Despite taking great risks to deliver goods and products to communities across the country during the height of the pandemic, Dixmoor, Illinois, apparently has no love for truck drivers.
The Chicago suburban ramped up overnight parking fines specifically to target truck drivers. Reports indicate that trucker Robert Tincani was slapped with a $750 ticket after he could not acquire a safe parking space. He traveled off route and hunkered down in a seemingly available strip mall lot. But Tincani didn’t know two things on the April 1 layover. There was a sign on the far side of the strip mall lot that he could not see. And the sleepy village of Dixmoor ramped up fines precisely to keep noisy commercial motor vehicles off the streets.
“Then I looked at it — $750 — you know, that’s a pretty expensive motel,” said trucker Robert Tincani.
Adding insult to injury, the Dixmoor Municipal Code posted online calls for only a $100 fine for illegal overnight parking. Officials say their website has yet to be updated, and the new code also levels $750 fines for trucks driving through certain neighborhoods.
In 2020, trucker Steve Martin received a whopping $750 fine when he turned down the wrong street and called the anti-trucker fines “unethical.” Dixmoor isn’t the only municipality singling-out trucks. Rosemont hands out a $350 fine and Calumet City also nail truckers with $750 fines.
The crux of the problem is certainly not truckers randomly parking wherever they please. Tincani reportedly did his level best to find a legitimate space. But like so many CDL professionals nearing the end of their hours of service, nothing was available.
Trucking organizations continue to advocate for the Biden Administration to act decisively and increase safe parking facilities. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has gone on the record repeatedly saying he essentially feels truckers’ pain on the issue.
“We’re hearing about (the parking problem) with truck drivers everywhere we go, and I’d welcome an opportunity to work with you to make sure that the funding and the authorities available in the law are actually being used to alleviate that problem,” DOT Sec. Buttigieg reportedly said.
Newly-minted FMCSA acting administrator Robin Hutcheson called the parking shortage “one of the top two or three” priorities, saying it has “gone to the top of the U.S. government.” But no movement, or funding, has been put behind the empathetic speeches.
Within four months of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill becoming law, more than $100 billion has been released. Priorities include upgrading roads and bridges, and $7.5 billion has been earmarked to buy shiny electric vehicles. Not a nickel has been rerouted to safe trucking spaces even as programs move forward to put more CDL holders behind the wheel. It would be pretty to say there’s a silver lining. But truth be told, some cities and towns are now fining truckers who deliver their products and groceries because there aren’t enough parking spaces.
Sources: cbsnews.com, fox46.com
If trucking organizations such as ooida, wanted to help drivers and companies, they would work on a measure to add a 750.00 surcharge to all loads delivered in places that have excessive parking fees. If they want the fees, let them pay the fees.
Lol, that’s totally nonsensical. OOIDA does plenty. How about a driver plan appropriately to stop sooner to find parking in a legitimate area soon enough. I’ll agree the fines are excessive, it still comes down to driver accountability and responsibility for the area they’re going to. With smart phones, trucker apps, Google maps and Google earth it’s relatively easy to scout an area after taking a load to find suitable parking.
a real professional driver thats been out here for years knows better than look for parking at a truck stop, over the years i’ve been parking at places where i’ve picked up before that are 24 hours and have plenty of room and had access to the bathrooms and break rooms, too many steering wheel holders are still stopping in the breakdown lane to tinkle… remember when everybody had a c.b. and spoke english?
No, you seat hugger.
Really and what do u do wen those companies do not allow overnight parking ???
Exactly that’s why you don’t take certain loads
Need to use some common sense people. If I don’t have a guaranteed place to park, then I’ll park a little earlier vs running out my full 11. Don’t expect to roll into Chicago at 9 o’clock at night and expect a spot.
EASY FIX….
STOP GOING TO AREAS WHERE US TRUCKERS ARE NOT WANTED……
PROBLEM SLOVED
I DONT GO TO NYNY, CALIFORNIA, CHICAGO, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA AND THE TWIN CITIES..
AINT WORTH THE BULL POOP YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH. The is more of us than them lf you all would just do the United States moto UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL…..
Thank us exactly right let them all suffer don’t go to these place’s , but the rookie think the dispatcher and desk jockeys are God just refuse to go unless you can plan your own route and time and if you have to park in a truck stop reserved parking make the company pay for it no the driver if they want they truck and freight and driver safe!!!!!!
The large mega carriers will take all of the loads you pass on and send in their own trucks. It’s those carriers that need to get involved to keep drivers from getting those fines or worse, hurt or killed because they stopped somewhere unsafe. All of you independents can pass on those leads easily or not. The company drivers are the ones getting screwed because nobody is advocating for them.
When guys go into these area’s and sit there screaming the a55 of their pete’s and W9’s…. and then leave their trash and pissjugs laying all over, then this was always going to happen. Hold on to your pants because it’s only gonna happen more and more and we only have driver’s to blame for it!!
Well guess we Add Illinois to The List with
California…!!! No need for Trucks…
No Toilet 🚽 Paper, No Paper Towels 🧻,
No Diapers, No Milk or Bread 🍞…
California and Illinois there Good…
Don’t need anything from Truckers…!!!
Mr Johnny Bates you sound like Hitler,if it were up to you everybody will be white and learn English overnight let’s see you learn another language, some of you think you own this land..just quit the childish comments..
The only way is to protest..not because of Mask mandates that are saving lives (idiots) delay some more cargo to consumers and we will see what happens..it’s not gonna happen cause all you guys do is bark and not act..
They will keep screwing with drivers because they know they can..And companies won’t reimburse the driver if they are forced to pay for peaceful night sleep..
Our language is English,if you can’t speak understandand read stay south of our border
The United States IS an English speaking country. If you were not born here and immigrated legally, and became a citizen, (boot all illegal aliens out) you are required by our immigration laws to have at least a rudimentary ability to speak and understand English.
If you enter this country on a legal visa for work, education or whatever then you should have enough RESPECT for the host country to speak the language. If you do not have that respect for a host country then you should go back where you came from.
It IS NOT the responsibility of the people born here to learn YOUR LANGUAGE so that you can be understood!!!!!!!!!
Mask mandates save lives LUIS?? Another dumba$$ acting like your some expert but your just liberal sack of 💩 who thinks he’s Einstein! If you live in america then you need to learn english unless their a socialist like you who hates this country then you should go elsewhere where you will fit in!! And by the the way idiot i didnt hear Johnny Bates say anything about color of skin! So maybe you have a complex about your own and just assumed he meant that and putting words in his mouth because he’s white!! You sound like the racist puke here LUIS if that really is your name!!! Jacka$$!!
Actually, the US has no National Language. Hence why the government prints their forms in multiple languages.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/997/text
Read it before you open your mouth again. Your ignorance is showing.
Real easy way to stop the extortion in these communities. Refuse to deliver any goods or services to them. I for 1 Refuse to go to places like this and to toll roads like i76 in Pennsylvania
There is no law or rule that says truck drivers need to serve these areas. Refuse these runs. Companies can’t fire you for refusing loads out of the terminal. And if they do there are better companies to drive for.
Note to self, don’t go to chicago anymore. Simple.