Another town has made the increasingly common decision to bar heavy commercial vehicles from its streets by instituting a truck ban on certain routes.
The truck ban has just gone into effect this week in Issaquah, a small city of just over 30,000 in Washington state. Like so many residents of other cities, citizens in Issaquah complained about trucks crowding their roadways, polluting their air, making too much noise, and being a danger to their children.
“How long does it take (for trucks) to stop for children?” questioned one resident according to The Issaquah Press. “I don’t want to walk down Sunset Way with all that diesel.”
The city council estimated that about a third of the traffic on the main roads in downtown come from heavy trucks. They claim that many of the trucks are coming from I-90, cutting through the town to get to Highway 18, and have no business in the town itself. That’s been perfectly legal up until now as the roads being used were even designated truck routes.
The solution the city council came up with was to simply to eliminate truck traffic altogether – except of course for trucks making local deliveries.
As we have seen when other towns and cities have instituted truck bans however, banning trucks doesn’t make them disappear, it just forces them to use different roads. Unfortunately, these roads are often not suited for use by large commercial vehicles.
That exactly why one council member was against the truck ban.
“Truck traffic will have to go elsewhere and unfortunately today we really still don’t know what the impact will be,” said Councilmember Paul Winterstein. “I fear we could enact this and there be no measurable difference actually on these roadways.”
Even if truckers do end up staying away from small country roads as much as possible, that will force drives onto State Route 900. According to Sheri Call, the executive vice president of the Washington Trucking Association, instituting the truck ban in Issaquah will increase congestion on SR 900 – which is already overfull – and make using the road more frustrating for everyone.
Issaquah also plans to institute other so-called traffic solutions including installing red light cameras to help deal with its growing population.
Source: kiro, theissaquahpress, theissaquahpress, mynorthwest, navbug, kiro
They want there stores full though don’t they !
We are speaking of professional drivers , we are not speeding through these towns , the majority of us are very cautious .
How long will it be before we aren’t allowed on any 2lane roads !
You need truckers wether you want to admit it or not!
Face it, the big trucking industry has an image problem, and that is in my opinion trucks should down size. Trucks should be smaller in size, with load capacities max 40,000 lbs. The engines need to change in which trucks can be powered by hydrogen gas, providing no pollution whatsoever. I also believe when truck size is downsized it will create more jobs, and will become safer vehicles on the road.
What world are you living in,first of all truckdriver are not the problem on the highways it’s the cars that seem to think they can cut off trucks and stop expecting them to stop on a dime as well. Hydrogen powered vehicles are unfeasible, not only are they very expensive there highly explosive in accidents. AS far as weight…good luck with that,businesses are pushing for more weight so they can pay less for the freight being moved,hence lower pay for the truckdriver. …
You forgot to mention that you’d also double the number of trucks on the road which, invariable, causes more congestion. Imagine twice as many trucks waiting to unload at a grocery warehouse. Lee Iacocca lobbied hard for 53 footers with the claim that using them would reduce the number of trucks on the road.
The best way to handle this is no truck delievers for this town .No truck driver buying anything from this town. Let then go with out food fuel and our money and just see how long they last.
REALITY CHECK…
The problem with Truckers boycotting a town in spite of it being a wonderful idea is that most of what they get is delivered by local outfits with smaller trucks (Beverage & straight trucks) and any large trucks are routed to nearby hubs / distribution centers or directly to large retailers like Walfart which have freight handled by super carriers like SWIFT that as we all know really don’t give a hoot about drivers or route bans.
So even if you could get enough drivers to agree (lol) it wouldn’t make a damn difference anyway because y’all would just be pissing in the winds of a hurricane.
It’s like fixing a dam with bubblegum.
There’s just too many roads in/out, small trucks, too much money and politics involved to sidestep right past you Convoy watching internet armchair slacktivists.
Thats right. Dont deliver and try not to pick up there in that town, either. Dont spend 1 dime in that town! This foolishness has gone on for far too long. Its the same situation over and over. Its plain ol’ disrespect, no matter what excuse is given.
Commercial drivers dont just work for themselves, we work for the world around us that WE all live in, bringing ALL thats needed and wanted, as well as TAKING OUT the trash no one wants or needs..
