Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 10, 2020:
Virginia using weigh stations for truck parking
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday it is temporarily closing all weigh stations to normal traffic so they can be used for truck parking. The closings are until at least April 23 for the 10 weigh stations, which will create 246 truck parking spaces.
Weigh stations that are currently open as rest areas for commercial drivers include:
- Alberta (I-81, mile marker 22)
- Bland (I-77, mile marker 52)
- Carson (I-95, mile marker 39)
- Dumfries (I-95, mile marker 154)
- Middletown (Rt. 11, across from the I-81 weigh station)
- New Church (Rt. 13, 2 miles south of the Maryland state line)
- Sandston (I-64, mile marker 203)
- Stephen City (I-81, mile marker 304)
- Suffolk (Rt. 58, 1 mile west of the Chesapeake city line)
- Troutville (I-81, mile marker 149)
The spaces are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until at least April 23, according to the DMV.
Indiana launches temporary program for food trucks at rest areas
Following the Federal Highway Administration‘s announcement that it is relaxing enforcement of regulations that restrict food trucks from operating at interstate rest areas, the Indiana Department of Transportation on Wednesday launched a temporary permit program that will allow food trucks to do just that.
INDOT says the program will help provide more food options for truckers still on the road during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency will issue two permits for food trucks to operate between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day on a first-come, first-served basis.
A full list of rest areas where INDOT is allowing food trucks is below:
Love’s donates $100k to trucker charity
Love’s Travel Stops announced Thursday it recently donated $100,000 to the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, which helps drivers who can’t work due to illness or injury in the form of direct payments to providers for household expenses, including mortgages/rent, utilities, vehicle payments and insurance.
“This donation reflects our belief that professional truck drivers are the backbone of the U.S., especially during this challenging time,” said Jenny Love Meyer, executive vice president and chief culture officer of Love’s Travel Stops. “This contribution enables us to help drivers with immediate needs when they are unable to work due to COVID-19 or other medical issues.”
Truckers needing assistance from SCF can apply by clicking here.
TBS hosting COVID-19 webinar for truckers
TBS Factoring Service will host a webinar for truck drivers next week that will focus on topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar will be held Thursday, April 16, at 6 p.m. Central time.
TBS will be joined by stress coach Carolyn O’Byrne, Dr. Bethany Dixon, and TruckerNation co-founders Andrea Marks and Tony Justice to offer advice for navigating uncertain times. Topics include:
- Which regulations are waived in the national hours of service emergency declaration, what loads qualify and how long it will last
- How to manage stress on the road
- The best way to sanitize your cab to mitigate viruses and other unhealthy bacteria
There will also be tips on the best places to eat, how to avoid delays at fuel stops and where to find safe, free parking. Justice will close the webinar with a live performance.
Those interested can register for the free webinar here.
Choice Hotels offering discounts for truckers
Choice Hotels, the parent company of Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, EconoLodge and more, is offering discounts on hotel rooms to truck drivers and other critical workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Qualified workers can book up to nine rooms using the special rate. Participating hotels can be found here.
