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Where does Atlanta rank in the US with the number of trucks that pass through Atlanta? Its amazing see mlles and miles of trucks on 285 especially when traffic is backed up. I was going up 75 N and was looking at the trucks getting on 285 and within a mile I counted over 40 trucks. I can just imagine how bad traffic used to be on 75/85 before they banned trucks from coming inside 285 unless they had a delivery
I wish trucks had their own highway. I'm not sure which highway is worse but the 75 also has a ton of trucks. What annoys me isn't just the amount of room they take up on the road but also the fact that (even when you are driving a good distance from them) they make stones hit your windshield, which can cause damage (it would start out small and then the hole gets bigger). Also, I hear that trucks are not held responsible for when their tires cause damage to people's cars and that's bulls*** as I'm pretty sure a lot of companies are not being responsible and changing the tires when needed. They should be penalized for causing accidents/causing damage to people's cars. I personally know someone who had a tire hit her windshield and she had to come out of pocket to pay for the damage when the tire flew off of the truck right in front of her. I am always seeing truck tires on the road. It's so dangerous.
This always amazed me because I know how calculated the logistics industry has become. They will hire engineers to rework things making use of every square inch of the truck for better efficiency (whether they actually apply all that work into practice, I don't know...)
What shocks me is that they haven't figured out scheduling to NOT hit Atlanta during commuter hours. I can't imagine how much money they are wasting just sitting in traffic. Unless its an emergency shipment, wouldn't they be better off timing it so they hit Atlanta during a better time? It can't ALL be local truck traffic that we see on the highways. Certainly local drivers know how to avoid most traffic.
What shocks me is that they haven't figured out scheduling to NOT hit Atlanta during commuter hours. I can't imagine how much money they are wasting just sitting in traffic. Unless its an emergency shipment, wouldn't they be better off timing it so they hit Atlanta during a better time? It can't ALL be local truck traffic that we see on the highways. Certainly local drivers know how to avoid most traffic.
You make a very good point in pondering why the trucking industry seemingly has not yet figured out how to schedule truck traffic not to come through Atlanta during peak commuting hours.
Unfortunately with the nature of the trucking logistics and shipping business, it is not necessarily as simple as scheduling truck traffic not to hit Atlanta during peak commuting hours.
When it comes to trucking and logistics, Atlanta's challenge is that it is located at the crossroads of two massive transcontinental shipping routes in I-85 (which is a major truck shipping route between the industrial areas of the Gulf Coast and the large population centers of the GA/SC/NC Piedmont and the NYC-anchored BosWash Northeastern Megalopolis) and I-75 (which is a major truck shipping route between the large population centers points north and west (like the Great Lakes, etc) and major points of importance to the southeast (like the heavily-populated resort state of Florida and one of the fastest-growing seaports on the planet at the Port of Savannah)).
(...While it may not transport as much long-distance truck traffic as Interstates 85 and 75, Interstate 20 is also a major east-west shipping route across the lower third of the North American continent between California and South Carolina (and especially between Dallas/Fort Worth/North Texas and Atlanta/Georgia).
Because all of the aforementioned population centers large and small (including Atlanta itself) generate so much (massive amounts of) truck traffic (both in terms of pick-ups and especially truck deliveries) on Interstate superhighways like I-85, I-75, I-20, etc, it would be impractical to remove the truck traffic from the Interstate system during peak commuter hours.
In the shipping and logistics business, virtually all shipping transactions (particularly perishable items like food and poultry, etc) and shipping movements are time-sensitive to varying degrees.
Taking about three hours each business day to pause through truck traffic off the Interstate system (which was designed expressly to transport through and long-distance traffic as a means of generating increased economic activity for the nation as a whole) in, around and outside a major population center like Atlanta would be even more disruptive to economic activity than trucks being slowed by heavy rush hour commuter traffic.
Some of the effects of basically removing trucks from the roads would include disruption of the supply chain to places like grocery stores, schools/universities, offices, factories/processing facilities, postal/mailing/receiving facilities, etc. Basically every and any place that receives any type delivery by truck (which is basically everywhere including many residences) would be adversely affected if some type of prohibition on truck traffic was enacted during peak commuter hours.
Also, we must keep in mind that metro Atlanta itself is a massive hub for the trucking and logistics industry.
In addition to the through and long-distance truck traffic that population centers in other states generate, metro Atlanta itself generates a massive amount of truck movements just simply because of its status as a trucking/logistics hub where the trucking and logistics industries make up a very large (and growing) part of the local/regional economy.
I know that trucks can be unpleasant to have to drive around and share the roads with because of the sometimes-dangerous flying debris that they generate....But with Atlanta's location at the nexus of three major (two massive) transcontinental shipping routes and with Atlanta's status as a massive truck shipping/distribution and logistics hub, dealing with and sharing the roads with large (massive) and escalating amounts of truck traffic (during all hours of the day, including during peak commuter hours) is just simply going to continue to be a way of life that we are going to have to deal with when driving.
