Interstate rest area stops

OP here...

This post was not about truckers or their rest times. This is about an RV parking. This is an RV forum.

JaxDad wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
I hope VA troopers aren't still ordering OTR truck drivers to violate the federal hours of service rules. Since the introduction of electronic logging, they have little choice on where they stop for the mandatory rest periods.

They have all sorts of choices, UNLESS, they drive until the very last minute then say they’re “forced” to sleep on the shoulder of an off-ramp.

Routes and facilities along any route anywhere in North America are well documented, the only reason to have “little choice” is because they chose to drive beyond all the good choices.

Somebody has never did any real wheel time. Before I retired, if I planned so spend the night in a truckstop that had parking for 50 trucks, and 52 others made similar plans, somebody lost out. Now I had the freedom to turn down any load that I had to run right to limit to make money. And, as long as the lie book looked right for inspection, a few miles to the next safe place was not a issue. (I tried to start early enough so I was parked by 3:30, 4 PM, and have another hour of legal driving left when got to planed stop. But when I sold out, there where a lot of company's trucks that take over, shut down. That with a management idea driver must run right to limit to afford to haul cheap rates, (Yes driver paid by mile, sees a pay cut if stops too early) I can understand how driver might have to stop in less than ideal location.
I often wondered what would happen if I pulled into a KOA, about 8 PM, left at 6:15 after I did my pre-trip.

JaxDad wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
I hope VA troopers aren't still ordering OTR truck drivers to violate the federal hours of service rules. Since the introduction of electronic logging, they have little choice on where they stop for the mandatory rest periods.

They have all sorts of choices, UNLESS, they drive until the very last minute then say they’re “forced” to sleep on the shoulder of an off-ramp.

Routes and facilities along any route anywhere in North America are well documented, the only reason to have “little choice” is because they chose to drive beyond all the good choices.

JaxDad,
There is a problem that you seem to have missed. While I could plan a day that well, and this was back in the pencil and log book days, there is the very real issue of being stuck on the road by circumstances beyond the driver's control until your cab-time runs out.
I very nearly got hung up it that one when I was driving in the megopolis of the east coast.

Matt

Dutch_12078 wrote:
I hope VA troopers aren't still ordering OTR truck drivers to violate the federal hours of service rules. Since the introduction of electronic logging, they have little choice on where they stop for the mandatory rest periods.

They have all sorts of choices, UNLESS, they drive until the very last minute then say they’re “forced” to sleep on the shoulder of an off-ramp.

Routes and facilities along any route anywhere in North America are well documented, the only reason to have “little choice” is because they chose to drive beyond all the good choices.

We are travelers. We have a Class A that is on the small side. We use highway rest areas as a last resort, there are many better places to get a nights rest.

The app "RVParky" is a good start. I don't know how big your rig is, but if you can maneuver it well you have lots of choices. There are many large lots available at night. One thing that works real well is to go in to a store and ask the manager if when you get done shopping, you can stay the rest of the night. They may ask you to go to a special section of the lot. It is rare that this is refused. If it is refused, go to another and shop there.

This has worked well for us in decades of travel and lots of miles in a clean but antique Class A.

Matt

I am on the I-5 corridor in Roseburg, Oregon. The rest areas here are full of trucks. There is not a space for a recreational vehicle. This includes the entrance and exit ramps.
It is really a pain when you need to use the facilities.

What is the thought of law officers or rest stop employees of RVs using the car area rather than the truck and trailer area to rest. It makes no sense to have a full lot in one and a near empty lot in the other.

I want to thank the state of Iowa, I think they have the best rest stops along I-80. We have slept at them many of times.

Visited an uncle in New York State a few years ago and his neighbor was a Police Officer who came by to say hi. He asked me where I stayed at night when I was on the road, and I told him I pulled into Rest Areas for a few hours of sleep. He told me it was illegal to camp in New York Rest Areas and I told him I didn't have any beer in the camper and camping without beer was just sleeping outside. The next evening he stopped by with a couple of cold beers.

Park in the area for cars (if room) so not to take spots away from the semis. Here along the NYS T-way, many RVers do just that, but some (mainly RV transporters) park in semi spots. As for Wal-Mart, need to check w/ each one as some don't allow overnight parking (even for RVers) as truckers used to do it, but left their personal trash right there along w/ "P" bomb bottles. So WM ended that.