August 2026: Trucker Edition

More Truck Parking Planned for Western PA Turnpike  

Looking for a break from the road?

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is once again partnering with the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association to celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in September, honoring those professional drivers who play a critical role in our nation’s economy and supply chain.

Trucker appreciation: Cutline: Truck drivers stop by the PA Turnpike table during last year’s Truck Driver Appreciation Event.

"Truck drivers keep our communities moving every day," said PA Turnpike Communications Associate Paige Shope. "They spend long hours on the road and away from their families, so National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is our chance to simply say ‘thank you.’"

Shope is leading the effort to organize five events at five different service plazas during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Starting Sept. 15, truckers can stop by one of the PA Turnpike’s service plazas to relax and pick up a few small gifts before getting back to the long haul.

Trucker Appreciation Events will be held at these service plazas:

• Allentown: Sept. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Peter J. Camiel: Sept. 16, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Sideling Hill: Sept. 16, 3 to 7 p.m.

• Oakmont-Plum: Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lawn: Sept. 17, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The PMTA Road Team and PA Turnpike volunteers will be on hand for the events.

The PA Turnpike serves as one of the Northeast region’s most important freight corridors, making commercial trucking a vital part of daily operations across the system, highlighting the importance of truckers to the PA Turnpike’s operations.

"It's a chance for us to say thank you face-to-face," Shope said. "We hope drivers stop by, say hello and know how much we appreciate everything they do."

PA Turnpike, state police toll enforcement crackdown holds drivers accountable  

The Pennsylvania State Police called it Operation Light Speed.

It wasn’t a new kind of engine for their cruisers, but it did give a warp-drive boost to their toll-enforcement collaboration with the Pennsylvania Turnpike and contributed to the collection of more than $2 million in unpaid tolls.

And some of the enforcement tools they used were pretty high tech.

“We used ALPR, which is Automated License Plate Recognition technology in our vehicles,” said Pennsylvania State Police Troop T spokesman Cpl. Rick Levan. “If a vehicle drove by with a suspended registration for unpaid tolls, that would pop up automatically.”

State police enforcement teams were out in April targeting both aggressive drivers and those driving with a registration suspended over unpaid tolls, stopping more than 200 vehicles, including a single-day, record-setting 23 stops. More than 90% of those stops resulted in drivers taking action to pay toll balances or comply with regulations.

Unpaid tolls collected from that record-setting day exceeded $48,000, with the opportunity to collect more than $130,000 in past-due toll balances. Another day’s enforcement action stopped one customer owing the PA Turnpike more than $100,000.

“As we refine and enhance future enforcement efforts, drivers who continue to ignore invoices will face consequences,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “While the majority of our 550,000 daily customers follow the law and pay their tolls on time, we will continue to target evaders and make measurable progress on claiming what we’re owed.”

Drivers who owe $250 in unpaid tolls and fees – or four unpaid Toll by Plate invoices – are referred to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for registration suspension. If they’re driving with a suspended registration, it can trigger enforcement.

The PA Turnpike successfully collects 92 to 94% of transactions, which is in line with industry standards, and strategic enforcement efforts like Operation Light Speed have resulted in increased payments from that small percentage of toll absconders. In total for April, the PA Turnpike collected $2.1 million from toll-enforcement efforts – a 23% increase over the previous month.

Levan said state police targeted areas known to be frequented by the biggest offenders to maximize their efforts. Increased state police presence alone was expected to encourage some to pay.

It was a successful operation and one he’d like to continue to ensure everyone is paying their share.

“It’s not fair for other operators out there on the PA Turnpike who are paying their tolls to have people getting free rides,” Levan said.

Find out more about the April enforcement efforts here.

Eyes and ears on the road: Truckers can help report human trafficking 

Professional truck drivers do more than keep America's economy moving -- they may very well be in the right place at the right time to help the most vulnerable victims of human trafficking.

While the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s award-winning Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign has made strides over the last couple of years to spread the word through community events, podcasts, roadway signs, and more, one organization has been fighting the fight since its founding in 2009.

TAT (formerly Truckers Against Trafficking), is an international organization that provides free training and resources to help transportation professionals recognize the signs of trafficking and know what to do when they see suspicious activity.

"When they know the indicators to look for, when they can identify that suspicious activity, in a lot of ways, they serve as a very strategic partner to law enforcement to help call in those tips," said Maggie Dawson, the organization’s State Programs Manager.

Today, TAT also works with bus drivers, the energy industry, and government agencies, but truckers remain a vital part of the organization's mission. Not all human trafficking involves travel, but when it does, truck drivers are uniquely positioned to notice suspicious situations as they visit truck stops, rest areas, hotels and other locations where traffickers may operate.

“We see them as being the eyes and ears on the road,” Dawson said.

The impact has been significant. Dawson noted during a recent five-year period, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received thousands of calls from truck drivers, and 41% of those tips involved victims who were minors.

Drivers don't have to become investigators, but they should know what warning signs to watch for. TAT also encourages drivers to be alert for signs like physical abuse, malnourishment, or someone who appears fearful of the person accompanying them.

If something doesn't seem right, act quickly -- but safely. Drivers should call 911 if a crime is in progress, clearly state that they suspect human trafficking, and provide details such as vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers and physical descriptions whenever possible.

TAT recently partnered with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to present a program titled “Keeping Kids Safe from Online Exploitation,” to help employees educate themselves about online risks, and PA Turnpike Chief Counsel and Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign executive sponsor Doreen McCall said the information was invaluable.

"We are also finding our own human trafficking awareness programs are having an impact,” McCall said. “When we go to big events like Jubilee Day and the Farm Show, we’re able to reach a lot of people and educate them. We’re able to teach them the signs, the universal hand signal, and how to report  possible human trafficking.”

Dawson added the best way truck drivers can learn more and report human trafficking is by downloading TAT’s free, mobile app.  Truckers can also find more information and free training opportunities on TAT’s website.