To echo some of the advice that some of my friends and family members (including two uncles and two cousins) who drive trucks have given: When possible, stay away from trucks when driving on the roads.
I know that it often may not always be possible, especially during peak traffic hours when traffic is bumper-to-bumper and/or totally gridlocked, but try not to drive near trucks when possible. Don't hover next to or near them (especially in their blind spots) or closely behind them while driving on the roads. If you get a chance to pass them, pass them and especially make sure that you leave as much space as possible when merging and changing lanes in front of a truck....That's because trucks do not and cannot slow-down and/or stop on a dime, especially when fully-loaded with cargo.
I wish trucks had their own highway. I'm not sure which highway is worse but the 75 also has a ton of trucks. What annoys me isn't just the amount of room they take up on the road but also the fact that (even when you are driving a good distance from them) they make stones hit your windshield, which can cause damage (it would start out small and then the hole gets bigger). Also, I hear that trucks are not held responsible for when their tires cause damage to people's cars and that's bulls*** as I'm pretty sure a lot of companies are not being responsible and changing the tires when needed. They should be penalized for causing accidents/causing damage to people's cars. I personally know someone who had a tire hit her windshield and she had to come out of pocket to pay for the damage when the tire flew off of the truck right in front of her. I am always seeing truck tires on the road. It's so dangerous.
I and many others share your wish that trucks had their own highway.
More than a decade ago, Georgia state government actually tried to execute a plan to install truck-only lanes along the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and along radial routes like I-75 Northwest OTP and I-20 West OTP.
But the state quickly abandoned the plan due to widespread public feedback over designs that included expanding parts of I-75 Northwest OTP to as many as 25 lanes in width and because of opposition from Georgia's extremely powerful trucking and logistics industry to the part of the plan that would have forced trucks to use the truck-only lanes which would have been tolled.
At this point in time, many stretches of OTP Interstate superhighway (including the aforementioned stretches of I-75 Northwest OTP, I-20 West OTP and the Top Half of I-285) appear to be in need of not only truck-only lanes but a truck-only highway that is either elevated above or tunneled below those existing roadways....That's in addition to needing a high-capacity transit option that traverses through the Top End I-285 Perimeter corridor.
The Atlanta metro area/region has basically added more than a half-million people this decade, a population growth spurge that (while it may be slower than the population growth spurges of the 1990's and early-mid 2000's) is still equivalent to the population of the entire Chattanooga metropolitan area/region.
Metro Atlanta has basically added the entire population of metropolitan Chattanooga this decade....With that much population growth on a constrained road network that basically has been obsolete for two decades, it's amazing that the roads are still able to function at all during peak hours at this point in time.
Like has been noted on other threads somewhat related to this topic, many people have suggested that the State of Georgia move forward with building an Outer Perimeter superhighway as a means of attempting to alleviate truck traffic and long-distance traffic in general off of the I-285 Perimeter and the major through radial Interstate superhighway routes inside and closest to it.
But reviving and moving forward with the long-cancelled and highly controversial Outer Perimeter/Northern Arc project remains a political impossibility for the time being and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future.
Building truck-only lanes (or a truck-only highway) over or under the existing lanes of the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and the radial Interstate highways that feed into it from OTP potentially could be a politically viable way to remove the escalating amount of truck traffic out of the existing lanes of the aforementioned Perimeter and OTP stretches of Interstate superhighway.
The biggest challenges to building truck-only lanes on the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and the radial Interstate superhighways that feed into it would be the massive cost of doing so (which would be in the multiple billions of dollars) and a Georgia state government bureaucracy that often moves very painfully slowly in instituting and executing even the most basic of transportation improvements.
As has been discussed on these threads before, the State of Georgia already has plans to build toll lanes along the top half of the I-285 Perimeter, but the plans to build those toll lanes are not slated to be executed until sometime deep within the next decade (during the mid-2020's) at the absolute earliest.
With metro Atlanta's continued heavy population growth (particularly on the north side of the region along and near the aforementioned I-285 Top End Perimeter corridor) and with a severe lack of alternatives for east-west regional travel outside of the swamped I-285 Top End Perimeter corridor, we really need all three options (high-occupancy toll lanes, truck-only lanes and a robust high-capacity transit option) at this point in time....Though with the political leadership we have from the State of Georgia, we'll be lucky if we get just one of those three badly-needed transportation options along that corridor and others like it.
I and many others share your wish that trucks had their own highway.
More than a decade ago, Georgia state government actually tried to execute a plan to install truck-only lanes along the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and along radial routes like I-75 Northwest OTP and I-20 West OTP.
But the state quickly abandoned the plan due to widespread public feedback over designs that included expanding parts of I-75 Northwest OTP to as many as 25 lanes in width and because of opposition from Georgia's extremely powerful trucking and logistics industry to the part of the plan that would have forced trucks to use the truck-only lanes which would have been tolled.
