TPAS coming to help with truck parking


Fast Freddy

Fast Freddy

Well-Known Member
Saw this on the wall on a rest stop on 1-10 east of San Antonio. I think some states already have it and I have seen the light up signs saying how many truck spots are open at certain rest areas but not all. Apparently on 1-10 it’s being implemented from California to Texas and they want truckers input.E233B0AE-5DC2-4EFC-80C3-3F4296F44D3A.webp
 

I’ve seen it in a few states.

While it’s a nice gesture, it’s not really that helpful.

What we really need is more parking. I don’t even need a ‘rest area’- just level, accessible paved parking, with a dumpster and a porta-potty, for trucks only.

A sign telling me there is 8 spots available, 220 miles down the road - first I have to trust their information, and second, those 8 spots may well be filled or vacated in minutes.

Jason’s law seems to have floundered and been largely ignored.

I’ll have a look at the survey however. Thanks.
 
I haven’t seen signs that give truck parking from 220 miles away. The ones I’ve seen are just 1 or 2 miles from a rest area, certain rest areas only not all of them but apparently that’s coming. But I only run Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi. You probably run more places than me. I guess there is a sensor on each spot. I’d like to see private truck stops do this as well. 7 free spaces available and 5 paid ones. Nothing worse than chasing a spot when the clock is ticking down.
 
Across 70 in Illinois/Indians they give availability up to 200 miles away. Only know they because I happened to notice a sign just before parking a few minutes ago.

Signs weren’t working tonight.
 
Fast Freddy said:
I haven’t seen signs that give truck parking from 220 miles away. The ones I’ve seen are just 1 or 2 miles from a rest area, certain rest areas only not all of them but apparently that’s coming. But I only run Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi. You probably run more places than me. I guess there is a sensor on each spot. I’d like to see private truck stops do this as well. 7 free spaces available and 5 paid ones. Nothing worse than chasing a spot when the clock is ticking down.
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From your original post.
 
AK7 said:
Wisconsin is set up for about 2 or 3 mile heads up.

If I had hacker skills,I would have the signs read "Only available spots are blind side back in... haha
Free up a few for me and the boys.
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I guess you could put a frisbee or something on the sensors if you wanted to save a spot for somebody.
 
AK7 said:
Wisconsin is set up for about 2 or 3 mile heads up.

If I had hacker skills,I would have the signs read "Only available spots are blind side back in... haha
Free up a few for me and the boys.
Click to expand...
That's why I never trusted Trucker Path.

Guys who were planning on parking at a specific place could mark it as full on the app when they're still 100 miles out still.

I used to suggest they update the app so it requires the user to actually be within a mile from the location before they can update the parking status.

DOT bears would sit in the scale houses and mark the scales closed when they were actually open too.
 
Fast Freddy said:
I guess you could put a frisbee or something on the sensors if you wanted to save a spot for somebody.
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What do the sensors look like? I would assume they'd use a wire loop like at red lights. Real simple, just cut shallow slots with a masonry saw, stick the wire in it and then bury it with crack sealant.
 
Duck said:
What do the sensors look like? I would assume they'd use a wire loop like at red lights. Real simple, just cut shallow slots with a masonry saw, stick the wire in it and then bury it with crack sealant.
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I’m not sure. I’ll have to get a look next time I’m at a rest stop that has them.
 
Michigan has those signs for rest area parking. I always thought the money would have been better spent on building more parking.
It helped me when I was OTR to know what the parking situation was in the next 3 rest stops.
I don't think they use sensors, I think they use cameras in the rest areas to see how many spot are open.
 
I wonder what the total bill is for this, so far. Florida has it on 75, a total of 6 locations, at a cost of $1.61 Million. I'm too lazy to look up the rest of them.
 
Not sensors.

If you look at the lights, there are camera arrays through the rest areas.

Those cameras work to “count” the available parking spots and provide feedback to the signs.


Even snow covered isn’t a big deal since they are rather technical in their programming.

@Mike similar to the vision systems I was telling you about we worked with robotics for manufacturing.

Just one type of system...

 
For much cheaper, the only thing needed for all of this was one App. One app that could be updated by Rest Area employees as part of their job since they are there anyway. Once an hour, every 30 minutes, whatever... Go out and count the available spaces.

For the rest areas without 24/7 staffing, make it part of the duty of the state police that should be trolling through there anyway. When they go in, check the amount of spaces, and enter it into the app or website that updates the app.

we could all have the app on our phone and check these whenever needed.

5 little lines of code and we can now all see how many people are viewing each forum or thread in real time. Things like this are so simple at this point, yet millions are still wasted.
 
Mike said:
For much cheaper, the only thing needed for all of this was one App. One app that could be updated by Rest Area employees as part of their job since they are there anyway. Once an hour, every 30 minutes, whatever... Go out and count the available spaces.
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Seriously?
I doubt most rest area attendants can count past 10 without removing their socks and boots and you want them to update an APP?
 
Rigjockey said:
Seriously?
I doubt most rest area attendants can count past 10 without removing their socks and boots and you want them to update an APP?
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All they should have to do is update a number once an hour.

We could have used all the money that would have been saved by not installing these systems and paid more money for better qualified people who can count to potato at the rest areas.
 
Mike said:
All they should have to do is update a number once an hour.

We could have used all the money that would have been saved by not installing these systems and paid more money for better qualified people who can count to potato at the rest areas.
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They're government employees though. We're lucky they even show up for work and do anything at all.
 
Should have sensors on each spot to make sure people are actually in spots and a sensor at the entrance and exit to count trucks against total spots so they can boot the double parkers and invent-a-spots out if they're doing more than taking a shit or a mandatory 30.

IOW if there are 30 spots and 31 trucks counted going in, 1 of them doesn't belong. Let him do a 30 or drop a deuce but kick him out after that.

Make the entrance sensors count axles and weight so they can kick campers and cars out.

Make these parking areas huge enough to be worth the expense.
 

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