Idaho Allows Food Trucks at Rest Areas to Help Truckers

BOISE, Idaho (KLIX)-

The Idaho Department of Transportation announced it will temporarily allow during the Idaho Extreme Emergency Declaration and Stay-home Order mobile food operations to set up at rest areas typically used by truckers and other motorists on Idaho's interstate system.

“We heard truck drivers were having difficulties finding hot meals with the restrictions placed on nonessential businesses during the stay-at-home order,” said Nestor Fernandez, ITD’s Mobility Services Engineer in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to support them as best as we can during this pandemic, especially long-haul drivers delivering goods across the U.S.”

Restaurants in Idaho and across the nation have had to shut down in-house dinning and shift to delivery, curbside or drive-through which has made it difficult for some truck drivers. ITD got together with the Idaho Trucking Association and Southern Idaho Food Truck Association to find ways to help drivers and identify times and areas to place food trucks.

According to ITD, only two food truck operators will be allowed at each rest area and they must be permitted. Food trucks will not be allowed at any official rest area that already provide food services under public-private management. The food trucks also must follow social distancing guidelines to prevent crowds from forming.

Once the stay-at-home order has been lifted and operations begin going back to normal food trucks will no longer be allowed at rest areas.