If you’re concerned about the impact of a proposed truck stop, contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org for a no-cost discussion of strategy options.  

Truck Stop Potential Adverse Effects

While truck stops provide vital services, poorly planned projects can cause harm to neighborhoods and the environment, such as:

• Adverse health effects due to diesel exhaust,
• Release of benzene and harmful compounds at the pump or from gasoline storage tank vents,
• Excessive truck traffic on neighborhood streets,
• Disturbing levels of noise.
• Property value decline,
• Damage to streams, wetlands and other waters, and
• Possibility of crime.

Truck Stop Survey

Before getting to further detail about truck stops, we have a favor to ask. At several points in this webpage we suggest that you visit an existing truck stop(s) similar to that proposed near you home. If you make this visit then please let us know what you found by completing the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/truckstopvisit

If you live near an existing truck stop, then please complete the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/livingneartruckstop

What Is It Like Living Near A Truck Stop?

There’s a large body of scientific evidence regarding the environmental effects of diesel truck emissions and truck facilities. In contrast, there’s little data on what it’s like to live near a truck stop.

To address this knowledge gap, CEDS surveyed those living in the vicinity of existing truck stops.  Our midwest clients we’re concerned about one of the more common truck stop chains.  We identified 14 truck stops for this specific chain in the midwest.  We thought it unlikely a truck stop would affect those living a half-mile or more away.  Of the 14, only six of the truck stops were within a half-mile of a home.

We sent a letter to those living in the vicinity of these six truck stops.  Included with each letter was a self-addressed, stamped postcard.  We asked recipients to note on the postcard any benefits or negative effects they experience due to the truck stop then drop it in the mail.

We received responses from those living near three of the six truck stops. All of the responses noted that truck stop noise adversely affected their quality of life. Most of the neighbors also reported adverse effects due to light trespass, air pollution, and property value loss. With regard to air quality, one neighbor reported:

“Our carbon monoxide detector went off occasionally in the house; was determined to come from outside.”

The homes affected by these impacts were located 400- to 2,000-feet from a truck stop. In the survey we also asked neighbors about any beneficial effects of having a truck stop nearby. Only one neighbor reported a benefit, which was “fuel and gasoline always available.”

Because of these impacts some jurisdictions, such as Covington, Louisiana, require that new truck stops much be a minimum of 2,000 feet from a residential zone, park, school, day care center, library or religious or cultural activity.  Meridian, Idaho requires “The use shall be located a minimum of six hundred (600) feet from any residential district and a minimum of one thousand (1,000) feet from any hospital.”

Diesel Exhaust & Health

There’s a large and growing body of research documenting the adverse effects of diesel engine exhaust on respiratory health.  In the 2005 California Air Resources Board (CARB) Air Quality and Landuse Handbook, it was recommended that homes, schools and other sensitive land use should be located at least 1,000 feet from any facility that would generate either:

• 100 diesel truck trips per day,
• more than 40 trucks per day with diesel refrigeration units, or
• where diesel Truck Refrigeration Units (TRU) would operate for more than 300 hours per week.

These recommendation begin on page 11 of the CARB Handbook.

More recently, the California South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted a regulation requiring that warehouses of 100,000 square feet or more must take measures to reduce the health impact of trucks as well as other diesel-gasoline powered vehicles.  The measures include zero or near-zero emission trucks.  The Socioeconomic Impact Assessment for this regulation noted that emissions from a warehouse of 100,000 square feet or more can affect the health of those living 0.5- to 2.0-miles distant.

The Clean Air Task Force created Deaths by Dirty Diesel – Mapping the health impacts of diesel nationwide.  This interactive map will allow you to see how diesel emissions affects those living in your area.  By comparing your area with others that have higher Air Pollution from Diesel you can help elected officials and your neighbors understand why it is vitally important to encourage greater use of Zero or Near-Zero emission trucks and discourage proposals that would add more conventional diesel truck traffic.

A significant portion of the particulates emitted by diesel trucks occurs while trucks are idling. One source indicated that a large diesel truck may release 20 grams of particulate matter while idling for eight hours vs. 395 grams while cruising on a highway for ten hours.

A number of states prohibit diesel trucks and other vehicles from idling longer than five- to ten-minutes while parked. A listing of state-by-state idling restrictions and programs to minimize idling is available on the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center webpage: https://afdc.energy.gov/conserve/idle_reduction_basics.html.

It is unclear how effective the restrictions and programs are in curbing idling. If your state has such a restriction then you may wish to visit several truck stops or other truck parking areas in your state to see if idling occurs for extended periods. If you do so, please email CEDS your findings to: Help@ceds.org.

Gasoline Vapors & Health

Many truck stops serve not only diesel fuel but gasoline as well.  There’s substantial research documenting that sufficient benzene and other harmful compounds are released into the air from underground storage tank vents and at the pump to pose a threat to those living, working or learning 500- to 1,000-feet away.  Further detail can be found at that CEDS Gas Stations & Convenience Stores webpage at: https://ceds.org/convenience/#health

Noise

The chart below compares noise levels (in decibels) from a variety of sources, including trucks. A number of ordinances require that noise not exceed 55 decibels in residential areas (outside a home). 

CEDS conducted a survey of those living near facilities with a high-volume truck traffic.  The neighbors reported excessive noise due to truck engine idling, shouting, loud music, backup beepers, etc.  While it is possible that noise barriers or other measures might resolve noise impacts, effectiveness may depend upon maintenance or other provisions that could be difficult to enforce.  Therefore, the best safeguard is to locate a new truck stop and most other truck facilities at least a thousand feet from the nearest home.

Planning officials should require a noise impact study for all proposed truck stops, especially if they are within a thousand feet of homes or trucks will pass through residential areas.

Here’s a simplistic example of what such a study might show.

Idling diesel trucks emit noise at 85 dBA (decibels) measured at a distance of 50 feet. In general, noise decreases 6 decibels for every doubling of distance from a source. So, if truck noise level is 85 decibels at 50 feet then it would be 6 decibels lower or:

• 79 decibels at 100 feet,
• 73 decibels at 200 feet,
• 67 decibels at 400 feet and so on.

Simple noise models, such as the Distance Attenuation Calculator, indicate that a separation distance of 1600 feet would be needed for the 85-decibel noise from idling diesel truck engines to drop to the residential property acceptable level of 55 decibels.

If a home is located 400 feet from the portion of a truck stop where trucks would be idling the noise level could be 67 decibels, which is 12 decibels above the 55 decibel acceptable level for residential areas.

As shown in the following graphic, a 5 to 8 decibel decrease can be achieved for each 100 feet of densely growing evergreens and shrubs between a noise source and a home.

Earth berms and walls are sometimes used to reduce noise from highways and other sources. As shown in the next graphic, these measures only work in the area of the noise shadow created by the berm or wall. In other words, if a berm or wall does not obstruct your view of a noise source from your home then it may do little to keep your home quiet.

The effect of truck stop noise on property value is covered in the next section of this webpage.

A significant portion of the noise emitted by diesel trucks occurs while trucks are idling. A number of states prohibit diesel trucks and other vehicles from idling longer than five- to ten-minutes while parked. A listing of state-by-state idling restrictions and programs to minimize idling is available on the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center webpage: https://afdc.energy.gov/conserve/idle_reduction_basics.html.

It is unclear how effective the restrictions and programs are in curbing idling. If your state has such a restriction then you may wish to visit several truck stops or other truck parking areas in your state to see if idling occurs for extended periods. If you do so, please email CEDS your findings to: Help@ceds.org.

Property Value

With regard to noise, researchers concluded the following in a 2021 study entitled An Analytical Framework for Evaluating Potential Truck Parking Locations:

“Increases in noise pollution are inevitable in such a case where dispersed idling trucks are centralized into the new or expanded truck stops…

Mandated by the Federal Highway Administration, maximum noise levels for large trucks are not to exceed 85 dBA (decibel) 50 feet away. Combined, this data can be used to approximate sound values over different distances. For every 2.5 dBA increase in noise levels above 55 dBA, residential property values are assumed to decrease by 0.2% to 1.2% with wealthier communities, containing higher willingness to pay for peace and quiet, being more sensitive to such increases in noise pollution (Palmquist, 1980). Any truck stop development project will require a noise impact study that evaluates the feasibility of installing noise barriers to remediate the noise pollution problem.”

As noted in the preceding section of this webpage, in general, noise decreases 6 decibels for every doubling of distance from a source. So, if truck noise level is 85 decibels at 50 feet then it would be 79 decibels at 100 feet, 73 decibels at 200 feet, then 67 decibels at 400 feet.

