Parking the truck at home??

Hours and stress...

 

I don't GARA if the road has a weight limit or not, or WHAT the local laws are...

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/49/usc_sup_01_49_10_VI_20_B_40_311_50_II.html

My home is my official business address registered with the state...the terminal for my company. It is also a facility for food (my kitchen), rest (my bedroom), and repairs (my driveway).

Now every state has it's own access laws, but if the local law decides to harass you, there is a process where you can petition the state for approval of an "acceptable" route. ALL states must allow access 1 mile from the national network, and they have 90 days to approve or deny a route beyond that or the route is automatically approved. In order to deny access, they must be able to cite a safety-oriented reason.

The only way you might run into problems is if there is a HOA that prohibits a commercial business being run from a residence, since you would not be able to claim the residence as a terminal. If you are a company driver, you can't do that either. However, the home IS still a facility for food and rest.

 

This section eliminates most semi trucks on the otr.



(2) terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, and points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers, motor carriers of passengers, or any truck tractor-semitrailer combination in which the semitrailer has a length of not more than 28.5 feet and that generally operates as part of a vehicle combination described in section 31111 (c) of this title.


Some of the roads that are within the mile of the national route, I do not even like driving a fire truck down. Let alone a 80,000 truck.

 

If you drop the trailer and bobtail home (which a lot of drivers do due to lack of space for the trailer), you don't have to be concerned with the trailer not being longer than 28.5 feet in length. You are accessing a point of rest, food, and possibly repairs...and are well within the designated size limits.

...and I drive an 80,000 T/T down roads like that all of the time. I actually PREFER those roads to the interstates. If you've seen one mile of interstate, you've seen 'em all, and quite frankly, driving on the interstate bores the hell out of me. I like the 2-lane roads...the narrower the better...hills, twists, curves, etc. are added bonuses.

 

I am actually talking about the county type roads not the paved kind. In our county they barely are one lane roads.

Now, our city did pass the law about the commercial vehicles over 10,000 not allowed in residential areas.

They never have said anything about my truck, but they did for the one I complained about. He left it running next door to my property and no muffler. It was not occupied either. He was driving through my property to park it as well.

 

I always drop my trailer at our local truck stop with permission. I always put a king pin lock on it. Then I have storage rented where they keep RV's and boats. This is where I keep the tractor and my car and just swap out. Works good and is worth the $50 month for peace of mind.

Most restricted snooty neighborhoods are flooded with boat/RV storage places as they can't park them at home either. Check it out.

I know a guy up in IL. He parked at a shopping center. He come back and his truck was towed. Cost the company $5000 and he lost his job.

 

Get some 1/8" pipe. Cut the pipe into 6" lengths, with a 45 degree cut on one end. Cut some 2x4's into sections a foot or two long. Drill holes into a 2x4 that are just large enough to snugly hold the pipe....but not all of the way through. Just go deep enough to hold the pipes, and space the holes roughly 3" apart. Bury the sections of 2x4 in the ground in the tracks his tires are making, so that 2-3" of pipe are above the surface of the ground. Go inside and wait for cussing to commence.

Takes care of the trespassing problem.



The road I live on is a chip & seal type road...county maintained (if you can call it that). Doesn't stop me from driving on it. Federal law states that access must be provided for rest, food, repairs, terminals, loading, and unloading. If the states cannot deny access, what makes you think counties or cities can?

 

I put posts up. Took pictures of the damage and called the company. The company told me that the truck was not there. I said, well the ticket from the city will be following and I had pictures.

They offerred immediately then to pay for the damages.

I told the owner, it was pretty sad. I am a truck driver and I have to call about another one who did not care what he tore up.

 

Curious as to how y'all make that work, with it being real common to have to head out real early in the am?

My neighborhood is pretty blue collar and we all do a good job of respecting each others right to do what they please with their own property. My neighbors would have no issue with me parking a truck at home. But, I'd like to be a good neighbor and not make a racket in the middle of the night.

But, I do remember years ago living next door to a trucker. My bedroom window was pretty close to the property line, and he parked the truck pretty close to his side of the line. He'd start it up at 4am and let it idle for 20 minutes before he rolled out, and it would not only keep me up, but it would shake the whole house. I don't want to subject anyone to that nonsense.

 

Read the title of the rule.