TruckingIndustry.news

Both Sides Agree On One Thing: Truck Parking Solution Is Top Priority

by Jana Ritter - Published: 5/18/2016

On Tuesday, the big vs. small trucking firms faced off during a point-counterpoint panel at CCJ’s annual Spring Symposium in Birmingham, Ala. Todd Spencer of OOIDA and Ted Scott of ATA battled over industry issues such as electronic logging devicesspeed limitsinterstate laws for 18-21 year old truckers, etc. However, there was one thing that both sides agreed on: The urgent need for unified action to solve the nation’s widespread truck parking shortage.

                                                              Industry debates trucking issues

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January 05, 2018 - Trucker Faces 20 Years After Pleading Guilty To Smuggling Alien Found Dead In Locked Toolbox
January 02, 2018 - Police Identify 2 Oregon Truck Drivers Killed In Fiery Head-On Crash
December 27, 2017 - Iowa First Of Eight States To Debut New Truck Parking Information System

When it comes to the on-going truck parking shortage and the increased risks of fatigued driving and crimes endangering truck drivers' lives, both sides conceded that the problem is far from being solved. They also both agreed that Government initiatives and supposed federal funding haven’t gone anywhere. Despite the fact millions of dollars in federal funding has been designated specifically for truck parking over the years, most state DOTs haven’t been using the money to build new parking spaces, or certainly not enough to make a difference. “We have seen FMCSA and the Federal Highway Administration squander $40 million in federal money on alert systems that do little to help fix the problem," Scott said.

                                                            shippers part of truck parking shortage

Both Spencer and Scott also agreed that the shippers could play a much greater role in offering an immediate solution by simply opening their facilities to overnight truck parking. Scott believes that it may be just be a matter of the industry making that more clear to all shippers. “We probably need to push that more than we do. But some of the shippers out there do make provisions for drivers. They will open a gate early and let them into sleep until they can get to the dock,” he said. However, Spencer has a different view and cited examples showing just the opposite. He pointed out that many shippers have been more adamant about locking drivers out of their gates and leaving them on their own to park in nearby abandoned gas stations, secluded roads or sometimes other facilities. He then brought up two tragic examples where shippers had told the truck drivers to leave the premises and forced them to find an abandoned lot to park overnight. Both men fell asleep in their cab and were murdered in the middle of the night. Jason Rivenburg was one of those men and the relentless efforts of his widowed wife, Hope Rivenburg, have prompted more national attention to the truck parking shortage. In July 2012, a provision known as “Jason’s Law,” was included in the new highway bill – MAP-21, stating that safe parking was a national priority. 

But nearly four years have passed and the problem is still just as bad, if not worse. Spencer says that rather than the industry “asking” shippers for permission to park, it should be up to state or federal laws mandating shippers to have designated overnight parking spaces for truckers. “The city and state tell us how many handicap spaces we have to have at a facility. Every shipper or receiver facility that accepts and receives trucks needs to bear some kind of responsibility. How do we get there? We’re raising the issues now,” said Spencer.


Jeffrey Hayes
Jeffrey Hayes
Don’t you love when a bunch of bureaucrats get together and see which one them have the most bull shit to sling. … I just finished a turn from Indianapolis to Dallas and back to Terre Haute and I could see how hard they are working on solving the truck parking problem by all the rest areas that are closed. … ;~{ …
Glenda West
Glenda West
That's So wrong. What's wrong with this world. Oh ya they trying to take God out. They don't care it's all very heartbreaking. These people need there house blocked off. With a sign on it to go 69 miles to rest. Lol
Elwood Decker
Elwood Decker
Exactly. State after state is shuting down many modest rest areas in favor of a few fancy monuments for tourists at the state line. They are not considering the number of spaces needed when you run us on these 14 hour schedules.
Jason Colvin
Jason Colvin
Most of those rest area closings are due to Obamas sequestration a couple years ago.... not that the closures are saving any money..... but they just make things hurt more
Eddie Venatta
Eddie Venatta
Sorry but I call BS on the closed rest areas being closed over money. If you look at them. Grass is still mowed and all lights are on at nite.
Don Dierdorff
Don Dierdorff
The pampered bureaucrats will only do something once their parking is taken away.
Kevin Flegel
Kevin Flegel
I think it's up to us to stand up for our own rights as people. I guess it's up to each as to how far we will allow shippers and receivers and our own dispatch to push us around. I do not tolerate it very much and they all have a short rope with me. It's about principles to me. I've turned around out of a shipper when running out of clock or when they are taking their time to offload and will not let me use any facilities. I say Go Ahead Fire Me. I go up to the receiver and politely tell him I am leaving and why. No reason to get mad at them. You do what you have to do.You tolerate what you will. If someone can't give you the respect of basic humanity why do you give them the respect of following their rules? I am a Flatbedder and I stay on a lot of customers lots at night and am very thankful and respectful when asking permission and 99 out of a 100 they return the respect and allow me to use the facilities. The ones that don't get their products on my time and get the same respect they give me. Instead of pointing the finger at the receivers we should point it at ourselves for putting up with their bs and not policing ourselves.
James R Maxwell
James R Maxwell
I'm with you on not allowing drivers to use the facilities. Had one tell me I couldn't use their restroom. I pulled up and closed the doors and the guy told me I couldn't leave. YA right!
Software Scripts
Software Scripts
+1
Anita Delwiche
Anita Delwiche
I think thats a terrible idea. If im a shipper i dont have money to park a bunch if big trucks on my place of business right in the way. Parking space is very expensive to build especially for trucks. They should relax the rule so drivers can go to a truck place where they belong.
Michael Purtee
Michael Purtee
Its ur shit. Not ours. We just deliver it to ungrateful fucks like u
Anita Delwiche
Anita Delwiche
I own a trucking company. Youarent delivering my stuff. I also know the millionsit takes to build a facility that can handle trucks and what it takes to maintain it. From a business perspective its not feasible. From your perspective it is because you dont realize what it takes to run a business. Its not the same as living in an apartment your boyfriend pays for and having a car on payments.
Gary Rogers
Gary Rogers
Start at 0200, get done 1600. Never had a parking problem. The parking problem is a what time of day do you want to park problem.
Danielle Lee Freshour
Danielle Lee Freshour
Gary Rodgers, 20 years ago if you were parked by 9pm. You usually never had a problem finding a place to park. Friday and Saturdays the Truck Stops and rest areas were empty. Not the case anymore. More trucks on the road, e logs didn't help the situation much. Freight shortage isn't helping much. I like starring early and finishing early. In real world trucking it doesn't happen that way everyday. Not all Shippers and Receiver's have room for parking. It would help if the cities and industrial areas took the no parking signs down, when there is room to park on the street. Sad to say and this is the truth. Not saying all drivers are likes this, but you know a lot are. When a driver throws his/her pee bottles, crap bags and other trash out of their trucks instead of waiting and using a proper waist dumpster to dispose of it. They will keep the NO Parking signs up. I don't blame Walmart or other business for not wanting us to park. A few weeks ago, I was at Walmart in MO. Just north of Joplin. It has an area lined out for truck parking. Trash cans near by. Still drivers throw out their trash bags and urine bottles out to the ground. The area smelled like piss. They do the same thing at truck stops and it's BS.
Buddy Davis
Buddy Davis
That doesn't work
Software Scripts
Software Scripts
yup:D
George Fiebe
George Fiebe
Comical article as New York State under order of Govenor Cuomo closes the only rest area along the Long Island Expressway permanently to trucks - a rest area that is already overloaded with trucks. No where to go as most shopping centers will not allow truck parking and most of our secondary roads now have bike lanes. Police will have a field day with tickets.
Polly Thompson
Polly Thompson
Stay Off the Island.........let them Come Get It !
