’m quite familiar with I-77 and reasonable parking options for drivers
is very limited. The general public needs to wake up and realize there is
most likely a valid reason a ramp is being used for a rest. The desk jockeys
are the ones who’ve put the HOS into effect without any thought as to how
our world of moving freight could be so negatively impacted. The 1/2 hour
“must stop” is a very bad idea. The ‘Professional Driver’ does not need to
be legislated in such a manor. If only more states would follow the example
of KY and TN, more room for resting trucks wouldn’t be an issue. Then a ticket to a ‘lazy’ driver would be more acceptable.
d aut says
went, looked at google map, loves n ta should jump on it, couple months of bulldozer, how far away is the gravel pit,, could have a major intersection covered quick, tax people, everybody wins.
jason says
I hate seeing all the trash thrown out all over the ramps and the highways, too. All of you that find it too difficult to keep a Walmart bag for trash to dispose of properly, you’ve done ruined it for everyone else. Thanks a lot. Quit being slobs and we’ll stop being treated like scum.
Mike says
We use Walmart alot and usually spend quite a bit if we park there. Some do not allow parking but most accommodate. We see lots of damage done by truck drivers which I believe may be the reason some have no parking for commercial drivers. If a parking lot has alot of trees, thry more than likely are making it difficult to park. It’s really sad there is not enough parking for truck drivers. And sometimes pulling off on a ramp is safer than going into a full truck stop and trying to back into a spot when your exhausted.