Cars and trucks pull over on the side of a highway for many reasons. From car troubles to complying with emergency vehicles, highway shoulders are built to allow drivers to handle driving’s unpredictable moments. However, countless truck drivers resort to parking on a roadside to comply with truck driving regulations which limit the number of hours a driver can operate a vehicle or to combat the inadequate amount of rest area parking spots.
While truckers may follow their companies’ driving policies and government requirements requiring specific amounts of rest, overnight truck parking in ill-advised areas has caused a significant amount of trucking accidents along our nation’s highways. As truck accident attorneys, we wanted to shed some light on the current trucker parking issues facing truck drivers and the public.
Trucking Laws for Roadside Parking
Beyond everyday driving laws, truckers also have specific requirements they need to follow as both a larger vehicle and for safety purposes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations address that trucker parking on a highway shoulder should only be done in the case of an emergency such as equipment failure, running out of gasoline, inspecting cargo or a physical emergency.
In addition, commercial vehicle drivers must adhere required safety precautions when pulling over or are stopped on a traveled portion or shoulder of a highway, including:
- Immediately turning on their hazard warning system, including hazard lights;
- Placing warning devices (flares or reflective warning triangles) in 3 locations within 10 minutes of pulling over; and
- Keep their warnings visible until the truck leaves the shoulder.
If a truck driver fails to follow these safety measures, they may be at a higher risk of causing an accident if they are parking on a roadside.
The 2023 Greyhound Bus Accident
In July 2023, a Greyhound bus transporting over 20 passengers on I-70 struck three tractor-trailers parked on the right shoulder of the Silver Lake Rest Area near Highland, Illinois. While entering the rest area, the bus sideswiped each truck — causing a slew of catastrophic injuries. According to the crash report, the incident caused three fatalities and 14 other injuries while the truck drivers within their trailers parking on the roadside remained uninjured.
This Greyhound bus accident is just one of the many examples of the catastrophic consequences that can arise when a tractor trailer is parked along the side of the road. The existence of such tragic incidents must be considered in context of a main reason truck drivers often park on the road shoulders — reasons due the lack of trucker parking available to current drivers throughout the country.
Current Issues with Parking on the Roadside
There are roughly 13 million trucks registered in the United States, of which 2.9 million are semi-trucks. With so many drivers and trucks on the road, many people assume there is enough parking available. However, that is not the case.
National Shortage of Parking
For truckers, the first question they ask themselves after a long day of driving is where can I park my semi truck overnight or for a required break? Regardless of overnight or daytime parking, truck drivers are facing a nationwide shortage of spaces in truck stop parking areas.
This issue has caused countless trucks to park in unmarked spaces, alongside highway exit ramps or on the side of major roads or highways. According to a 2019 U.S. Transportation Survey, 98% of truck drivers reported they had difficulty finding parking outside of their hours of service, compared to 75% in the four previous years.
Rules & Fines
Per the hours of service rules found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, a driver cannot drive more than eleven hours in a period of 14 hours. The driver cannot drive again until he or she is off duty for 10 or more consecutive hours.
It is not advised for truck drivers to be parking on a roadside even if they are over their allotted driving hour requirements. However, the lack of existing truck stop parking may require a driver to keep driving to find a space or pull over wherever he or she can. If they are parked on the shoulder or a ramp for this reason, they may be fined by law enforcement even though they face the same issue if they are caught going over their driving time.
Making a Potentially Dangerous Choice
This lack of parking forces truck drivers to choose between two options — violate their federal hours of service regulations or risk causing an accident by parking on the roadside. Drivers will often choose to park on shoulders or ramps rather than drive and risk violating their hours requirements, pay road violation fines or park in areas where they have to pay to do so.
Additionally, truckers may face pressure from their companies to not pay for parking at qualifying businesses, even if they are nearing their hour requirements. This pressure may put truck drivers at risk for causing harm to themselves and other drivers because of their lack of truck stop parking.
Were You Injured During an Accident from a Truck Parked on the Roadside?
As personal injury attorneys, we see stories every day of tragic trucking accidents on our nation’s highways. If you were injured because a truck was parked illegally on the side of the road, we are here to help you. Contact our truck accident law firm for a free consultation.