The one truck parking survey you should fill out

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The MTO wants your feedback on truck stop and rest area parking.

This is important. We all know there is a dearth of truck parking spots available on the 400 series highways in southern Ontario, but the ministry wants to quantify where and how.

Like me, truckers are less interested in filling out surveys than getting their work done. But we’ve all experienced delays because of crowded rest areas. Getting blocked in is a recurring nightmare of mine and I’m very picky about where I pull over and shut down. Of course my Kingston switch occurs in a truck stop and there’s no avoiding that.

Who better to advise the ministry than the community of drivers who depend on these areas for their livelihood? The survey wants to know about lost time and grief trying to park in these lots. It also asks what could be done to enhance these areas, showers, etc

The survey is available until April 30. You can access it by clicking here. It takes about five minutes to complete and would be worth your while.

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Harry Rudolfs has worked as a dishwasher, apprentice mechanic, editor, trucker, foreign correspondent and taxi driver. He's written hundreds of articles for North American and European journals and newspapers, including features for the Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Life and CBC radio.

With over 30 years experience in the trucking industry he's hauled cars, steel, lumber, chemicals, auto parts and general freight as well as B-trains. He holds an honours BA in creative writing and humanities, summa cum laude.


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  • There is not nearly enough truck all over Ontario even on the 400 series every nite trucks are parked on ramps & entrance to service plaza’s it a joke with the amount of trucks on the roads .. In northern Ontario it is even worse & in the winter with rest areas closed & it will only get worse with E L D’ S

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  • I agree with Harry. Do it.

    A few people have suggested that because the surveyor is not employed in the trucking industry, that it is not credible. Nothing could be father from the truth. It takes trained professional pollsters to conduct reliable surveys and crunch the numbers.

    By all means, as Harry says, it takes about five minutes to complete and would be worth your while.
    Go here: http://www.spr.ca/trucking/survey.htm

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  • I have done Vancouver to Halifax in all weather and truck stop in Canada it is a farce and about pull out with dirty ans stinky toilet plenty of them.
    Vancouver is an no truck park and it is like this since a long time nothing will change our government is not interested into any discussion about the truck/parking/truck stop . It is a real problem and this is why Walmart let truckers park overnight if they do not soil the parking lot with human juice bottles.

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