Interstate Entrance and Exit Ramps - State Law

Those EPUs you speak of are garbage. I will take my Tripac anyday.

 

Bad traffic, bad shippers and receivers, or bad weather do not give anybody a pass to break the law. You're the one who controls your truck. Park it legally. If you run over hours getting to a safe spot to park then so be it. 10 hours after you park you will have a full day's travel to go again. And without a parking ticket.

 

Don't park here in Arkansas. They actually put out a news segment that you have to plan better and there is no money for truck parking here. Not for a while. Oh by the way no ramp parking either. Even if you did, it might rain over night and the ground we have is bad when wet and you will incur a tow out call.

Decades ago people pulled off to park. But the dying and killings started around the 287/78 interstate areas where it was more common to just stop and sleep. I-695 on the side above the 795 junction had wide spots where truckers gathered too. Well people started dying under trailers, ramming them from behind. BOOM.

Police started a effort across many eastern states to clear us out of various spots. Then chased us off ramps. And then went around hunting those hiding out near walmarts and such. It never ends.

If I drove today and had 11 hours to do it? Ha. It might be 7 hours driving and I see a half empty truckstop. Guess what, we are getting our 10 hours right there. Off I go to park legally. Chances are it's only 4 am or 5 PM. Time for dinnah.

Appts? Ha. A phone call or sat messaging will let the office deal with that. She's legally parked tonight.

The reason I have the attitudes I have is because I am a original parker when I am say 100 miles from Memphis I'll park in the woods somewhere far away from there to at least sleep and not be bothered.

Some nights there is NO parking between Philadelphia all the way to Knoxville-Richmond region. NONE. (I know where I can stick a semi in that area but only because I was raised there.) In those days paper logs were meaningless. You fixed them up tomorrow.


OH... I knew (Edit) I forgot something.

The word Emergency should be reserved for Extinction Level Events like Yellowstone or something. Your poor planning and execution parking a big truck badly does not constitute a emergency. Nor is there anything you do in trucking that makes a valid emergency where you can be above the laws and just stick that truck wherever you like.

That is why I would put in a 7 hour day and find a half empty truckstop because that is legal parking. Not a emergency. Tomorrow is another day.

 

x1Heavy,
You make the most sense of anyone who has tried to complain about the parking situations around the country. Although each area that we travel in are quite different and the amount of available stops will differ, most drivers today seem to want or have to drive their full 11 hours without any planning or idea what they are up against when their clocks run out. I was always able to know where I was going to stop if all went as planned but the unforeseen problems that can develop made me have a "plan B" before it was too late. Like you have said, get off the road early if need be to guaranteed a place to legally park and start again fresh and legal. I applaud you.

 

When I have had to do so, I always make sure to park on the “on” ramp, never the off ramp.

That’s because people exit at 65 plus, but only start on the ramp at 10.

And for those on here claiming they’ve never had to, probably not, because they are probably the ones blocking half the entrances and exits to the truck stops parking all over the place..... just saying.....

 

Just because it is done or tolerated doesn't make it legal or wise.
You probably have an inkling by 3PM that your trip, make that flight plan isn't on schedule.
Start thinking like a pilot. The dead ones just push on, like Buddy Holly's pilot. The smart ones make another plan, and sometimes people or freight just have to wait.

 

I like the PA turnpike. They have special ‘cut-outs’ right off of the shoulder. I will pull over and back up as far as possible, using the concrete wall as a shield.

 

Years ago i was awakened by a virginia trooper while parked in a rest area, because they used to have a 2 hour limit in their rest areas.

 

10 p.m. ? You’re lucky to find a spot a 7 p.m..

 

That’s the problem. I’m an 11 hour driver. I squeeze every mile into my 11 hrs as possible, unless im on a load that has some crazy xtra time on it and cant deliver early.

When i used to drive for millis, they had a report that came out every month showing miles driven by truck number. I was always #6 or #7. The only guys who beat me were the brown nosers who got the west coast runs.

I’m proud of being a high mileage driver and put a higher priority to mileage than i do to finding a spot in a truck stop.

...and yes i do take a shower every day. Might be Half way through my drive time instead of after i’m done driving for the day.