I just don't understand why I see so many trucks parked on on-ramps and other weird spots along the highways. Is it due to drivers not knowing how to manage their time and not getting to a truck stop, rest area, or some supermarket's parking lot before their work hours are expired?

I've never gotten to the point where I've had to park my truck in some area that I feel is unsafe. I'm usually parked at a Pilot or TA truck stop. So where do you park on your down time?

 

I am glad you are fortunate enough to never have to drive past 5:00 pm every day. That's the only way you will find parking in a truckstop every night. :lol:

 

It will happen just give it time , As I would be willing every driver has parked an on ramp or 2 in their travels for one reason or another .

 

Just from my years of driving cargo van and straigtht truck I can tell you the truck stops and rest areas fill up really quick. Anything past like 2PM and they are all full.

 

carlos64030 said:

Sometimes....

Taking breaks on the ramps can be very dangerous. Especially off ramps. Let alone alot of states have laws against it, and it kinda leaves you open to the troopers waking you up and having you move on down the road. (assuming he also doesnt cit you).


BIG JEEP on 44's said:

Only long enough to Log on driving...

dollarshort said:

With a few exceptions, I have always found a place in most truckstops at any hour. It may be back in the "cheap seats", but non the less. Even it you do a lap and find no parking, itll will only be a matter of a few minutes B4 someone will be leaving. After a certain hour most of the trucks parked are there for the night. However there are still a few that arent and will be leaving.

I prefer to overnight at my customers whenever possible, and its always good to know where the large "super centers" are located. Good places when all else fails.

 

You don't count... :wink: running a dedicated freight lane like Office-max , As you can park the DC when waiting for the load ,and almost all office max stores have over night parking , So as long as you can plan at trip from DC to the stops and final location you will usually have reserned parking at those Office-max stores . Heck running office-max was the easiest freight I ever planned my shut downs around ,and liked the fact that shutting down at there stores over night guaranteed me room to pull ot my weights and set up my bench to lift weights .

DISCLAIMER :The following information is ficticious ,and just role playing information listed for entertainment purpouses by the internet identity BIg Jeep , And certainly has never been practiced in real life ...
:wink:

when I was 11 western I pulled off on ramps/shoulders all the time to log ln 1 then at half way mark jump back to line 3 I ran as much as 850 miles in one leg like that with a light load throgh the hills og utah/nevada/donner pass on my wayto our drop yard in Lathrop CA ,and then back to the flying-j in lodi showing only 10 hrs of drive time.. . You can also change the operating frequency of the Qualcom right from the drivers hand held ,which makes your truck go invisble to tracking for 18-24 hours ..no tracking no way to know you drove during that time I liked this with the 2 piece qualcom, instead of un hooking the hot wire running to the acessory switch on the ignition...which on a 387 the 2 wires run right behind the stereo ,so one could easily splice in a male/female connector to either one of those wires ...However many of the trucks still have 2 piece qualcom , and that you just un-hook the dome from the box which you do simply by lifting you bunk and a spin of one coax you're done , But make sure you sent your mac 46 , and then run ...But always make sure to wait 10hrs/15 minutes so just in case it bumps you to line 3 when you hook it back up you have hours ,and it doesn't put you in violation...There isn't any progam to look for miles driven just short breaks ,driving over hours ,and not sending a 46 . You can also un-hook the 46-pink connector from the 3 pice qualcom ,and use your handheld when moving ...this is the interface3 between the qualcom and ECM without it Overspeed/milage/RPMS/fuelconsumption...can not be tracked ...this also can be unhooked while leaving your qualcomm serviceable ,as logs will take a correction for line 3 to lin1-or 2 at request because without it no milage shows ...therfore no movement is recorded .

 

Yeah I dont think parking it on on-ramps is a good idea. It would take you a long time to catch up to highway speed if you're starting from zero on an on-ramp. I'd also make sure to leave the clearance lights on... a fourwheeler could miss you, even if you're 2.6m wide.

 

What would be the difference between starting from a on-ramp and turning onto a on-ramp from a side street as far as getting up to speed?

As far as parking on a on-ramp sometimes you have no choice. That is assuming you want to make money. A lot also depends on what part of the country you are in. It is pretty easy to find a T/S that still has parking in the western states. Gets pretty hard as you go east.

Shopping centers and supermarkets are putting up more and more NO TRUCK PARKING signs. In additions many are designed so that trucks can't get in except for the dock area.

kc0iv

 

I have to call bull on this one. I usually rarely have a problem finding parking before 9:00 or 10:00pm. Most Truckstops I have been to still have plenty of parking in the rear of the lot at that hour yet I would still see idiots blocking the fuel islands and sitting in weird places because of pure lazyness. Those truckstops that get full that early are usually nasty inner-city dumps that I wouldn't want to stop at anyway even if they were the last place on earth. :lol: Planning ahead is the key here.It is not always possible but most of the time it is. If the pickup and delivery schedules are routinely forcing you to drive during late-night hours when parking is hard to find than you are working for the WRONG carrier.

 

That's because you don't deliver in the North East 8) . Try taking some more loads out this way and then say that :lol: