Parking on on/off ramps
 

I took a 10 hr. break on an off ramp in Virginia...another driver that works for my company saw me later on that week and told me I could've gotten a ticket for parking there. So my question is...What states is it legal to park on the on/off ramps? This guy said Virginia wasn't one of them, but I saw a lot of other guys doing it in that state. Some ramps had no parking signs, but this one didn't have any.

Re: Parking on on/off ramps
 

Legal or not WHY choose to do it in the first place? It is illegal in many states but not always enforced. Plan ahead and avoid the truckstops that constantly fill up early. I stopped at the All-American TS in Doswell,VA off of 95 once at midnight and there was plenty of parking left. The TS in Harrisonburg,VA at exit 248 is not that hard of a place to find parking either. I don't see why anyone would want to park on an on or off-ramp for 10 hours. :shock:

Im pretty sure most companies probably have a policy regarding parking on ramps. I know mine does. It is extremely dangerous to park on and Off Ramp.....If you must utilize a ramp for any length of time, never use the off ramp, but utilize the on ramp. Vehicles exiting the highway are traveling at a much greater speed than vehicles entering a highway. Ive heard many situation where trucks parked on an off ramp have been rear ended by highspeed vehicles exiting. Guess whos at fault, at least a shared fault.

Technically it is illegal in almost every state. Some enforce it, others do not. VA is one state that does enforce it. Also other states only enforce certain ramps and will leave others alone. Illinois is one of these. Ramps that are totally curved or have small shoulders are enforced here.

As mentioned, parking on the ramps should only be done as an absolute last resort, and then only park on a straight section of the get on side.

Re: Parking on on/off ramps
 

off ramp parking is a serious safety No-No.

On ramp parking is quickly becoming illegal in all states---- sorry.

In Ohio I have seen a the DOT pull up to trucks parked on entry/exit and do a full inspection (pump down/check under hood/brakes)in an attempt to deter them. I think over all the leave most truckers alone because after 10pm the rest areas are PACKED. The truck stops(pilot,Loves,Ta) are PACKED and there is NO PLACE to park your truck. It is impossible for all truckers to find a parking place before 10pm.

Now in Michigan i think they will stir fry your testicles if you park on an entry/exit ramp. I have yet to see any truck parked on entry/exit ramp up there.

Re: Parking on on/off ramps
 

I hear alot about parking issues ...my question is I bet you can eat up some time and fuel finding somewhere to sit up ...so My question is after reading a post from a gentleman who was given the third degree cause he went 26 miles out of his way to turn around .... How Do most dispatchers feel about this ...and what is considered as an acceptable effort ?

Shawn

parking on/off ramp
 

Drew10's comment sum it up most Co's policy prohibit this & obviously it's very dangerous. I've used them a time or 2 but as a very last resort as a last choice! 8)

Your fellow driver was right, VA has been cracking down hard on drivers who stop on the shoulder at rest areas or ramps to sleep after some nasty crashes in the last year. All ramps in VA are off limits to sleep. You may stop for a few minutes to do whatever, but you cannot sleep there.

Doesn't matter what everyone else does. DOT will catch up eventually. Some DOT officers here understand that your out of hours and will give you a break if it's your first time in VA that your being warned. They will give you the "rules" of what time you need to get moving by in order to avoid a ticket. Others will not, they will ticket you without mercy. Simply put, get off the interstate, plenty of safe places to park off of it.

Where in VA were you?

I have spent many a night searching for a parking spot for ten hours while in a wal-mart parking lot. Oh, and when I am done I go shopping too! :P

The only state I know of that does not have a problem with parking on an "on" ramp is NM. At least that was the case about two years ago.

I've heard other drivers complain about the "EIGHT DOLLAR WAKE UP CALL" in OH. I saw one driver in IN have a ticket for over $470, and I'm told that the fine in IN goes up for each time a truck from the same company is ticketed there. I know that AK is dead set against parking on ramps.

Plan ahead and park free.