Software Scripts
Software Scripts
absolutely right could not agree more :)
Jim Van Houtan
Jim Van Houtan
Laws requiring shippers to allow parking...lol...yeah right...what country do we live in again. Nobody wants trucks parking on their property. Why would they..it would get torn up, piss bottles, poop bags and trash everywhere. The industry has done it to themselves
Lee Wade
Lee Wade
As long as drivers see it as their problem to find a safe place to park and deliver on time it will never be fixed. Drivers need to make safe and legal places to park a problem of the trucking companies, large or small, and the shippers and receivers. Shippers and Receivers can let a driver set on their property for 12 to 24 hours to wait to get loaded or unloaded but if a driver ask to break after getting loaded or unloaded he is refused. If you don't have the time to get in and unload and leave than don't go in. If you do get in and unable to get out with time to drive than call a taxi, go to a motel, and call the company and tell them that they have a problem. Stand up for yourself drivers.
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Software Scripts
Yes!
Eddie Venatta
Eddie Venatta
I guess those lame brains forgot about Jason's Law they passed. That was part of it was to go after shippers AND receivers to allow parking if they have room and can't run drivers off.
Darrell Golden
Darrell Golden
If you wouldn't leave your garbage and your piss bottles everywhere maybe more places would let you park.Drivers are their own worst enemy
Glenda West
Glenda West
Yes I do. People are rude and unthoughtful when it comes to a truck driver parking to sleep. Truck stops are so full a lot do not have a place to park. So if you unload late give them a place to park for the night. If at all possible. There not to go over there hours. So people need to help out. It could also save a life or two. A lot of people do Not like to be woke up during sleep. So have some decenty for other people. Leave a flyer in there truck. Let them get it in the morning. If you do not want them in your parking lot. Take a tag down. If it comes back. Than wake them. Third time a tow. That is to some of those people who are just disrespectful to others. Some Wal-Mart's this message is directed to.
Blake Baughman
Blake Baughman
Parking was not a problem 50 years ago,when drivers went home at night after parking the truck at the terminal they worked out of. No other business has government supplied facilities, make the big companies provide parking for their trucks and endure the costs of doing business.
Terry Brown
Terry Brown
They need to start that at the damn Walmart! They take forever to unload and cordon off 1 to 2 mile long area so you can't park after you are unloaded.
James R Maxwell
James R Maxwell
Wal Mart isn't in the parking lot business.
Daniel Kettlewell
Daniel Kettlewell
James R Maxwell .....I believe he is talking about the Wal-Mart Distribution Centers......not the STORES
Jim Van Houtan
Jim Van Houtan
Walmart doesnt want that problem of cleaning up after filthy animals
James R Maxwell
James R Maxwell
And they're not Rest Areas, they're Distribution Centers. If every driver stayed behind, there would be no room to do business and imagine the trash. Then the parking lot would smell like piss on top of it.
Steve Griffis
Steve Griffis
The communist feds in Washington screwing with the trucking industry has messed it up enough. I don't see how more laws from ignorant politicians in Washington will help anything. Everything they touch goes to hell!!!
Erick Painter
Erick Painter
The ATA with it's big members could speak up to the customers but they won't. They will shit on the little guy though!
James R Maxwell
James R Maxwell
What are the customers supposed to do?
Erick Painter
Erick Painter
I suggest walmart and food lion and places with big lots let us park if need be. I also recommend drivers stop being pigs and littering in their parking lots.
Erick Painter
Erick Painter
I know food lion in the Carolinas stopped because drivers weren't respecting the property.
Todd Alexander
Todd Alexander
Some shippers aloud they already, but some of the areas don't have food are bathroom around them. They don't care if we r hungry r have to take a shit.
Charles Sellers
Charles Sellers
The only thing that will wake people up is SHUT the trucks down, you let that gut get e empty and then they will do something, about 10 days all it will take, drivers get organized and do it.
Buddy Davis
Buddy Davis
Make shippers and receivers allow parking
Lisa Lupold Slusser
Lisa Lupold Slusser
Never happen! To many shippers are located where trucks are not allowed to park.
Robert Westra
Robert Westra
Quit driving and go home find another job. It won't take long to fix it
Polly Thompson
Polly Thompson
We NEED Another One in Allentown Pa......... Building More Businesses...... NEED PARKING !! 🚛🚛🚛🚛🚛🚛
Kate Campbell
Kate Campbell
Even if you park on their property, they won't let you use the restroom.
Erick Painter
Erick Painter
It's not nice for drivers but I have an emergency bucket. Just in case.
James R Maxwell
James R Maxwell
I'm not an animal, no restroom when I need to go and I'll leave.
Johnny Ohhsofresh Wheeler
Johnny Ohhsofresh Wheeler
Good idea i dont need but 3 hrs
Tom Scherf
Tom Scherf
Time to strike
Chris Vasquez
Chris Vasquez
Start with Safeway DC
Gary Teague
Gary Teague
Shippers and Receivers.
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Software Scripts
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