State government temporarily closes rest stops, truckers anxious

While many people were celebrating the nation’s independence last weekend, many truckers traveling through Minnesota were feeling some added stress due to the shut down of many state-run truck stops, reports MPR News.

Organizations like the Minnesota Trucking Association are urging government officials to lift the shutdown and reopen the rest areas. There are private stops for truckers to take breaks, but with those often full, many are having pull over on the side of the highways. This can cause accidents and crashes when big rigs are not stopped properly.

Advocates hope to fix the issue by petitioning to a state committee for the truck stops, which has become a public trucking safety issue since their closing.

Many drivers are worried about the ongoing closings and sticking to the regulations about how many hours are allowed on the road, reports the Pioneer Press. Trucker Rick Scott said he is trying to keep with the law, but the lack of stops open makes it difficult.

"Rest areas are really important,” Scott told the news source. "when your time's up, your time's up - you've got to be off the road."

State government temporarily closes rest stops, truckers anxious

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011