With towns and cities slapping truck bans on roads, parking areas, and entire zip codes, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear about a small town which is going out of its way to make truckers feel welcome. One small town has built two dedicated, free, and truck-only parking areas to try and encourage more truckers to stop in their town.
Weed, California, population 3,000, isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis. They’re a small town at the foot of Mt. Shasta in Northern California which sits close to the intersections of several major highways. Weed caters to drivers on I-5, and highways 30, 97, and 99 who are looking for a place to park for the night.
In an interview with Fleetowner, Weed City Manager Ron Stock spoke about the town’s initiative to appeal to truckers. The main reason for wanting truckers apparently is that when truckers come to town, they spend money! According to Stock, 84% of the town’s sales tax revenue comes from just eight businesses – all of which are frequented by truckers.
Weed is naturally suited to be a good stopping point for truckers. According to Stock, the other towns just aren’t as appealing. “They can stop in Redding. They can stop in Medford. They can stop at Klamath Falls,” he said. “But if you take a look at it in July and you have to sleep in your cab, Redding might be 108 degrees, Medford 102, Klamath Falls 100. And at the top of the mountain, in Weed, we’re 86 or 87 degrees. Where would you stop?”
To try and coax more truckers to park in Weed (and to spend their hard-earned cash there as well), the town leased two private parking lots and converted them into free public truck parking. Anyone who parks there with anything but a commercial big rig will get a ticket.
Since they’re a small town without a big budget however, the parking lots are just that – lots. They don’t have any amenities at all. Stock says that the nearby fast food restaurants have restrooms and the local Pilot has showers available.
You might expect some businesses to be less than thrilled about truckers using their facilities, but when Stock was asked if locals ever had complaints he said “never once.” The parking areas haven’t become messy, and even though one of the lots is right next to a Comfort Inn, no one has ever complained about noise.
Stock says that parking does have to be limited to a maximum of 72 hours because the town has started to run out of space. They’re looking to expand to a third truck-only lot to double the number of spaces available, but it likely won’t be ready for a few years.
While the lots in Weed don’t exactly compare to rest areas packed with amenities like the one which trucks were just banned from on Long Island, this little town is showing that when truckers aren’t treated like a plague, they can have a truly positive impact on a town.
Source: fleetowner
Bo says
It’s about time some towns start to realize that “Without Trucks , Life Would Stop ”
We all out here would like to see more towns like this ! We would like to say Thanks .
Hopefully there won’t be those Few Bad Drivers who throw their garbage out and dirty up these lots , so we can use them for a long time
10 wheela says
They are not lying i am actually here for the first time and it isba real truckers oasis. Trucks are parked everywhere and people are very nice here. I am almost sad that i have to get on up the road. If you get to exit 745 on I-5 you have to stop and just see for yourself.
TBear says
Way to go Weed CA!
I have been there numerous times over the years. I’m glad to see a positive impact on the industry coming from Weed CA. To this driver it means a lot.
See you next time I’m through town.
Anthony Bellard Sr. says
Great people, with great business sense, OK guys let’s not forget our manners and pick up after yourself. This is a blessing.
Patrick farley says
Amen..and yes please dont trash the place….”
Ether Bawny says
No doubt when the community extends itself correctly as they are doing here then we reciprocate . Go park there..Enjoy it and enjoy the hospitality and prove to the rest of these towns theyve been terribly mislead by bad media about truckers. However the main stain that makes us look really bad is liter. Keep it clean guys.
Scott K says
I hope that some drivers won’t ruin this by dumping their trash and pee bottles to show their IQ
Douglas K says
I agree…if you catch them…report them! To the cops and their company.
Marshal Dickson says
It wont be long before that happens though. Just take a look at anywhere trucks park anymore.
Dave H. says
I have been stopping in Weed for 35 years, and this doesn’t surprise me. The people have always been friendly and helpful. Good places to patronize and a convenient location on I-5. They get a bit of snow in the winter, though. Nice to see a place supporting trucks in a state that seems to hate them.
Billy Rankin says
It was a sunny afternoon in May of 1990. The memory of where I was is kinda fuzzy but not what happened. I believe I was going over or had gone over the grapevine. I remember how excited and scared I was. My trainer and I parked our truck and went to get a hot dog and drink. As we were milling around I saw another truck pull next to ours. I noticed two Sikhs in the front seats. There was a flurry of activity as the cab was rocking back and forth. After a few minutes the truck drove away and left a pile of poop with paper floating in the wind just like a Hershey kiss.