Thats why I say a 3-5day lay off by every commercial driver at the same time, is very necessary. It will jolt the system and splash cold water on the people that sleep or dont give a daam (Just like when the sanitation workers strike). When the trash haulers dont haul the trash and the dumps fill to the point the local trucks cant even pick up anymore garbage due to the overfill and back up, People suddenly understand all of the problems and get real cooperative. See when there’s no gas, milk, sugar, bread, toilet paper, maxi pads, amazingly somehow, questions get answered and attention is payed.. Many arent stupid, most just dont care and some really just dont know. Stocks can get crazy, people get nervous, production can be effected, some even run the risk of going out of business. Provoking the thought at least, is very important, just for starters…
Physical reality in this, is just like an ass kicking to that big smart mouth jerk who hides behind the glass, or on the phone. Nothing is a big deal UNTIL its at their door. We have to bring this to the doors of the public. The sad part is, most people have no clue how bad the industry has gotten, or how the average person treats the people that supplies them with everything they have. A message needs to be sent. All must know that the entire trucking field is just as important as any single part of the whole, such as, the local sanitation trucks..
Being regulated so tightly by Federal guidelines being that much of this business is national, actually makes Commercial Driving and federal occupation. There should be way more perks, and no unreasonable restrictions anywhere. Commercial drivers are the reason why the United States even have an economy.
Truckers are the blood, in the body that lives and strives.
THATS THE SIMPLE MOST LOGICAL SOLUTION! IT SENDS MESSAGES ALL AROUND AS THEY LEARN COMMON SENSE.
CANT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
Just remember there is a shortage of drivers so making so making smaller trailers will need more trks and there’s already a shortage of drivers probably won’t be a solution either, let the whiners go w/o for a while
There’s no shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of people stupid enough to do the job for insulting wages. If more companies paid a respectable wage there’d be lines of people waiting for the keys.
Smaller size loads will just mean more trucks. Years ago they wanted to put a ban on large trucks in the LA area. Until they realized that the area it would be more congested because there’d be many more smaller trucks. The solution is not to deliver to the small towns they will become ghost town before long.
Really? Downsize trucks, that will put more traffic on the already bad road infrastructure. Do you really think these companies will do that? I don’t think so.
Well Domie, if you half the size of the trucks, you double the amount of trks it takes to feed, clothe and fuel your town, that means twice the traffic, and intil you can figger out how to run em on your mystery gas, it will double the amount of fuel, and you really will hate the price increase, I swear I hear both of his marbles rattling around in its head
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/driver-issues/black-smoke-matters-plans-protests
“BLACK SMOKE MATTERS” join the movement!!
Okay well enjoy getting your supplies from somewhere other then trucks
I know, let them come to the warehouses in their suvs and pickups and get their groceries.
If you don’t want to deal with trucks then there are a few options.
1. Move off the grid.
2. When you need something, drive your car to where it’s made and get it yourself.
Ha ha ha no kidding
Let there stores go empty and leave there gas stations empty! There y’all dont want us there fill your own stores , see how ya like us then
Be nice if us company drivers could say the same. I do agree with you, it’s the bean counters that have the problem. All of us aren’t meant for owner op, I do agree as many do, and that is starve them out and they will relax the rules..until then the battle goes on
Well, if they don’t want us on the road. Ban the state,totally. Nothing goes in, nothing comes out. Truckers need to stand up. Men and woman not mice.
Total truck ban. Don’t deliver anything to that town, not even gas and see how long that ban lasts.
Well, it will be fun driving all over “heck” and back, trying to find legal routes to get where we have to go. Wanna bet that no changes to payroll mileage get implented, to compensate drivers for the extra time, distance, and/or headache?
So, did they use State money to fund the construction or maintenance if these roads that they don’t want trucks on? Are truck fuel and/or mileage taxes funding this construction/maintenance? They should loose that funding, whenever one of these truck bans gets implemented. Don’t want the trucks, but do want the money? Then use some of it to build a truck route. Or pay for your car-only roads, with car-only taxes and tolls.
Well said
Drives me nuts. Ban trucks without making an alternative route.
If every truck would refuse to deliver to these places that ban them it would stop it real quick.
Exactly. Time for a wake up call.
