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February 16, 2000 10:20 AM, EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A $130,000 annual tax bill was eating into Daniel Tri’s profits, so he decided to sell a third of his Star Fuel Centers property to a developer.

	TT file photo
	With parking at a premium, Natso is trying to guide truckers to member stops with available places.

Tri received $700,000 for the land and a lighter tax load too, but truckers now have fewer places to park in Overland Park, Kan., a sprawling suburb of Kansas City, Mo.

This small-business man’s plight illustrates, in part, what truckers face in regard to rest stop options, particularly in and around cities where high costs and zoning opposition are major obstacles to locating and maintaining such facilities.

At the same time, long-haul drivers say that finding somewhere to park their rigs and rest, as required by law, is increasingly difficult. With more tractor-trailers plying the roads during this economic boom, drivers say they must play a musical-chair-like game for a limited number of slots at truck stops, rest areas or roadside.

But Natso Inc. says plenty of safe parking spots exists if drivers plan ahead. To shepherd truckers away from hazardous locations, the association will launch a public service campaign this spring called “drive safe, park smart.”

For the full story, see the Feb. 14 print edition of Transport Topics. .