I wish the federal DOT would put an end to it.

Truckers should plan their stops using existing rest areas.

Truckers are also only to drive limited hours per day, enforced by remote computer monitoring. You drive one minute too long both the driver and the employer face fines. Cops know this, which is why they don't ticket the trucks pulled off on off ramps. There's just nowhere else they can go.

I hadn't considered a shortage of spaces as being a factor.

The ones still open are often overflowing. Might be a connection.

Truck traffic has grown exponentially since the first rest areas were laid out. Combine that with mandatory limits on how long a driver can stay on the road, and you’ve got truckers pulling over any old place to avoid running afoul of the law.

If there is no rest stop, why not find a parking lot to park instead of off ramps. I used to see them park in large parking lots, but I suppose owners may have put up signs saying no overnight parking.

... get to the roadway. I can see someone thinking they're following a 'convoy' mistakenly.