Food Trucks Will Serve Essential Workers At Ohio Rest Areas

COLUMBUS, OH — Although the state’s 86 rest areas are not as crowded as they would be due to a reduction in traffic because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, truck volume along with other essential workers delivering food and other goods to stores across Ohio and the country continue to frequent rest areas. But the options for a hot meal for truckers and others remain limited at a time when Gov. Mike DeWine says they are providing an important service.

DeWine announced on Friday that the state has received permission from the Federal Highway Administration to temporarily allow food trucks to be stationed at rest areas and serve hot meals for truckers. The Ohio Department of Transportation now is offering free permits to food truck vendors on its website, which would allow those vendors to provide food service at rest areas.

Federal law typically bans the sale of food or other commercial services at rest areas but the temporary order by the highway administration will allow for the food trucks to operate until President Donald Trump lifts the national state of emergency he issued in response to the global pandemic.

Food trucks will not be permitted to sale pre-packaged food snacks or drinks other than coffee as rest areas offer vending machine service which, DeWine said, are operated by visually impaired merchants. But as life continues to be lived in unprecedented ways, DeWine said the state wants to do its part to aid truckers.

“Truck drivers are the lifeblood of the economy and their jobs have never been more critical than now,” DeWine in a statement. “I’ve heard from many in the trucking industry that finding a place to eat while they’re on the road has been tough, but we’re here to help.”