Simple noise models, such as the Distance Attenuation Calculator, indicate that it would require a separation distance of 1600 feet for the 85-decibel noise from idling diesel truck engines to drop to the residential property acceptable level of 55 decibels.

If a home is located 400 feet from the portion of a truck stop where trucks would be idling the noise level could be 67 decibels, which is 12 decibels above the 55 decibel acceptable level for residential areas. After dividing 12 decibels by 2.5 decibels we get 4.8, which could result in a (0.2% x 4.8) 0.96% to (1.2% x 4.8) 5.7% decline in home resale value.

If the truck stop can be seen from the home then a further decrease in property value may result.

Aquatic Resource Damage

Trucking facilities where fuel is stored-dispensed or where engine maintenance is performed can pose a significant threat to nearby wells and groundwaters, streams, wetlands, ponds and lakes.

One study found that contaminant levels in gas station runoff were 5- to 30-times higher when compared to residential runoff. In another study researchers detected several compounds in vehicle repair facility runoff which were probable cancer-causing agents. These findings have prompted a number of states and local governments to list vehicle repair facilities as stormwater hotspots. USEPA guidance advises caution with regard to allowing hotspot runoff to infiltrate the soil, particularly in areas where drinking water is obtained through wells. The use of highly-effective stormwater Best Management Practices to treat repair facility runoff before it is infiltrated into the soil may resolve the threat, but only if a government agency regularly inspects these practices to ensure they are well maintained and independent reviews show a high degree of compliance.

Fuel storage tanks and pipelines pose another source of contamination, though the design of both has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades. Spillage at the pump is a more likely source of fuel release into nearby waterways. In fact, Johns Hopkins University researchers found that an average of 40 gallons of gasoline is spilled at a typical gas station per year at the pumps. The JHU researchers also found that a significant portion of the spilled gasoline can migrate through the concrete pads at many fueling stations.

So how far should fuel storage or refueling facilities be from a well or surface waters to reduce the likelihood of contamination to a reasonable level? Well, the key question is actually how far can one anticipate that a plume of spilled gasoline will travel underground. One review of scientific studies of plume travel indicated that the 90th percentile distance is 400 feet. Add another 100 feet for installing grout curtains or other containment measures and storage tanks-dispensers should be no closer than 500 feet to a well, wetland, spring, stream, river, pond, lake, reservoir or tidal waters.

Crime & Truck Stops

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer does not provide data specific to truck stops, it does show that of 137,556 robberies committed in 2020, three uses common to truck stops were the fourth, sixth and seventh highest robbery locations:

• Convenience stores – 13,721 robberies; 10% of all 2020 robberies,
• Gas stations – 7,006 robberies; 5% of all 2020 robberies, and
• Restaurants – 5,642 robberies; 4% of all 2020 robberies.

There is a body of research indicating that the sale of alcohol at convenience stores increases the likelihood of crime and other issues. This research is summarized at the CEDS Crime & Alcoholic Beverage Outlets webpage: https://ceds.org/alcohol/

The National Human Trafficking Hotline website includes a webpage focusing on Truck Stop-Based trafficking: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sex-trafficking-venuesindustries/truck-stop-based. Following is a description of the issue from this webpage:

“Sex trafficking occurs at truck stops in the United States often in two forms, through commercial sex and through fake massage businesses. Due to their frequently remote locations and transient customer base, truck stops are an ideal venue for traffickers seeking to profit from exploiting victims without interference or undue attention. Traffickers frequently move their victims from city to city, forcing victims to engage in commercial sex at truck stops along the way. Brothels disguised as massage businesses are also sometimes present at or near truck stops. These networks control women through confinement and complicated debt bondage schemes.”

Further background on this issue can be found in Sex Trafficking at Truck Stops, by the Polaris Project.

Organizations like the NATSO (National Association of Truck Stop Operators) has developed guidance such as Combating Human Trafficking.

It is possible that steps such as prohibiting alcohol sales and measures recommended by NATSO, the Polaris Project and others could substantially reduce crime associated with truck stops.

Identifying & Resolving Truck Stop Impacts

The first step in protecting a neighborhood is to determine if a proposed truck stop is likely to cause the impacts listed above using the following checklist.

If a facility site will be more than a thousand feet from the nearest home, then adverse effects to area residents are unlikely.

