I’ve been fortunate over my career to interact with people all over the world. Based on my interactions with them, I’ve come to realize that there are some fundamental facts about American trucking that simply defy logical explanation.
I talk with my Canadian friends about why their trucks can haul upwards of 140,000 pounds, or more precisely, 63,500 kg. This configuration is a “B-Train Double”, or what we somehow have termed a “long combination vehicle” or LCV. Labels have immense influence on controlling the narrative on anything. The word “long” is relative. I can tell you that the Australians with their road trains might reasonably debate the definition of “long.” The Canadians wonder, I think quite reasonably, why they can run longer, heavier loads, even though much of the U.S. does not allow them except under special permits. It doesn’t help the explanation that states like Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Nevada run longer doubles and triples, and states like Michigan and Washington see singles running eight or more axles with heavy loads.
Some things are just hard to explain.
Then there are rest stops. Where do I start? Why is it that all one can get at a rest stop is something from a vending machine? Wouldn’t it be great if you could fill up your truck? Get a real meal at a restaurant? You just can’t do that at a U.S. rest stop. You have to go to a commercial truck stop to get amenities. The rules prohibit rest stops from competing, so all they are is a restroom, some parking, and, if you’re lucky, a working vending machine or two.
I have stopped at a lot of rest stops in my travels. I found one in Eastern Oregon that actually had a working telephone booth. I hadn’t seen a phone booth in years. Somehow having telecommunications at a rest stop was okay when the rules were made. I wonder if the rule makers realize that you can get food delivered almost anywhere now by a smart phone app. I’ve never actually seen a delivery at a rest stop, but, what an opportunity to push the regulatory envelope.
