Don't Stop

[Mr. Ford95]

If your rolling down Rt. 17 or I-95 in VA and feel like stopping for food or fuel in Stafford Co, keep on going until your out of their jurisdiction. The locals seem to have a burr up their rear about trucks and where they can stop now. They have started harassing drivers who have pulled off the road to go inside and get some food to go. The driver's aren't stopping, going inside and sitting down to eat, they are all getting it to go. The cop pulls up behind you and calls for their DOT to come get you, if their couple aren't available they then call the Fire Marshall's out there who are DOT certified. The trucks aren't interfering with traffic in any way, they just happen to be parked where signs are in place that say no parking. Mind you the business' they are in getting food, don't have any place large enough for a semi to get into, stopping on the paved shoulder is the only option. The police then proceed to tell you that you could have gone a mile further and stopped at the Hardee's or East Coast to get food............what if I don't want Hardee's or whatever East Coast has, what if I want Popeyes or McDonald's instead? Seems they want to decide what truck drivers should eat and before anyone thinks it, no I have not had them get me personally.

[Orangetxguy]

If your rolling down Rt. 17 or I-95 in VA and feel like stopping for food or fuel in Stafford Co, keep on going until your out of their jurisdiction. The locals seem to have a burr up their rear about trucks and where they can stop now. They have started harassing drivers who have pulled off the road to go inside and get some food to go. The driver's aren't stopping, going inside and sitting down to eat, they are all getting it to go. The cop pulls up behind you and calls for their DOT to come get you, if their couple aren't available they then call the Fire Marshall's out there who are DOT certified. The trucks aren't interfering with traffic in any way, they just happen to be parked where signs are in place that say no parking. Mind you the business' they are in getting food, don't have any place large enough for a semi to get into, stopping on the paved shoulder is the only option. The police then proceed to tell you that you could have gone a mile further and stopped at the Hardee's or East Coast to get food............what if I don't want Hardee's or whatever East Coast has, what if I want Popeyes or McDonald's instead? Seems they want to decide what truck drivers should eat and before anyone thinks it, no I have not had them get me personally.

From time to time I get a bur under my skin about the "Anti-truck" communities.....and feel like WE should dictate what those communities should have. Like say.....Nothing at all!!! Make them drive 80 miles one-way for anything they want that trucks provide.........including toilet paper!!

[Mr. Ford95]

Since Servicetown shutdown and became a Target shopping center 5-6 years ago this action by truckers has become the norm in this area. I don't blame them at all, they aren't impeding traffic in any way and it's better than even attempting to get onto the property and tearing something up when it's blatantly obvious they can't get in. It's not like these trucks are parking there to hit the rack for some shut eye. Even the few places where they can get into, signs all over the place saying NO Trucks Allowed and they do enforce it hard as I found out. I had one call the police, I was lucky to get away with a simple tongue lashing even though I was there for 10 minutes to get my carry out lunch. Police told me to consider that my warning because next time I would not be warned.........whatever that meant.

[Windwalker]

I used to LIKE that truck stop. Now new, and not even well maintained, but a fantastic location. Someone had some "P--- P--- Planning" when they shut that one down and didn't include accommodations for trucks in the rebuilding.

Just like that town in Maryland... Fredricksbug on I-70? After that truck stop shut down, a driver tried to park there, and a cop made him move... "WE DON'T WANT YOUR KIND HERE!!!" I'm out of it now, but what you guys need to do....EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU... Do not serve any community that does not have accommodations for trucks. No truck stop, no service. But, every driver, without exception, has to do that. THEN THINGS WILL CHANGE.

[Malaki86]

That was Frederick, btw. That place shut down not long after I started driving (or right in the same time period). That was when the only other truckstops on I-70 was the ACT in Hagerstown and the tiny one @ exit 14.

I remember a few years back that Berkely Springs, WV tried to get US-522 restricted to no thru trucks. The state said that's fine, but they would lose ALL state and federal funding for the entire length of US-522 in WV there. Didn't take em long to change their minds.

[Mr. Ford95]

I've been also noticing more and more signs going up in Stafford Co where trucks are not welcome anymore. No Thru Trucks is all your seeing going up everywhere there. In some instances they are forcing the trucks onto other roads where it's not very wise for a truck to be in the first place. In one of them, it's thru a neighborhood with stop signs. It's not like it's a shortcut with the stop signs in place but it's much safer than the 2 lane, windy, tight and deep ditched back road we are now forced to take since they banned us from going thru the neighborhood. Another one was a safer road to take to get back to my yard, instead they have now forced me to go up to US. 17 and try to make a right turn into the left lane with oncoming traffic..........the other way where trucks were banned, it came out at a stoplight where I could go straight across...........

[VPIDarkAngel]

I remember a few years back that Berkely Springs, WV tried to get US-522 restricted to no thru trucks. The state said that's fine, but they would lose ALL state and federal funding for the entire length of US-522 in WV there. Didn't take em long to change their minds.

I can't say I'm surprised, but where in the world would they have routed the trucks to get around that cluster? Granted, I know I'd get on some cops' nerves there, since the one place we deliver in that town is ON US-522.

As for Stafford County, well, I reckon that explains why I kept seeing DOT in that area.
This mess makes me glad that we have stores all over the place, where I can just randomly dart into the shopping center and grab something, if need be, without hearing a word about it from the law... or the landlords.

[Mr. Ford95]

Yep, they really like to sit there at I-95 as trucks come off the ramp onto 17 North.

[Malaki86]

I can't say I'm surprised, but where in the world would they have routed the trucks to get around that cluster? Granted, I know I'd get on some cops' nerves there, since the one place we deliver in that town is ON US-522.

That one's easy - I-70 -> I-81 (or vice versa).

[Windwalker]

All I can say is... Am I ever glad I don't have to put up with all that horse crap any more.

Not sure what to tell you guys about it either.I would be of a "strike mentality, but it's been proven that won't get enough participation to be effective. So, your $640,000 question is; "How to apply pressure in a manner to get the point across"? What can you do to make them listen to you?

No, burning trucks because you're distraught won't work.