At this point in time, many stretches of OTP Interstate superhighway (including the aforementioned stretches of I-75 Northwest OTP, I-20 West OTP and the Top Half of I-285) appear to be in need of not only truck-only lanes but a truck-only highway that is either elevated above or tunneled below those existing roadways....That's in addition to needing a high-capacity transit option that traverses through the Top End I-285 Perimeter corridor.
The Atlanta metro area/region has basically added more than a half-million people this decade, a population growth spurge that (while it may be slower than the population growth spurges of the 1990's and early-mid 2000's) is still equivalent to the population of the entire Chattanooga metropolitan area/region.
Metro Atlanta has basically added the entire population of metropolitan Chattanooga this decade....With that much population growth on a constrained road network that basically has been obsolete for two decades, it's amazing that the roads are still able to function at all during peak hours at this point in time.
Like has been noted on other threads somewhat related to this topic, many people have suggested that the State of Georgia move forward with building an Outer Perimeter superhighway as a means of attempting to alleviate truck traffic and long-distance traffic in general off of the I-285 Perimeter and the major through radial Interstate superhighway routes inside and closest to it.
But reviving and moving forward with the long-cancelled and highly controversial Outer Perimeter/Northern Arc project remains a political impossibility for the time being and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future.
Building truck-only lanes (or a truck-only highway) over or under the existing lanes of the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and the radial Interstate highways that feed into it from OTP potentially could be a politically viable way to remove the escalating amount of truck traffic out of the existing lanes of the aforementioned Perimeter and OTP stretches of Interstate superhighway.
The biggest challenges to building truck-only lanes on the top half of the I-285 Perimeter and the radial Interstate superhighways that feed into it would be the massive cost of doing so (which would be in the multiple billions of dollars) and a Georgia state government bureaucracy that often moves very painfully slowly in instituting and executing even the most basic of transportation improvements.
As has been discussed on these threads before, the State of Georgia already has plans to build toll lanes along the top half of the I-285 Perimeter, but the plans to build those toll lanes are not slated to be executed until sometime deep within the next decade (during the mid-2020's) at the absolute earliest.
With metro Atlanta's continued heavy population growth (particularly on the north side of the region along and near the aforementioned I-285 Top End Perimeter corridor) and with a severe lack of alternatives for east-west regional travel outside of the swamped I-285 Top End Perimeter corridor, we really need all three options (high-occupancy toll lanes, truck-only lanes and a robust high-capacity transit option) at this point in time....Though with the political leadership we have from the State of Georgia, we'll be lucky if we get just one of those three badly-needed transportation options along that corridor and others like it.
True say. Maybe it's because I've lived in Georgia for a long time but I swear traffic never used to be like this. I used to love traveling between 10-2, 8-10 because not a lot of traffic on the road but now it will be 10:30 a.m. and the traffic is so horrible and the amount of trucks on the road is unreal and some of them think it's okay to drive in the second to left lane (and even the left lane) slowing up traffic. I try to stay as far away from them as I can, but they are everywhere and there is no escaping them.
I do try to keep in mind that the population has increased a lot and is still growing. People have to eat and so these trucks are very much needed. I also try to keep in mind that they could be traveling to Florida and need to use the major highways. It's not just the trucks though. Ever since that damn stadium was built, traffic has gotten even worse and I'm not talking about game days.
I'm not leaving Georgia for a long time and so just have to get used to it. I'll be fine but let's be real...it feels good to vent.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Man in with you guys. I moved from the Bay Area in California. I have more rock chips in the less than two years I've been here than 10 years there. I always try to stay away from trucks too.
I wish trucks had their own highway. I'm not sure which highway is worse but the 75 also has a ton of trucks. What annoys me isn't just the amount of room they take up on the road but also the fact that (even when you are driving a good distance from them) they make stones hit your windshield, which can cause damage (it would start out small and then the hole gets bigger). Also, I hear that trucks are not held responsible for when their tires cause damage to people's cars and that's bulls*** as I'm pretty sure a lot of companies are not being responsible and changing the tires when needed. They should be penalized for causing accidents/causing damage to people's cars. I personally know someone who had a tire hit her windshield and she had to come out of pocket to pay for the damage when the tire flew off of the truck right in front of her. I am always seeing truck tires on the road. It's so dangerous.
The Interstate Highway System was originally built for interstate commerce and defense, not commuting. Those trucks are carrying the nation's economy.
Man in with you guys. I moved from the Bay Area in California. I have more rock chips in the less than two years I've been here than 10 years there. I always try to stay away from trucks too.
I know a lot of people who have had their windshield chipped with one of them getting a little crack actually. It has gotten bigger and bigger. It will have to be replaced one day, which the person will obviously have to come out of pocket for. The funny thing is most of the times I get a stone hitting my windshield is when I'm not even in the same lane as the truck and not close either. I do try to steer clear of them but sometimes it's impossible.
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