Small minded people in small town
America,. Raising revenues by persecuting its citizens,. Listening to a few whiners,. Regular hard working folks don’t have time to chat on the street to pollsters etc,. So is the ban really endorsed by the majority?
Let ’em suck eggs the next time they need a ‘local delivery’….
Absolutely stop all deliveries in that city!
Want to make a change? Attend your local municipal town hall meetings. I’m sick of truck drivers bitching. When asked if you participate in your community all I hear is crickets chirping. Put your money where your mouth is, otherwise stop your incessant complaining.
I think you are off target. Attending MY local town hall meeting (in Indianapolis) would be irrelevant. Attending THEIR town hall (in Issaquah) would be nearly impossible. I’d have no idea of when these thousands of towns would be discussing truck-related issues. Apparently they are not too interested in inviting trucking industry representatives to their meetings, so things will be one-sided.
If it is a state route,truck ban can be illegal and challenged in court. Some one needs to file law suit on small town usa. A State route is an approved Truck route until bypass is built. Bypass roads to remove trucks will also divert car traffic from town then small town is forgotten, seen this happen to many times, take route 66 for biggest example
There was a town in Texas that banned all trucks. They learned that was impossible. Now they have a loop which makes it better for trucks.
Put in a bypass, or lift your silly ban , trucks should refuse deliveries there. When will truckers stand up to this by refusing to deliver there till a solution is reached. you don’t want my truck in your city ,no problem I have plenty other routes to take and go to. Hasta la vista baby !
Just put Issaquah, Washington on your list of “do not deliver to” towns. When the shelves are empty, they’ll beg you to come back.
So sad. Politicians with itchy fingers on the ban-this-ban-that gun, always looking for over-complicated solutions to simple problems, creating even more problems in the process. Issaquah is such a lovely town too. If I lived there I would be fighting like a bear to reverse this ban.
Ah, but I live in Weed, California instead, another lovely but po-dunky town. At least we love trucks and truckers. So come deliver to us instead. Our prices are too dang high and we could use some competition.
I say we truckers stop going to the town period. stop delivering the materials that they need in that town and see how quickly they change their minds.
Mayberry never had big trucks and did ok. Oh wait….they didn’t have a Walmart either.
Actually there was that one episode when all the trucks drove through town.
Maybe if drivers actually started being cleaner and didn’t leave piss bottles and trash everywhere they park, the public might start considering them in a different light.
I drive. And personally I can’t stand the slobs that think they’re entitled to leaving a huge stinky mark wherever they go. It’s pure laziness and it affects us all. Start actually being a professional. Not claiming you are.
I agree, M. It’s not just the bottles, either. How many drivers just drop a bag of trash out the window rather than walk 100 feet to a trash can or dumpster? How many think the ground is an ashtray?
Yet motorists never dump garbage out the window right?
Seen it more times then I care to remember.
You point one finger at us and four are pointed at you.
Ban us from the small towns and go get your own supplies.
1000miles away.
Can you?
Yours truly.
A TRUCKER
If the truckers would ever stick together all this elog,hours of service crap,towns don’t want trucks.would go away simple..without truckers no food no nothing think about it..
I agree with the ban. No trucks, no product. They don’t care about the position they are putting us in and our safety.
We can make it so easy for these anti truck towns to understand… DONT MAKE ANY DELIVERIES THERE..and see how long it will be before they run out of TRUCK BROUGHT PRODUCTS.. maybe they could bring in rail service..
Ya if they think trucks are loud, like be near rr tracks, I do but I don’t complain because they live the truck drivers are just trying to do their job, and the rr was here long before I lived here probably just like them roads were there long before a lot of these people and their houses. I not only live near rr tracks but I also live on a corner that is a truck route and I have no issues w/trks coming thru here, in my opinion these small cities need to suck it up, btw, the small city I live in is less than 2500 people
By train is a good idea, but trucks are still needed to deliver to stores, restaurants, gas stations. New trucks are clean emissions. But be careful with the diesel exhaust fluid. It’s flammable, and the new trucks are more flammable now. Maybe if drivers in cars would stay away from trucks and stop whining, we would all be happier. If you don’t like overpopulation, stop breeding or leave California. Best yet, do both.
