The legislative body of Minneapolis has imposed a new restriction banning larger trucks from parking on the streets. The restriction aims to improve protection measures for citizens. Modifying an existing ban on parking, the city council wants to make zoning districts safe for residents. It’s a citywide ban that includes all larger trucks.
The newly placed ban seems to be a good decision for the residents of the city. However, it might cause a lot of trouble for truckers. Let’s delve into the details to determine the impact of the ban on truck drivers.
Parking Restrictions for Trucks in Minneapolis
According to the ordinance, larger vehicles are banned from parking in the city. The restriction is for vehicles of 26,000 pounds or excess in size. These vehicles generally need a long time to park in order to comply with their hours-of-service, kept track by their ELDs. These trucks will have no permission to stand, stop, or park anywhere on the streets.
The previous laws also banned trucks from parking in many zoning districts and residential areas. That being said, they never imposed a ban on industrial zones. The recent set of laws divides trucks into two categories:
- Trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or with a total weight of 12,000 pounds with cargo
- Trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds
The latest ordinance boosted the weight of trucks. Therefore, the larger vehicles with 10,000 or 12,000 pounds cannot park in the residential areas and many mixed residential districts. Moreover, the ordinance doesn’t specify any restrictions on the zoning districts of the city, such as industrial areas.
Impact of Weight Restrictions on Truckers
The ordinance has exceptions in weight categories for truckers that load or unload freight. They’re able to park in designated parking locations or in the areas where police officers park.
In May, the council requested the committee to consider the possibility of an area for truck parking. The request takes into account the current parking issues of the heavy vehicles and emphasizes having separate areas for parking.
However, the proposed regulation amendment allows heavy trucks to park on streets that permit sizes compared to the general weight restrictions.
Adjacent businesses and homeowners can make a request or pay a fee for the zones. The Public Work Department will assess requests for specific weight restriction exempt zones and impose them if appropriate.
It’s important to keep in mind that several factors play an important role in parking restrictions. It includes the large number of residents who acknowledge that heavy vehicles are essential to delivering goods. Therefore, they need a convenient location to park safely.
However, many Minnesota trucking professionals and officials are hopeful that the authorities may consider these factors to slow down or lift the parking restrictions.
Summing Up
In a nutshell, the ban on truck parking in the city of Minneapolis will negatively affect truck drivers. Safe parking is crucial in order to keep drivers and cargo out of harm’s way. It’s mandatory that truckers park and rest during their trip and it’s tracked through their ELDs. Therefore, this new regulation will dramatically affect the truckers traveling through Minneapolis.
Link
Minneapolis goes ahead and enacts sweeping truck parking restrictions