Will the facility be located within a thousand feet of homes and will the facility generate:

1. 100 or more diesel truck trips per day?
2. more than 40 trucks per day with diesel refrigeration units?
3. will diesel Truck Refrigeration Units (TRU) would operate for more than 300 hours per week?

If you answered yes to any of these three questions then diesel emissions may pose a threat to those living within a thousand feet.

If gasoline will be sold then those living within 500 feet or more of the facility could be at risk for adverse health effects.

If the facility is located on a road lined with homes then residents could be impacted by truck exhaust, noise, traffic safety issues, and property value loss.

The CEDS Development Project Impact Assessment Checklist provides a number of potential concerns which should be considered.

The next step is to explore options for designing each impact out of a trucking facility project. We call these options Equitable Solutions since they resolve our clients’ concerns while allowing property owners to achieve their goals. It is far easier to win adoption of Equitable Solutions when compared to killing a project.

Examples of Equitable Solutions we’ve won on behalf of CEDS clients throughout the U.S. include:

• Ensuring main project access is off of a major road then preventing truck cut-thru traffic onto a neighborhood street with emergency-services-only access gates or other measures,
• Requiring an attractive landscaped buffer that completely shields trucking facilities from the view of those residing in nearby homes, and
• Winning the use of highly-effective environmental protection measures.

If alcohol will be sold at the truck stop then the likelihood of crime and other issues may be increased.

Defeating A Fatally Flawed Truck Stop Project

If a truck stop project is so poorly conceived or sited that impacts cannot be resolved, then the only option may be to prevent approval. This goal will be far easier to achieve if you can show decision-makers that you made a genuine effort to find Equitable Solutions. This is but one of many components of the CEDS Smart Legal Strategies approach which can triple the likelihood of defeating a fatally, flawed trucking facility project for a small portion of the usual cost.

CEDS Initial Strategy Analysis Best Place To Start

CEDS offers many free resources that can guide you through strategies to preserve your neighborhood or the environment. These resources include the webpages listed to the right and our many free publications.

A number of folks find they lack the time to read through then implement the guidance on their own. Instead, they opt to retain CEDS to perform an Initial Strategy Analysis.

For a fee of $1,000 CEDS can analyze your case and identify the most effective strategy for preserving your quality of life. The analysis usually begins with the following steps:

1. Verify your concerns regarding project impacts by reviewing actual project plans.
2. Assess the proposal for additional impacts. The CEDS Project Impact Assessment Checklist simplifies this task.
3. Search for Equitable Solutions that design away each impact while allowing the property owner to achieve their goals. Many of the webpages listed to the right will help you identify possible Equitable Solutions.
4. Review the criteria for approving the project as set forth in local and state law.
5. Compile the evidence needed to show that one or more of the criteria cannot be met based upon unresolved impacts.
6. Research the decision-making history of the body required to approve the project. The goal is to identify factors that prompted past denials. These past examples will help you to increase the likelihood of a denial by structuring your case to show similar factors exist.
7. Identify issues likely to generate the widespread public support frequently needed to prompt decision-makers to deny approval for fatally-flawed projects or condition an approval in ways that resolve your concerns via the Equitable Solutions identified in Step 3 above, and
8. Identify at least one – hopefully several – attorneys with a good reputation for helping folks in your state who were concerned about similar issues.

The analysis can usually be completed within two weeks of receiving a retainer. About half the time the analysis is the only thing our clients need pay for to win.

For examples of CEDS analyses and for further detail visit our Strategy Analysis webpage. For a no-cost discussion of how an analysis might benefit your effort contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org.

CEDS Uniquely Qualified to Help You Preserve Your Neighborhood & Environment

For more than 30 years CEDS has been helping people across the nation protect their communities and the environment from threats posed by development and other project types. To see a map of the many communities we’ve helped preserve click on: CEDS Case Map.

CEDS is one of very few organizations that solely helps people concerned about project impacts. This specialization and our nationwide scope has allowed CEDS to acquire a unique and extensive knowledge of technical solutions as well as strategies that have proven highly success in winning battles other thought impossible.

The CEDS network consists of more than 200 attorneys nationwide along with a long list of other professionals such as traffic and stormwater engineers, land use planners, etc. Because people (not corporations) are our primary clients we’ve learned how to protect neighborhoods at a fraction of the cost you might pay if you hired an attorney or consultant outside our network.

To learn how we can greatly increase your likelihood of success for minimal expense, contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org.