Semi trucks on Flat Shoals?

[lorelei]

Is there any legitimate reason why a semi would be getting off 20 at exit 62 and going north on Flat Shoals? Is this even legal?

For those who didn't hear me grumble via twitter, a semi took out the overhead wires going to our house yesterday afternoon. It caught them on the trailer top and ripped them right out of the side of the house, leaving them dangling across the road, where a Marta bus subsequently hit and snapped one. Thankfully it was just phone and cable, but if it had been power, that would have been a giant mess.

For the record, the truck didn't even slow down, and no I didn't see the name on the side, but I did see a Budweiser truck taking the same route around lunchtime.

[Jack]

I'm pretty sure that part of Flat Shoals isn't a truck route, so the only reason a semi ought to be on it is if it were making a delivery in the immediate vicinity (and in your case the vicinity has to be pretty darn immediate for it to not make more sense to use the Moreland or Glenwood exits or to turn down Fayetteville Road instead).

As for the Budweiser truck, I bet it was heading for a delivery at one of the convenience stores at the Bouldercrest split.

[hfranks]

Is there any legitimate reason why a semi would be getting off 20 at exit 62 and going north on Flat Shoals? Is this even legal?

For those who didn't hear me grumble via twitter, a semi took out the overhead wires going to our house yesterday afternoon. It caught them on the trailer top and ripped them right out of the side of the house, leaving them dangling across the road, where a Marta bus subsequently hit and snapped one. Thankfully it was just phone and cable, but if it had been power, that would have been a giant mess.

For the record, the truck didn't even slow down, and no I didn't see the name on the side, but I did see a Budweiser truck taking the same route around lunchtime.

This happened a couple years ago on May Ave.  A tractor caught the power/cable/phone from two houses and, if I remember correctly, even ripped down some siding, gutter and downspout.   The driver was oblivious.  I suspect he was a local.

[Cap'n Ken]

Is there any legitimate reason why a semi would be getting off 20 at exit 62 and going north on Flat Shoals? Is this even legal?

For those who didn't hear me grumble via twitter, a semi took out the overhead wires going to our house yesterday afternoon. It caught them on the trailer top and ripped them right out of the side of the house, leaving them dangling across the road, where a Marta bus subsequently hit and snapped one. Thankfully it was just phone and cable, but if it had been power, that would have been a giant mess.

For the record, the truck didn't even slow down, and no I didn't see the name on the side, but I did see a Budweiser truck taking the same route around lunchtime.

There are legitimate reasons and it can be legal to do so. My anecdotal experience, however, is that true "18-wheeler" big rigs on our roads are likely improperly and illegally taking a shortcut between I-20 and the truck terminals down on Constitution where Bouldercrest comes into it. I've seen a number of big rigs using Fayetteville Road to get to/from Bouldercrest from/to I-20, but I've never seen one getting off I-20 and going north on Flat Shoals. Unless the driver was actually going somewhere that direction, it seems like an unproductive shortcut.

I've spent a lot of time (not so much recently) fighting 18-wheeler traffic coming up Flat Shoals Avenue and through the Village. The tactic I've had (limited) success with is reporting the activity to the trucking company. Keys to that are:

- Get company names and truck / trailer ID numbers. Obviously the company name is most important, but really key is having an ID number they can associate. Both the truck and the trailer will have them and almost all trucking companies track by GPS-type things. They will know who was driving and what route they took when you give them a time and an ID number.
- Get pictures. This is a motivator. A photo of an 18-wheeler coming down residential streets (or trying to negotiate our pedestrian-friendly-design Village) isn't something the companies want out there in public.



Then you have to find the right person; likely a manager at the truck terminal down on Constitution and mention the illegal activities of their drivers, etc. etc. It's a pain, but it has helped cut down the truck traffic up here.

It would be nice for APD to crack down on these trucks. I hear the fines are pretty large and there's a real public safety concern.

[Tvshooter]

We've been dealing with this issue for years, involving 18 wheel rigs that have taken down our fence several times getting to a repair shop by our house. After working with State and County officials, I have been told that if it's not marked 'No Trucks", then they can come down the road if going to a repair shop, delivery or to their home/depot. If it is a truck route (Moreland Ave is one) it's 24/7 even if they want to sight see.

My road (Key) is used heavily by trucks going from Moreland to the Pilot on Bouldercrest. And the repair shop by me. The DeKalb County Commercial Vehicle Enforcement has been out several times, as Key is a county road. Nothing they can do. Trucks can be in the Village if they are making a delivery, but truth be told, no cop is going to stop them.

Georgia State Patrol only deals with the state roads and thus, aren't going to even respond to a truck on a county road complaint. I've tried for 4 years.

Even tearing down my fence, DeKalb County police say it's a civil matter.No ticket issued, no nothing.

From what I have found from some of the truck drivers however is that GPS maps indicate Flat Shoals as the best route to get to the 285/Bouldercrest ramp. Just a few nights ago, coming from Marietta going to Stone Mountain, GPS had me getting off Maynard Terrace and heading down Memorial to Rockbridge-at rush hour. So how you route the GPS (faster time vs shorter distance) makes a difference.

Getting off and heading north on Flat Shoals sounds like a delivery or he missed his turn onto Moreland and GPS was 'recalculating". That picture is a Scheneider truck, who's terminal is on Constitution. I know because it was one of their trucks that wiped my fence out once, because the GPS told him to turn right, and he did....even though the street is dead end, and you can see it's a dead end, the guy blindly followed what it said.

[Cap'n Ken]

We've been dealing with this issue for years, involving 18 wheel rigs that have taken down our fence several times getting to a repair shop by our house. After working with State and County officials, I have been told that if it's not marked 'No Trucks", then they can come down the road if going to a repair shop, delivery or to their home/depot. If it is a truck route (Moreland Ave is one) it's 24/7 even if they want to sight see.