Maybe they can buy everything they see when they open their eyes, maybe Wal-Mart can have it brought to them on a ship or in pick up trucks
If they don’t want the big rigs in their town, then park the truck on the out skirts and tell the company to come and get their freight!!
Today most new semi trucks burn cleaner than many newer cars…Therfore using semi truck exhaust as an excuse to ban heavy truck traffic just doesn’t hold that much validity??? The true reason why Issaquah has rejected heavy trucks has more to do with the socio/economic differences between truckers and the towns residents…What a shame!! My wife and I are both in the trucking industry and own a home in Puyallup…In the future we will not shop in Issaquah…be it a new car or a tank of gas.
Maybe the real problem in Issaquah is they aren’t selling enough condoms.
Hahahaha
We should just refuse to deliver any loads to that community at all then they will feel the pinch when the have to drive to the next town to get there goods. We are in cantrol not the towns officials we are carrying there goods it’s to bad drivers won’t stick together and protest this way.
” including installing red light cameras to help deal with its growing population”. Unless those cameras are installed in bedrooms, I dare them to explain how they will stop population growth. Even if they are installed in bedrooms, who will enforce them? Gotta love politicians!
yikes !
I love this, until you became a truck driver you will never know how important this industry is. The world economy depend on transportation air, sea,railroad but the king of all trucking industry. You know what I love what I do while under so many do and don’t one of these days we the drivers will arise and the whole world will know.
They will come up with better options to these issues that small towns face when all trucks in unity begin to ban and boycott delivery to these towns that prohibit and make it stressful for us to pass through, park, or stop off to frikken eat…..they just want us to deliver thier goods, then get the hell out regardless of any of our needs.
How about these towns set up their own distribution warehouse on the out skirts of their towns…we come in drop, no hassles navigating their tiny ass crowded streets…they can then have customers come to these centers and pick up their goods (using electric golf carts).
I hate to say it, but, truckers are their own worst enemies. We have been unable to stand together on ANYTHING, EVER! I remember years ago going to a CTA meeting and although it’s probably not legal, everyone agreed on a bottom hourly rate for the dump trucks and heavy haul guys. By the next day, a lot of the truckers had called the bigger customers and offered to give them a “deal”! Most will cut the other ones throat for a nickel. And as long as that behavior goes on NOTHING will ever change. Without standing together, we are powerless…and hey know it. What it’s going to take, I don’t know. To me there’s a pretty simple solution…but everyone needs to participate….and that is, for a period of one week, just ONE LOUSEY WEEK, no one hauls anything in or out of a capital city, anywhere in the U.S……and at the end of the week, they will be on their knees!!!! I think the perfect week would be he week before Christmas…..no gas, no gifts, no trash pick up, no food……it would work. One LOUSEY week out of a truckers life. Take a vacation for that week…you earned it!!!!
Well said
Just where do the people think the money to take care of the Rds. and Hwys. Yes the trucks pay a fee every year for that. Where do you think every thing you eat, drink, wear, seat on , drive you name it and trucks bring to you, and you dare talking bad about them. GROW UP
Yeah and the registration fee is over $2500 annually, then insurance, fuel. People ought to see the real problem which is themselves.
The problem with Issaquah is urban sprawl and self center snotty people
If I lived closer and and a REAL stake in the matter, I’d request a copy of the study they claim are their problems and the policy regarding exactly what the police department will be doing. How the phones reports are taken of the offending vehicles and what exactly will the letter will say or not say, etc. If we dig deep enough I’m very sure we’d find their study is flawed and holes in how this will be enforced. I’m sure the “complaints” are from very few people who despise professional drivers. Wait until a disaster hits town. They’ll be screaming for help which will only come from big rig drivers.
You don’t want trucks delivering your goods, ok grab yourself a donkey and come and get it !
If you complain about the trucks, another simple solution is when buying a house, don’t buy one on a truck route. Problem solved.
