'The next day, signs go up on 80 trees in a row': Tractor trailer driver refuses to stop parking in a pecan grove, farmers try numerous tactics to get him to leave

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 4, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

This truck driver kept parking on an expensive and private plot of land. He didn't know it at first, but then even after he was told about the issue, he still kept doing it. 

The allure of being out on the open road and seeing thousands of miles of the country you live in is a great incentive for many truck drivers. As a driver, you'll get to travel through numerous states and get to see lots of different cities and towns. Plus, driving trucks is crucial to the economy---how else would food, clothes, and other items get to the stores so that customers can purchase them? 

One issue with driving a truck is needing a place to park such a big vehicle. For those driving tractor trailers or 18-wheelers, parking in an ordinary lot just isn't an option. U/TboneXXIV had an unfortunate encounter with a trucker who didn't know where to park their big rig. With seemingly nowhere else to choose, this trucker decided the OP's family's pecan grove was the perfect spot to post up for the night. What the trucker didn't know is that his vehicle was crushing thousands of dollars worth of pecans! 

Read this entire tale below, then take a peek at these petty people who got some very satisfying payback. 

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  • 01
    'He saves his gas and time by driving his employers rig and parking it on my parents land' ROAD € SHER TRA
    via Rhys Moult on Unsplash
  • 02
    You can't park there. Ok, you can, but it will cost you. M OC My parents had this problem with a guy parking a tractor trailer on their land. He lives right across from one of their pecan groves. The grove has well spaced trees all in neat rows, the grass is mowed super short, the ground is really flat. It looks like an ideal place to pull your rig if you don't know better.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 03
    The ground is so flat because they use mechanical harvesting. Bumps and grooves can cause the machines to leave pecans laying on the ground. A 2 inch deep groove from a big truck like that can hold thousands of dollars of pecans and will until it is fixed. Oh, and you have to get them up by hand. It's a big deal when someone scr ws with your livelihood like that.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 04
    So the guy parks there one time. They get it, he probably doesn't understand he is causing so much trouble. Dad goes down, explains the damage he has done, tells him the grove is private property and not to do it again. Dude, we'll call him Dude, agrees, apologizes. Dad goes home, fixes damage midweek.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 05
    Next Friday there is the truck again, same spot. Dad, not about to put up with this, calls the sherrif dept. Cop comes, truck moves. Dad fixes damage midweek. Next week, no truck. One week later, truck is back. Repeat complaint for trespassing to sheriff. Dude claims he forgot. He drives over the road and his home depot where his car is parked is 30 miles away. It is convenient for Dude to forget because he saves his gas and time by driving his employers rig and parking it on my parents land.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 06
    (Also, he doesn't get nailed if his cab isn't clean, no other driver gets assigned 'his' truck. There are plain motivations.) Dude clearly does not forget every time he is home but this is what he claims to the deputies sent out on the complaints. After 7 times the sherrif department is called, he FINALLY gets a trespassing citation. No fine is levied. Drives his car two weeks in a row. Following week, truck is back. At this point my dad has fixed this damage so often he is keeping a tractor and
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 07
    Calls the sherrif yet again. The sheriff himself comes out this time. Truck leaves, sheriff comes to see my dad. Says the enforcement problem is that it is hard to explain to a court the harm when pictures hardly show any damage and Dude always apologizes and moves the truck when deputies come. Says getting Dude for trespassing under those circumstances is going to be tough but he is on this and will see it through for my parents but his office us 30 miles away, not that many deputies to be out
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 08
    And then the sheriff, bless his little elected heart, says, "But if there were something different like a theft of services going on..." Cue Malicious Compliance.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 09
    The next day, signs go up on 80 trees in a row (8000 feet, they are 100 feet apart). "Semi parking. $500/hour. Prepay. Violators will be towed." Dude doesn't pay the signs any mind. Dude does, however, pay the tow truck and deputy quite a bit of mind. Comes running and screaming, waving his arms as they are hooking up.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 10
    Well, before my dad called to have him towed, everything was documented, including having the sheriff himself drive by and take several pictures of the truck parked with the clearly visible signs. Everything is put on hold while Dude's employer, who owns the truck drives out.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 11
    After 3 hours, Dude's boss gives up and writes a check for $7800 to cover parking and tow truck fees. That actually covered the tow truck, all the repairs, printing the signs, and beer for about a year for my dad's Tuesday poker gathering. Salut.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 12
    Dude, who still lives there, does not park in the pecan grove. His boss payroll deducted his checks for 2 years. TLDR; trying to stop trespass parking is useless. Charge for parking instead. Edited for typos and clarity. Thanks for the upvotes. Yes, my dad IS awesome.
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 13
    Mlakofr People think because my trees are next to the road (on private property) that they can come steal my fruit. I am going to use your dad's logic and put up a sign for a hundred dollars a pound. I'll let you know how it works out.
    via u/Mlakofr
  • 14
    dopavash As a truck driver, I get why we was wanting to do that. But also as a truck driver, I never park my truck anywhere without asking first. I've been turned down before without reason and that's fine. You just accept it and go somewhere else, even if it's a PITA, as it often is. It's part of the job.
    via u/dopavash
  • 15
    led 76 That's such a good idea to put up that parking sign. Kudos to the nice sheriff. I can't believe the driver, after ignoring your repeated warnings, didn't think anything of the sign. How could he be so dense as to not notice it's clearly for him? He's either dense or incredibly entitled to assume he'd keep getting away with it. So deserved it.
    via u/led 76
  • 16
    PN_Guin Some people just don't seem to learn a lesson, unless it's a painful one. Kudos to the sheriff for dropping the hint.
    via u/PN_Guin
  • 17
    markwusinich I had a friend with a retail store in a high end little NY town that had a similar problem. She kept losing pens, but did not like the logistics/look of having it chained. So she hot glued a giant flower to, but people still walked off with the pen. She add a sign that said "pens $10 each". No one ever bought or stole one.
    via u/markwusinich
  • 18
    teatabletea Why does there have to be harm to charge him? He is clearly on private property. Having said that, good for your dad.
    via u/teatabletea
  • 19
    rememberthedinosaurs Your dad sounds like a nice smart man with a lot of patience. Good for him.
    via u/rememberthedinosaurs

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cops tractor farmer fine signs driver sheriff damage truck paycheck money police
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