My road (Key) is used heavily by trucks going from Moreland to the Pilot on Bouldercrest. And the repair shop by me. The DeKalb County Commercial Vehicle Enforcement has been out several times, as Key is a county road. Nothing they can do. Trucks can be in the Village if they are making a delivery, but truth be told, no cop is going to stop them.

Georgia State Patrol only deals with the state roads and thus, aren't going to even respond to a truck on a county road complaint. I've tried for 4 years.

Even tearing down my fence, DeKalb County police say it's a civil matter.No ticket issued, no nothing.

From what I have found from some of the truck drivers however is that GPS maps indicate Flat Shoals as the best route to get to the 285/Bouldercrest ramp. Just a few nights ago, coming from Marietta going to Stone Mountain, GPS had me getting off Maynard Terrace and heading down Memorial to Rockbridge-at rush hour. So how you route the GPS (faster time vs shorter distance) makes a difference.

Getting off and heading north on Flat Shoals sounds like a delivery or he missed his turn onto Moreland and GPS was 'recalculating". That picture is a Scheneider truck, who's terminal is on Constitution. I know because it was one of their trucks that wiped my fence out once, because the GPS told him to turn right, and he did....even though the street is dead end, and you can see it's a dead end, the guy blindly followed what it said.

Yes, for enforcement purposes, the "No Trucks" sign is important. There were supposed to be such signs put up on Bouldercrest coming north near the city limits (per my conversations with Natalyn), but I've never seen them. The relevant city ordinances:

Sec. 150-237. - Restricted vehicles required to use truck routes; exceptions.

All motor vehicles having a gross weight in excess of 36,000 pounds, including the load, or having an overall length in excess of 30 feet, except vehicles designed to carry passengers, are prohibited from using any street within the city, except those streets authorized by ordinance and designated as truck routes, except when:

(1) The terminal, parking lot, repair garage or headquarters of the restricted motor vehicle is not on a designated truck route, ingress to and egress from those places shall be made by the most direct route available between the terminal, parking lot, repair garage or headquarters and nearest designated truck route;

(2) A delivery or pickup is to be made at a location which is not on a designated truck route and not within the area bounded by Baker Street on the north, Courtland Street and Washington Street on the east, Memorial Drive and Garnett Street on the south and Spring Street on the west, exclusive of the boundary streets, ingress to and egress from that location shall be made by the most direct route available between that location and the nearest designated truck route; and

(3) A delivery or pickup is to be made by a truck tractor, road tractor, combination truck tractor semitrailer or combination road tractor-trailer at a location which is within the area of the city bounded on the north by Baker Street, on the east by Courtland Street and Washington Street, on the south by Memorial Drive and Garnett Street and on the west by Spring Street, exclusive of the boundary streets, the delivery or pickup shall not be made between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Sec. 150-238. - Evidence required for restricted vehicle to be off truck route.

Any person driving or in charge or control of any restricted vehicle defined in section 150-237, when upon streets other than those designated as truck routes, shall be prepared to present for the inspection of police officers the person's log book, weight slips, delivery slips or other written evidence of the person's destination and point of origin to justify the presence of the restricted vehicle on a street other than a designated truck route.

Sec. 150-240. - Certain trucks prohibited on certain streets.

(a) Any truck or truck tractor operated separately or in combination with any trailer or semitrailer which has either two axles with six tires or three or more axles shall be designated for the purpose of this section as a small truck. No such truck shall be operated on any street or portion of a street where signs are posted prohibiting the trucks, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. Signs may be posted to prohibit the trucks from operation on a single street or a group of streets so as to form a closed area.

(b) A vehicle described in subsection (a) of this section may be operated on a street or in an area where prohibited by signs, if the vehicle has a gross weight in excess of 36,000 pounds and/or has an overall length in excess of 30 feet and is being operated off an established truck route as provided for in section 150-237

(c) A vehicle described in subsection (a) of this section which has a gross weight of 36,000 pounds or less and has a length of 30 feet or less may be operated on a street or in an area where prohibited by signs, under the following conditions:

(1) When making a delivery of cargo, when proceeding to a location to pick up a load or to perform a service and the location of the delivery, loading or service is on a prohibited street or in a prohibited area.

(2) Ingress and egress from the location is made by traveling the most direct route between the locations and the nearest:

a. Street segment on which the vehicle is not prohibited; or
b. Designated truck route.

(d) The driver of any truck as defined in subsection (a) of this section shall be prepared to present to police officers for inspection the driver's log books, delivery slips and other written evidence of the driver's destination and the point of origin to justify, under subsection (c) of this section, the presence of the truck on a section of street from which the truck would otherwise be prohibited under subsection (a) of this section.

The police are empowered to stop and require evidence of why a truck is off the truck route. I doubt they ever would, but they can.

I've also heard that GPS sometimes routes trucks down wrong and illegal routes. They guy I dealt with at Schneider said he discovered that from the drivers I reported and they put up specific instructions not to travel the route. The Schneider manager was pretty cooperative, especially after he was sitting outside the Flatiron one day and one of his trucks rolled by then when he got back to his office he had a photo from me of that truck.

One quirk that really adds to the truck traffic around here - both the legal and the illegal kind - is that the truck facilities on Constitution are inside the Perimeter. Because of that, a truck destined for those terminals or leaving from them can use the Interstates inside I-285. That means they can drive up Moreland to I-20 (or back down) if they choose rather than having to go around the city on I-285. If those facilities were outside of the Perimeter, trucks coming/going from there couldn't legally use the Interstates inside I-285 unless their destination was also ITP - and thus they wouldn't be on Moreland ... or Bouldercrest ... or Key ... or Fayetteville ... or Flat Shoals.