Dunn County prohibits trucks from parking along roads

• No parking

Parking signs like this one on 25th Street Southwest have been posted along with three others in Dunn County.

Talk about it

Dunn County recently posted no parking signs on three roads, which is leaving truckers with no place to go while they wait to dispose of wastewater.

Thomas Bateman, owner of Missouri-based Three Bros. Trucking, was issued two $20 tickets Thursday evening because his employees were waiting in line on 25th Street Southwest to use the saltwater disposal site about 10 miles north of Dickinson.

“It’s a safety concern for everybody,” said Dunn County Sheriff Don Rockvoy as to why the signs were posted.

Dunn County Commissioner Daryl Dukart added trucks are damaging the roads.

However, Bateman said his trucks do not exceed weight restrictions and the nearest area for trucks to park, besides along the road, is in Dickinson which creates another problem.

Without waiting in line, there is no way to know when it’s a driver’s turn to unload, he said. So trucks would have to constantly drive back and forth to check.

“So now my trucks are driving 10 miles from there into town here to park, then 10 miles back, which costs me $40 in fuel per truck for everyone of my trucks that are doing that,” Bateman said.

Rockvoy said it’s an issue the truck drivers, oil companies and landowners must work out amongst themselves.

“It’s not our responsibility to find a place to park,” Rockvoy said.

He expects more no parking signs to go up “Wherever the next place they decide to park is.”

“It’s just going to be chasing them around and that’s how it’s going to be because they have to park somewhere and they’re going to park somewhere else,” Rockvoy said. “We hate to do it, because we have other things to do rather than worry about where a truck is going to park, but we have to be concerned for the safety of road and safety of the motoring public and residents of Dunn County.”

Bateman plans to contest his tickets because he doesn’t believe the signs are clear.

“There was no sign saying no parking on our side of the road,” Bateman said, adding the one on the other side of the road was not facing his truck drivers.

Two miles down the road, however, there is a no parking sign on the north side of the road where Bateman’s trucks were parked.

He said his employees didn’t realize the sign pertained to miles of road, but assumed it meant next to the sign.

“I’m wondering if instead of issuing a ticket like that, why don’t they come up with some kind of solution instead of going down the line issuing everybody a ticket?” said Marion Williams, one of Bateman’s employees who was waiting in line Thursday evening.

Rockvoy said a third sign will go up on 25th Street Southwest to make it clearer that no parking will be allowed on either side of the road. Officers will be enforcing the signs.

“No parking means no parking,” Rockvoy said. “Just give it a rest and do what the sign says.”

However, he said there is no stipulation as to how far away from each sign people are not allowed to park and the signs don’t say either.

It’s possible they will make the signs more specific, Rockvoy said.

Dukart declined further comment and calls to other commissioners were not immediately returned Friday.

Other roads where parking signs have recently been posted include 120th Avenue Southwest, 24th Street Southwest and along Highway 22, Rockvoy said.

Tags: dunn county, news, oil, parking, trucks