Tractor Trailer Causes a Mess Rest Area 1-81 MM158 Virginia SB

Normal for life here on 81. I do my best to avoid it.

 

I know this rest area is an out-dated carryover from probably the 60's. But you know what? With many truckers today, you could build a 1,000 space, paved, trucks-only rest area off the interstate [and advertised as such], and you can bet there will be 6 parked along the entrance ramp from 10:00pm to 07:00am with only parking lights on, if that.

And when they wake up, they'll dump their crap out on the ground.

Idiots.

 

This happens, now that ELD's are here, parking on the shoulder leading up to and leaving the rest areas, while always illegal was looked the other way upon by law enforcement. Now drivers will suffer parking tickets and log violations when they move.

We are hearing Walmarts are shutting down overnight parking in various markets.

We are hearing Indiana and perhaps other states to follow who will require drivers to log On Duty while at all shippers and receivers.

We are hearing truck stops are converting their parking lots to "pay to park".

So drivers will be burning up their clocks getting (un)loaded and in turn will produce fewer miles/revenue during their week. Out of their smaller paychecks will have to pay hundreds of dollars week to park. Because they are low on hours will have to stay parked for 34 hours which will cause more dollars in parking fees.

Meanwhile when they do have hours to run, they will be running full speed up against their governors to produce as many miles/revenue as possible regardless of fatigue or weather conditions.

ELD = more crashes, more fatigue, less money earned for the common trucker, more tickets and violations.

 

Elogs, or more specifically, the HOS being set in stone now, has turned me into a very angry and impatient person. I have about $10k in loans to pay off and then I am done. Hopefully that doesn’t take more than six months.

The only way I can see putting up with this bull#### is if the money doubles. I’m guessing there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening... so... c’est la vie to trucking.

 

Exactly what the mega ATA wanted. Disenfranchised truckers leaving the industry so they could swoop in and scoop up more and more market share.

 

I bet anything not one of those DOT officers was there to do anything about it.

 

Truthfully, I hope the trucking industry burns to the ground, metaphorically speaking.

 

There was a lot of drivers taking their 30 minute breaks along the shoulder today,
I can’t wait til elogs log all time parked along a highway as Line 4.
Truck stops and rest areas everywhere and they park next to traffic.