No Overnight Parking at Interstate Rest Areas

We go to campgrounds to camp. We sometimes stop at rest areas to rest. Being on the open road means you sometimes need to need plan B, but doesn't that help keep it interesting?

With the newer rest rules for truckers and the electronic snitch boxes now required, the OTR truckers have no choice but to stop. That's why you see them stopped on on and off ramps. The gummint passed a knee-jerk reaction law in response to someone getting killed by a tired driver and as usual didn't take into account where all these trucks would stop. And it's not just overnight. We frequently pulled into a rest stop for lunch only to find that there are no spaces available because the dozen or so truck spaces were full of 18 wheelers.

I understand that some people feel they need to push a road trip to get an RV vacation into a couple of weeks, but it would be better for all if we RVers could make it to a campground for an overnight.

KD4UPL wrote:
I know of a VA State Trooper who ran all the sleeping truckers out of the rest area. The signs in VA say no sleeping at the rest area.

So If the trucker is tired where are they supposed to rest?

Id just park on the side of the road,or under an overpass,leave the four way flashers on and have a snooze..

BB_TX wrote:
If the rest area is open over night, I would guess enforcement is pretty lax. A time limit rule would require someone monitoring arrival and departure times of every vehicle. Who is to say you exceeded the time limit if no one knows when you arrived.

Back a decade or so, the CHP(CA Hwy Patrol) cruised the Interstate rest areas on each patrol of their area. If they saw a vehicle two or three times they would stop and rouse the offender. Someone got a ticket because he argued with the Chippy and he went to court and got the ticket thrown out on the grounds that he was resting and better there than in a ditch. Now the CHP patrols the rest areas and look for hinky goings on but don't bother people parked legally and resting. There are lots of areas near on and off ramps where big rigs park for their required rest time, but not on the asphalt shoulder usually on the dirt.

In general, if you don't cause problems/attract attention, no one will bother you. Truckers "camp" overnight at rest areas all the time.

If the rest area is open over night, I would guess enforcement is pretty lax. A time limit rule would require someone monitoring arrival and departure times of every vehicle. Who is to say you exceeded the time limit if no one knows when you arrived.

I know of a VA State Trooper who ran all the sleeping truckers out of the rest area. The signs in VA say no sleeping at the rest area.

ktmrfs wrote:
rest stops usually have a limit on how long you can park. Usually during that time sleeping in car or trailer is allowed. However, putting out slides, starting the BBQ or anything that looks like camping... No no in most cases.

Rest stops are one place where truckers get there required time off from behind the wheel. 8 hours seems to be a common limit.

That said, we have got some shut eye at rest stops, anywhere from a few hours to 8 hours or so, in the car or in the trailer, slides in, no generator etc. and never have had an issue.

Commercial drivers must have a 10 hour rest period.

I think they just have to post those kinds of signs so that the "RV Homeless" don't take up residence there..

I see so many of them on the side of roads, parking lots, all over the dang place where I live... Sad really, but an eyesore for sure, as these are not the most road worthy rigs out there..

But, you gotta do what you gotta do and the world today is making it harder and harder to stay out of that situation, so there you go..

Just my opinion on it and I'm still working in this world, but it wouldn't take long for me to lose my job and be out of money..

Good luck!

Mitch

I use rest stops frequently too get some sleep, or just some down time, even over night when traveling, it has never been a problem

i'll pull in day or night IF the weather gets bad, especially heavy wind

i'll stay thru the storm even 24 hrs IF necessary,

that said, i have also stayed running ahead of the storm, when it was behind me
unless i got to tired, then i found a safe place to pull into

resting is NOT camping, No slides, No barbecues, No chairs outside etc..
if I can't use the bed, with slides in, its No use too me, and I won't buy it