Just sayin………
KM says
you just had to mention their ethnicity .
Ether Bawny says
they just happened to be what they were..and they happen to be damn near any creed of humans ive encountered. Most of the crashes i noticed out here with mangled trucks and lives dont contain any of these Sikhs. I wont bother saying who they usually are..because id be guilty of pretending a clever insinuation about peoples race..It makes no difference. just saying
Richard click says
I saw a driver drop a poop bag out of his truck . Knowing he was too lazy to go to the head I knew he was too lazy to do a pre-trip so I put on gloves and tied it to his trl.door after he shut down for the night
Deniese Carter says
Save your money and spend it there.
And for those that throw waste out… throw it back at em… or tag # and call the law. These animals have hurt the rep of all of us!
Tim says
I just emailed the Weed chamber of Commerce a thank you. weedchamber@ncen.org
Larry Giglio says
Hello. Like for sure, a gnarly crib to crash, man. Like, more towns should get with the Weed.
MIKE says
There are plenty of places to eat there, from fast food to sit down and I believe there is a pilot there now. So thank you weed…
Mona says
Thank you Reed for noticing that us truckers should be allowed a free spot to park and knowing by doing so that your town makes money
Good common and business sense.
Donald Brown says
I will definitely patronize the businesses and use the lot if I’m near there…
RheumTrucker says
I have spent many a peaceful night in the town of Weed, they are totally truck friendly!
Ether Bawny says
Its so very refreshing to see a positive here and there..Its all so damn negative in every direction at all times it seems. So im very pleased to come across some people for whatever ulterior motives they may have are at least acting as if we matter. and allotting us a welcome mat versus the middle finger..
Lynn Adams says
Love Weed. The Hi-Lo is a great place to eat. Most incredible beans.
David says
Let’s not let the pigs amongst us mess this up,whenever you see these pigs doing there nasty deeds do something about it.
Robert Allard says
Remember Walmart use to welcome truckers to their parking lot and some pigs from other country where nothing maters where leaving their excrement in garbage bags onto the parking lot
Saw same pattern last week in one parking lot of a flyin J in Montana
Disgusting that is. Good luck Weed hopefully it will last.
Ether Bawny says
well you will find just as many pigs from this country who make the roads and parking an embarrassing experience..I see constantly people pointing fingers at foreigners for the failures of the people responsible for this industry. We look for the least intelligent excuses..When the guilt lies under our own skin
Floyd Nasby says
I saw a Swift driver pissing next to his truck. Broad day, right in front of the rest rooms, weekend with tourists everywhere. I wrote down the date, time and location. Monday, I called Swift customer service and complained. Didn’t say I was a driver. They assured me they’d “take care of it”. I did the right thing when what I really wanted to do was kick the crap out him.
Ether Bawny says
Im seeing a lot of very ignorant racial undertones about the problems in this industry. The race that allowed the problems to evolve are the ones blaming others. Its not a race issue nor a foreign worker issue. Its a quality of person issue. Companies are hiring garbage across the board of every color creed and race and that garbage comes in every damn color.
Pep Express says
Well said.
EZmule says
I second that race has nothing to do with the disrespect to the public and places that allows us to park. This is a very serious problem. We all need to do our part, to stand against it by speaking up. When you see someone being unethical, stand up for us all.
One side note. There is more to the reason of why many of the Wal-Mart stores have banned truck parking. Wal-Mart is not what it used to be. People & things change; we all need to realize this & take things & people for what they are.
keiler says
Great, now everyone is going to go there, i Loved stopping at the pilot in weed… Now it’s going to be super crowded 🙁
Dick long says
Hire whores and tax them twenty five
Percent
Elizabeth says
This is such a great blessing for all of us truck drivers. To actually have a place to park and not be treated like a piranha! God bless Weed, CA.
Elizabeth says
I have seen every race in our country do the same thing as mentioned above. It is our responsibility to make them accountable for their actions. You go to some truck stops and they smell like a sewer
who says
weed!!!! if it wasn’t for truckers. the city of weed,ca. would be a weed.
Crazy Cat says
I stop in Weed every chance I can. Beautiful place. You can get out and walk around. I recommend highly.