On/Off Ramps ~

Ah yes, that one is always fun. It happened to me one night in OH (south of C'Bus): I was so tired that I was about to fall asleep, so I saw a nice long get-off ramp and exited. Little did my tired eyes comprehend that the get on ramp ran right next to the ramp I was on, and the road the ramp ended in did not have nearly enough room for me to attempt a U turn (180). So I found the on ramp in the opposite direction and went to sleep, realizing that I would have to backtrack in the morning.

 

It is also enforced in PA...certain places you can't park on a ramp (southern portion of I81 comes to mind) and you can't park in some of the rest areas for more than 2 hours (central I80 comes to mind)...

It is hit and miss from state to state.

steved

 

one time I was absolutely forced to sleep on a ramp. I like to say never but I can't anymore.
Last week I took an off ramp in WI and it wept around to the road. There was a truck parked on the shoulder of the off ramp in the middle of the curv with his trailer sticking almost two feet into the road. I came as close to hitting him as I'v ever been to hitting anyone. I had to creap by him in granny gear to make sure I didn't hit the trailer. That guy should be arrested and I tried to find a bear but of course they are never around when you need them

 

I'm sure it's overly wishful thinking, but has anyone compiled a list of states that allow/dont allow ramp parking? If not, maybe I'll start researching this once i'm on the road and need to kill time once in a awile.

 

I've seen fellow truckers getting tickets for parking on ramps, and others getting by with it.
Here in MN the ramps clearly say Emergency Parking/Stopping Only.
Just depends on if the officer needs a cup of coffee and a few donuts to make it through the night.

 

shoulda had the horn on the whole way around!! just to make sure he didn't pull out on ya of course<wink> just like the CDL manual says.

 

Absolutely not. I'ts not safe, nor in some places legal.

 

Probably wouldn't have ben too much of a problem with a regular van trailer but I was hauling a mobile MRI trailer which has a generator and a/c units hung on the front giving it a 96" king pin setting. I think you can just imagine how much front end swing that give me going around a turn

 

I'll check out the situation at the truck stop first. If there's ample parking I'll consider it, but to be honest, I actually prefer the ON ramp for parking, though with some conditions: It's got to have a fair sized extended shoulder, so I can actually NOT be on the road! it'll have to be in a fairly secluded area, etc. I'll put about 1/3 to 1/2 truck length buffer from the intersection so's there'll be a comfortable buffer. Though, I NEVER park on the off ramps. Ya have vehicles slowing, and exiting the freeway. There's a good chance some dingbat will mistake ya for a moving vehicle.....