Angled parking

That’s exit 1B.

 

Actually, it's [officially] exit 50 now...let's all update our brains. Haha. Although I see now where the issue is...very rarely do I deal with 80 east or west through there unless I'm going straight into Omaha; I primarily deal with 29 north/south since that's one of our main spine lines.

Ever since they redid that whole interchange it's had me thrown off. I guess Omaha/Council Bluffs thought themselves a big enough deal to add local lanes separate from the main thoroughfare--and redesignate the local lanes as 29 while keeping the main thoroughfare designated as 80, and I've missed that exit several times trying to make sense of it. But I got it all figured out now...thankfully.

 

I kinda suspected there weren't any training programs for big rig drivers.... BUT sitting here at the Pilot at exit 1 in Georgia (the bigger one on the East side of 95) has been a particular education. This yard is huge, space for something like 200+ rigs, all angled parking. I'm parked out at the quiet end of the yard and watching a Swift driver utterly failing at getting his rig between the lines - with the aid of a spotter!

I gather the spotter was actually teaching this one how to drive the truck, but geez.... How'd you get your license if you suck THAT BADLY at parking? They were at it in about 5 different places / situations around me, using a trash can so the driver could sight where a marker was, even just parallel parking was a challenge. They were at it for the better part of an hour before leaving. Had another one at this same Pilot that seemed to be doing the same thing, but an unknown company - nothing on the truck that I could see easily.

I was trapped behind the fuel island at a different Pilot for about 45 minutes a couple months ago, while a driver tried to straight park (I guess that's what you call alley parking?) in a yard where there was about 10 spaces in a row all empty... After FORTY FIVE MINUTES this driver still (again with a spotter!) could only land with their truck crossing about 4 of the spaces at a steep angle. I got out of there as soon as a path opened up - there were at least 6 trucks on each side of this mess waiting to just do their business and GO.

 

Problems & more problems, not surprising, and this is with all trucks now-a-days having power steering. Really though, if you can't back up, you got no business driving forward....

 

I’ve seen people have problems pulling into and out of the angled parking spots in the rest areas. Last week, one day, I woke up, pulled back my curtain to see a state trooper parked in front of my truck. The guy two trucks up, destroyed the nose of another truck, when he turned too tight.

 

Angled spaces are better than what ever that was I stepped in last night, my shoes are still there, thats to the driver that left it.

 

Always thought stepdecks was easier. Them lil tires more quicker

 

Angled spots are for narrower lots, they don't have the width available for straight spots with an adequate lane between them.

That being said, oddly I find it easier to blindside into an angled spot then doing it sight side.

Helpful tip if you have power mirrors, one hand on the mirror switch, one hand on the steering wheel. Keep that passenger side mirror moving to keep sight of the back of your trailer and the line/spot.