I don't think it is a big deal personally. I do not do it myself but as long as your on the other side of the white line I won't hit you and all is well.

I try to plan ahead as to where I will stop for the night. It avoids a lot of problems when I get tired. With some planning you can usually avoid such things as on/off ramp parking. Getting a ticket on a ramp is an offense some companies will terminate a driver.

To the best of my knowledge the murder of a trucker parked on an on ramp near Wausau, Wisconsin about 5 years ago still has not been solved. Just not a safe way to sleep when there is truck stops or rest areas around.

I didn't realize that was that long ago now. The driver normally parked on that ramp, then one day he was found shot to death. It was in an area that I would not have been afraid to leave my windows open, much less doors unlocked. If I were to have parked on a ramp, that would have been one that I would have seriously considered. They are no closer to finding his killer today than they were a week after he was killed.

I didn't realize that was known all the way down in TX.

I was on the Shenandoh Caverns exit off of I-81 North...I'm glad my fellow driver brought this to my attention. I'm not goin to park on the shoulder anymore, I don't want that big ass fine!...or get fired!
Thanks for all your help everyone.

Windwalker...I was living in Wisconsin not more than 50 miles from the place when it happened. My late husband was still alive and running OTR at the time. Happened in fall of 2002 (if my memory is good). Needless to say he got a lecture about ramp sleeping. Being the old trucker that he was he was known to stop on ramps especially out west. Got that habit from years ago when truck stops were not a plentiful as they are now.

I lived about 28 miles from DuBAy at the time. I'd go by there and see the blue K & K truck parked there. Never bothered to stop and see if he needed help. Then one day, I read that he'd been shot. There had been some speculation that he would meet someone there, and maybe her husband met him that day, but no one knows who it may have been or if that was the case. I was living in Edgar at the time.

While you might not hit me if I parked on the shoulder, I'm worried about the one fool who is coming by with a hot logbook at 70 mph or more with 80K lbs. against my stopped truck. Or the fool not paying attention to what's ahead of them because they are yaking on a cellphone.

I dont park on entry/exit ramps but I often take my 10 hr break at truck stops in Jeffersonville,Oh. At 2:00 in the morning all 3 truck stops (Flying J, TA, and Loves) are sardine cans. On the Walmart acoount you have no control over the time your day ends due to sporadic dispatching.

A few times I have had to drive around all three truck stops for 45 minutes to 1 hour waiting for somebody to pull out so i can back in.

On/Off-ramp Parking
 

"AK is dead set against parking on ramps" Didn't know there are that many interstate on/off ramps in Alaska (AK), unless Arkansas (AR) was meant.
If I have to cool it, I'll choose an on-ramp before an off-ramp. BOL

What about rest areas?
safe or dangerous?

Most rest areas are fairly secure. Some have police or other security personnel on site.

I dig rest area's. Just make sure you park between the lines. Nothing worse than a row of pull through's that get screwed up because two or so drivers can't get it between them. then everyone parks every which way. And don't plan to park in a rest area after around 9pm in most cases. If you try be ready to do some close corner menuevering sometimes.

I have delivered to most of the Wal-Marts here in Ohio. I would say that 90% do not have a problem with semi's on thier lot. 1/3 to 1/2 of all Walmart parking lots have no cars parked on the outer perimeter. I know when i drive my car to shop at Wal-Marts and the semi's parked way out across the lot are not really bothering anybody and do not get much attention.(DONT DUMP URINE IN PARKING LOTS!!) :twisted:

There are some Wal-marts that place signs and little islands close together that make it difficult to get a semi through (even the ones that are trying to deliver to the stores).

The only ones you may have problems with are noise ordinance stores where you can get a huge ticket for parking there. There are a few in Michigan that threaten to issue the trucking company a $10,000 fine if they drive on the lot before 6am.

Windwalker...small world...you in Edgar and we were in Loyal :shock:

NEVER EVER USE SMALL AND WORLD IN THE SAME SENTENCE!