Fuel for Thought
Don't Be A Creep
We have all seen the creeps at the truck stops. These days, it is very uncommon to not see at least one creep in the parking lot. Those creeps show up day or night. Those creeps have to be the most annoying things in the truck stop parking lots (and sometimes they can be found on the road to the truck stop). Yes, I’m talking about the trucks creeping around the parking lots at 3-4 mph.
We all know why they are doing it. We all know that they think this is a good idea (it is not). Obviously, staying below 5 mph will keep the ELD from changing the driver from Off-Duty status to Driving status. The idea behind the practice of being a creepy crawler truck is apparently to gain position when they should not be driving. Maybe they are getting a “headstart” leaving the parking lot, or maybe they are starting or ending their break with a very slow forward motion.
Don’t be a creep.
Why is it so difficult to wait (parked) for another 5 minutes rather than hold up everyone else as you creep along? If you just wait those last few minutes, you can drive at a normal speed. The time supposedly saved by creeping along is negligible when you consider how long it takes to drive the same distance at a normal safe speed to cover the same distance. When you become a creepy crawler in the parking lot, you are just adding additional stress to your day as you try to maintain less than 5 mph for 5 - 15 minutes while holding up everyone else who would like to drive normally at a safe speed.
Don’t be a creep.
Instead of creeping around, relax and enjoy your break before you have to again merge into traffic and begin dealing with all the hazards of the roadway. There is nothing gained by being a creep in the truck stop and leading “the road rage parade of trucks” out onto the road that you have been delaying for the last 10-15 minutes.
Please stop wasting everyone’s time while you are being the parking lot creep. Wait to leave when you should and be more productive while the truck is moving.
Do your part and DO NOT START to move until your break is done. Your early start creeping just causes delays for those of us who are not limited by YOUR ELD.
If you are creeping to the fuel island to fuel and PTI in the morning, it is perfectly acceptable to go into Drive for a few minutes to get there and then perform your PTI while you get your fuel, there is absolutely no need to be a creepy crawler.
One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.
- Helen Keller
See you down the road,
Greg