I picked up at a place in East Tennessee several months ago. I had to turn on a narrow 2 lane road. Since I had never been there before, I thought I might have made a mistake. There was a sign that said NO TRUCKS! I almost stopped, but there was no place to turn around. It wasn't far to the shipper. He had big trucks coming in all the time. There was another facility next door. It appeared to have big trucks come in too. Go figure. :roll:

 

For 15 years I was a hvac refrigeration tech and actually had problems with my neighbors and my parking the co. chevy van in MY driveway. The police; yes they called them, told them to get a life and leave a working man alone. This was just a regular middle class neighborhood; it was the women, about 8 of them there when the police showed up. Over the years everyone of them called me to repair their heat,and a/c.

 

It's really odd. I wish I knew how to fix this problem. While there is a certain amount of undertstandability in the complaints. (SOME OF THEM) it seems most of the time they are unwarented and unreasonable. ANd like in the case of the garbage truck example, some of them stem from a competely uninformed opinion.

I know that I'll probably get flogged for saying this, but it's almost like we need some federal level involvement in this problem. There should be SOMETHING that prevents states and or counties or cities from making laws that stop us from getting to friends or family or home with just a cab. I feel that even if the road is 2 ton per axel weight limit we should be exempt provided we are on personal time. IE not hauling freight, making money, or transporting goods for the country or persons in it.

How this could work I don't really know, but in reality for many of us OTR guys, this is not just a work vehicle.

Many of you have been driving far more years then I have. Has anyone ever attempted something on our behalf in the past in an effort to give us some ability to move around places? Or has the industry spent all these years strictly on the defensive? Trying to fight legislation thats already been put forward?

I know my view is kind of extream using the make of a car, but really I don't think anything should be a factor in discrimination against strictly tractor use for personal use. With exception to low clearance areas obviously.

What If I don't like the color green? Can we get a law passed to stop the people in the city from owning green cars? Or stop people in the city from having friends park green cars in their driveway?

I know at current the situation is what it is, but what are some of your opinions about how things should progress in years to come? The number of drivers needed to move our country is not decreasing, it's increasing. This problem is going to be magnified more in years to come.

Nendail

 

you know this is an interesting sarcastic statement. What if I slap a sign on the door over all the names and numbers that says "familyname's overpriced RV"

*smirk

 

Years ago I occasionally parked my tractor on the street in front of my Mother's house when I would visit her. I made sure that all traffic and neighbors could manuever without problems. One of them called the police about it. Police told me to park it off the street and it could stay. Had to alter her driveway a little but it worked out. (of course the cops won't tell you which neighbor called :evil: )

If you think that "RV" will protect you, you should read the horror stories told by RV owners on the RV forums about this very subject. Half of them can't even park it behind their house without a hassle. Many have to pay for off-site storage because of this. "Neighborhood Associations" seem to be the biggest problem.

I own/drive both, but I have plenty of acreage in the country.

 

I'm on roughly a 3 year plan right now for this solution. Just need to make due for 3 years..

My major problem is whats in my truck. I really don't want it parked too far from me as I keep my 1600.00 digital camera in there, a lap top for the times I want to pc in a truckstop, I have my home PC built in to the truck, then of course the fridge, nuker, food, and general cooking supplies.

Yes, It's home 28 days a month.

Nendail