[Dick]

This is only going to get worse. While this accident apparently happened near a parking area, I see many, many rest stops completely full of semi’s with the trucks parked on the shoulders of the entrance and exit ramps to the rest stops. As the economy picks up and the trucking companies hire more drivers there will be more trucks trying to use the same number of parking spaces.

[Archived]

Everyone knows that driver fatigue is very dangerous, and DOT has rules designed to prevent it, but if there is no place to stop, drivers are left to improvise. In most states it is possible to drive several hours without finding an open rest stop. Certainly that is true in California, where many existing stops have been closed. Providing drivers with a place to rest is a cost of telling them that they must rest. If the trucking industry has not been pushing states to open more rest stops, it should be. And we should be supporting the truckers on this.

[John]

Bryan: any insight into why the California rest stops have been closed? Is that a failed attempt to discourage truck traffic?

[Archived]

No Dick, it is an undisguised attempt to save money. Some have signs indicating closure is due to lack of maintenance budget. I don’t know who pays for maintence of rest stops. I believe it is a combination of state and county money.

[Brady]

The reason they have to park on off ramps and shoulders is lack of parking space at truck stops and rest areas. It also has to do with when they have to stop. Our disfunctional government morons mandate one size fits all in terms of hours of service for drivers. It no longer allows a driver to break up his day, but mandates he has to do it all in one stretch with a 30 minute break somewhere in the 11 hours they can drive before taking 10 hours off.

It was much better when you could take a couple of hours of down time to avoid congestion, or have a nice meal someplace. Most truck stops have gotten rid of sit down restaraunts in favor of fast food. Have you noticed all the drivers eating fast food while going down the road, and rushing at docks and fuel stops because they can’t afford to waste any time?

Not everyone is wired the same way. Some like to stop and take a nap during the day when they have loaded or unloaded. Sometimes to beat congestion in metro areas…why get into Chicago during rush hour when you are going to be going at a snails pace. Taking a nap until traffic clears makes lots of sense. Others do not want to stop. The regulations that are in place now do not take that into consideration, they force everyone to do the same thing. This back and forth fight has been going on for years. People with an agenda, and sometimes funded by railroad groups, have been pushing to get drivers to be less efficient for a long time.

I find it to be ridiculous that when truck accidents have been going down for years, and the majority of accidents are caused by cars, that they are always looking to dump on the trucking owner or driver. How about going after the idiots in the cars who are: texting, reading, shaving their legs (I have personally seen this one), driving way too fast, fussing with kids in the back seat etc. Also, how about going after equipment violations…inoperable lights, brakes etc. Cops used to write tickets for that kind of stuff all the time, but seldom do anymore. I guess it cuts into donut eating time.

Slowing trucks or buses down will cause more problems than it will ever solve.

[Ted]

Just back today from Green Bay and couldn’t help but notice the large amount of trucks everywhere, whether trucks stops, entry ramps, state rest areas. Waiting in line at Love’s is becoming common these days. At least we have the safe haven of RV parks just off Interstates, where no trucks are allowed.

California just like Louisiana, in a major money saving move. We closed most of our rest stops years ago to save money. Only welcome centers at state lines are open… If you measure the economy by truck traffic, we are busting at the seems as lots of goods moving around this country!!!

[John]

In NC we closed several rest areas as the Obama “Great Recession” began. Several of the rest stops without buildings were left open for use as a rest area for truckers only.

As for the ticket writing, in NC the court system is our Enemy #1 against Traffic Safety. For example, a Nurse at our regional hospital caused a fatal, six months later a double fatal crash less than a mile away from the hospital. She was operating on the first four lane divided highway in NC, NC #2, traveling an estimated 75-80 MPH by motorists she passed, and with a blood alcohol level of 0.24. She rearended a couple retirees from Pinehurst. The wife died instantly and the husband stayed in the hospital for six months before he passed also. Now for the explaination for the nurse’s actions. Put a positive spin on them if you can. She stole her roommates car after gettig all tanked up, because she caught her roommate with a man! Can you believe that? She faced a charge of careless and reckless driving plus vehicular manslaughter. She got a lawyer, of course, and pled guilty to the C&R charge. Before she could be brought before the court for the VM charge she left the State and went to norther New York. How do I know that? Well I went to the courthhouse and asked the clerk of the court when she was scheduled for trial. Oh she is no longer in NC but in NY. The clerk knew where she was and declined issuance of a supeana since it would not be worth bringing her back for trial.

In NC we have a system where the judge autoimatically grants a prayer for judgement for a first moving violation. Then the record is expunged after one year of no other moving citations. If on the other hand you rack up another moving violation then you are allowed to plead to Improper Equipment a $250 fine and court costs then sent on your way. Now if there is a third moving violation are you in for trouble. The third violation will result in a plea to going 9 miles over the spped limit. You see at 9 over there is no insurance consequence on your license. So, just how many tickets would you write under these circumstances? Just this morning on my commute to Raleigh, SHP 392 passed me traveling 15 plus over the posted. I’m certain he was on a fast trip to NCSHP Headquarters for a staff meeting. So here in NC some LEO’s don’t even display a good example for us minions to follow.

That is just one of my experiences during 15 years as a Division Traffic Engineer with NCDOT.

[Archived]

Interesting story. Sorry for the unnecessary loss of life, but

Mitchell’s classmate survived the crash and told troopers, “he had looked down for a second” and didn’t see the truck partially parked in the roadway.

“looked down for a second” says a lot, but it’s not newsworthy. Easier to villify the truck driver.

Rant over.

Good night.

[Peter]

I don’t think I can agree that Obama is responsible for a recession that started before he was elected, but I think we can all agree that everyone would be better off if truckers did not have to resort to parking on the side of the highway to get their rest. Is anyone else going to write to their state legislator about the need for more rest areas?

[jack]

I drive all over the USA and Canada and it is hard to get a parking space in a spot by 7 at night the trucks are parked where they can to get some rest because of the rules by the DOT , it bullshit are drivers are in the same boat , the trucks are not at fault , it’s the people that don’t drive for a living , or the trucks that can not get a place to rest because of the rules of hours of driving , I have not stopped by 7 or so at night and had to drive more hours to find a place to rest because of no parking , If you hit a truck on the shoulder or off ramp you may need some sleep also , but guess what no parking it’s all full!!!!!!!!

[John]

It is all about perception and votes. Truck drivers need a strong lobbying effort because while their companies don’t vote, they do vote.

If you think it is bad now, just wait until trucks are speed limitied putting more of them on the road with less skilled drivers because some moron thinks passing legislation like the speed limiting will get him votes.

[Greg]

Back when I learned to drive I was taught that you should not ever drive faster than you could stop if an object suddenly appeared in the road. I also was taught that it is the responsibiliy of the overtaking driver to make sure that it is done safely. Seems neither were applied here. Tragedy to be sure but not the truckers fault regardless of how he was parked.

[Roscoeapproved]

I also was feel bad for the truckers when I see the rest stops filled up with RV’s. Plenty of places for RV to park but it does cost you some money. I generally look for a Walmart myself.

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Jeff and Lindsay

91 Marathon XL