Booted on Hobby Lobby Parking Lot- Newnan, GA

I couldn't agree more. There is nothing worse than being woken up by some security guy at 5:30 am.

 

Try TruckerPath too. It is useful for lots of things. Not always accurate but in conjunction with all your other tools and personal knowledge you will be golden.

 

The virginia I referred to dated back to the late 80's all the way to the late 90's Right about that time, the situation changed somewhat for the better along that road as new stops opened (The one near Mussanutten Mountain comes to mind... nice little stop... big easy to move a rig in)

Im not here to give you trouble or challenge your experiences in VA or anywhere. It has been rather common to load in say Harrisburg PA for Knoxville next day down 81 and there has to be a place to get dinner and a nap, I learned to get it both at or near Winchester VA at the old 76 up there. (Martinsburg?) Then it's a 400 some mile push. Hopefully fueled properly and somewhat rested because in my day loading previous day is a all day affair. (Never mind the logs, it was logged 15 minute loading always to preserve hours then...)

My situation with VA improved immensely when We went Team and started running certain high dollar dedicated out of McKesson so.. I do not hold the feelings I once did towards VA. Especially after they finished a set of rest areas which were nice and big around the State on the Interstate that was a epic assist to the parking issue.

 

Do you honestly believe that a business will allow the feds to step in and FORCE them to allow ANYBODY to remain upon their property? What you'll see is fences go up with gates out by the road that get locked at closing time. You won't be able to show up until after somebody is there to open the gate, and you'll have to be gone by closing time when the last employee out locks the gate. They'll claim it is for security, to keep local thieves off their property. Or, they'll alter the layout a little so that there simply isn't any room for you to remain. If they don't want you there now, you won't be able to stay there after a federal mandate. The business that doesn't want you there after-hours will do what it can to find and exploit any loophole that might exist...and loopholes WILL exist simply because some businesses simply DON'T have the space for "extra" trucks to remain parked for extended periods of time.

 

Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that a company doesn't want you in their lot so they put a boot on your truck so you can't leave?

Carry on

 

I would love to put some screenshots and flesh out what I do a little more but it would take too long. I was a driver in the 90s before taken a 12 year break. I agree with you I think it was worse then.

 

That's ok, you don't need to you stated your case very well. I have not been in VA in a very long time since 2004 and I know things have changed so much. I do visit virtually on google earth now and then and take a look around.

Have a good day Driver, good hearing from you and learning some things.

 

Yes I do!
There is much truth in your post but I am really referring to 24 hour bigger operations. A Walmart DC would be a good example. Some like many Americolds DO allow parking.
Twiddling with the rules would definitely happen but it should be fineable. Big fines too.
2 nights ago I camped outside a locked gate in NJ. So it already happens, I just work around it.

 

Or a cop

 

The other thing to remember is that the FMCSA is limited as to whom falls under their jurisdiction. Just as the regulations require a HazMat shipper to supply the placards, and the shipper also creates the BOL, the burden ultimately lies with the one who falls under the jurisdiction of the FMCSA for compliance...the driver. If a truck is stopped with improper placards or an incorrect BOL, the shipper does not get fined...the driver does. The FMCSA can write whatever regulations they want to govern shippers, receivers, and private property in between...but those regulations are unenforceable due to the fact that the FMCSA has no jurisdiction in the matter. Just like the HOS only apply to interstate drivers, NOT intrastate operations, because the federal government only has regulatory powers over interstate commerce, not intrastate. Each state is free to regulate intrastate operations however they see fit.

So even if the shipper were mandated by an FMCSA regulation to provide safe parking for HOS compliance, they could easily ignore that and you'd have no recourse. The FMCSA cannot audit them, fine them, or in any other way penalize them for non-compliance with regulations coming from an agency which lacks jurisdiction. It would be like the Department of Education writing speeding tickets for speeding through a school zone. They don't have jurisdiction over traffic enforcement, so even though you're breaking the law, the ticket is invalid.