How about publishing a list of all us cities and towns and businesses that could allow us in, that have banned our trucks, parking or driving thru. Then ALL of us simply refuse to take loads to them
dont like trucks? quit buying stuff.
dont like trucks or drivers stay home
A small town near me, did the same thing, saying the road was being damaged by all the heavy truck traffic. I’ll grant you most of the trucks were over weight, however, the road is an US highway funded by federal and state taxes. Coal has a severance tax for the purpose of maintaining the route upon which it’s transported. Also, don’t forget fuel and other taxes are to help to maintain roads, but when politicians move money from the intended use to other political menus the roads suffer. Back to the town, all of the truckers and their families and friends stopped doing any business in this town ,ended up that those big trucks wasn’t so bad! P.S. Aren’t parents supposedly watching their children so they don’t run into the streets?
A national strike imposed on these towns, refusing to pick-up or deliver loads would be an effective result
I… what!? Then I hope they install commercial traffic only lanes because that sounds asinine!
I understand the safety of the children but if they don’t want trucks in their town I wouldn’t even deliver to within a 25 mile radius and see what they say then.
Idiots, on both sides. I can’t speak for all truckers. Just for myself. I pay close attention to what I am doing and what is around me. Passing through small towns or urban areas. I planned on kids and parents being near the streets. So I always drive like there is a kid wanting to run out in front of me chasing a ball or a report card… I always assume motorists in any type of vehicle. Is going to run the stop sign/light. Or back/pull out in front of me. All with cut me off to get into the liquor store or gas station to get there booze and lottery tickets. This time of year. Highway safety and safe driving. is very poor at best. So if all law enforcement agencies nationwide would start targeting motorists of light cars and trucks. And hand heavy fines for speeding or wreckless driving. Then highway along with street safety everywhere would be alot safer.
A note to all city officials everywhere. Truckers have kids and families too. And many of us lost family,friend and loved ones in motor vehicle accidents too.
All of these truck bans are a result of very poor or nonexistent zoning by lazy irrepressible local officials. They have allowed this situation to develope by not limiting areas to developement around major truck routes. Then they want to make trucks to blame for the preference of certain people that want to force what they want on everyone.
Boy! they all like to go to the store and buy all there stuff when there is an emergency. If that’s how they want to be, then that’s fine, make them get there own city trucks to come to a drop off point and pick up there trailers so they can get there stuff. While I wait for my trailer to come back I can take my break that I need and be ready to go.
If truck are not allowed then there should not be any state or federal funding for there street or hwy the trucks pay the road use tax for every mile in every state why should that money pay for roads we can not use
I thought the article said hat local delivery trucks would be exempt. So much for public shopping at a dc.
An image problem? Most drivers are cautious? Man where do you guys drive. I have almost been ran over in a truck stop walking back to my truck by some idiot that has to do 35 mph through the fuel island. Everytime I look in my mirror dumb ass truck drivers are 5 feet off my trailer bumper. People are tired of truck drivers. Tired of trash and urine bottles all over their roads. It’s not an image problem. People are fed up with us and rightfully so.
When the mental fails, showing basic logic and common sense is nonexistent, one can only resort to physical strategies/tactics in order to force wise movements. Got to get it done. In this field, that always equates to the lose of money and services. There are times when unrealistic idiots require assistance with their moronic selfish thinking.
We must not be stupid or ignorant by aiding the ignorance, taking abuse and extra suffering, when they only care if the store has what they need when theyre ready to buy things.
EMPTY SHELVES is the only thing that GETS EVERY ONES ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY (no matter the class/race/political status).
*STOP*
Delivering to areas that have many truck restrictions:
-Bans on key road ways, especially when theres no reasonable alternatives, causing a huge waste of fuel, miles, wear on the driver, and time.
-Cant Idle to provide comfort, in extreme temperatures, whether hot, cold or rainy.
-No truck parking anywhere, no standing or over night parking anywhere, even in commercial zones, (which is beyond ridiculous). Make that your last stressful trip there, your last trip to that place and communicate it every chance you get. Make a list as you go because we all must help each other.. Any place there is commercial property, a truck should be able park without headaches, and at least up to a 34hr reset break.
These people want products to magically appear on their shelves. We must make them see, there is no magic here, lots of people work hard to get it where they want it, for “their” convenience. They dont see this and some that understand some of it, dont care either way as long as its there for them. These are spoiled, ignorant people. Boycotting these areas will make them spend THEIR GAS, THEIR TIME, and more MONEY to get what theyre use to receiving almost effortlessly on the regular bases. We arent being appreciated after all these years, STILL, so its way past time to show them why we should be.