The Map

The Map

My uncle always used to tell me that truckers knew all the best restaurants. My response was that we knew the best restaurants where you could park a truck. For us that has always been the problem for access to anything. We need a place that is big enough and welcoming enough to allow us to park. That goes for restaurants, grocery stores and places to exercise.

My friend Scott Grenerth (Scottie G) had created a website for bicycling truckers that included a map of a trail near Brookville, OH (exit 21 on I70). I never gave it much thought. In my brain I knew of a few good places where I could park a truck and easily run or ride a bike. I knew of a small state park near Belgium, WI (I43 exit 107) that was a treacherous 1.5 mile run along a road with no shoulder. Then one day I talked my friend Steve Fiel into going for a walk with me after breakfast at the truck stop. We headed west on the sidewalk. Less than a mile from the truck stop we crossed the interurban trail. It is a 30+mile long blacktopped trail. I had been using that truck stop for over 20 years and I never knew that trail was there. How many other places like that are there? What if truckers could share knowledge of cool and safe places to exercise near truck parking? The idea for our map was born.

I called Scottie G. whose knowledge and patience are more than a match for my technological ineptitude. Scott is one of those people who can take one of my hair brained ideas from that empty space in my brain and make it work. Thankfully, he did not kill me when I once wiped the national map from the website. I’ll always remember calling him to tell him what I had done and him telling me that it was impossible. Nope, I think I did it. I wiped out the map. He called me back a few minutes later to confirm the fact that indeed I had wiped out the map. Thankfully Scottie G. can forgive almost anything for a microbrew.

We are truckers ourselves and were paranoid about giving anyone bad directions. Building the map proceeded with caution because of that. Since the map is electronic it will always be under construction. It is limitless except that we aren’t. Therefore most of the maps are  in the Midwest where we run. Scottie G is developing a system where we can add contributors. With the aid of satellite maps we can now confirm directions. We will be able to see the truck stop where you can park. Then check out the route you take to access the trail. Soon we will be able to receive maps from other drivers. We will be able to confirm everything before posting them to the national map.

I encourage you to check out www.rideandroll.me . That is the map website. Please use the map for your own enjoyment. Then contact us to contribute maps and locations for us to share with other drivers