Trucking Laws · Wyoming · October 24, 2026

Wyoming Patrol: Stopping on the Shoulder When Tired Can Bring a Ticket

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is reminding truckers and every other driver that the highway shoulder is not a place to rest, and that pulling over because of fatigue can lead to a ticket.

The patrol's warning was reported Oct. 23 by The Trucker and by KOTA. It is a reminder about existing law, not a new law, and no enforcement totals were given.

What the patrol says the law allows

"The WHP would like to remind the motoring public as well as commercial drivers that parking on the shoulder of Wyoming highways is illegal, save for exceptions for emergencies," the patrol said, according to The Trucker. "These emergencies include mechanical breakdowns, medical emergencies, traffic stops and avoiding a collision."

That is a short list. According to the patrol, the following do not make it:

• Driver fatigue
• Phone calls
• Checking GPS or directions
• Sending a text

"Instances like driver fatigue, phone calls, checking GPS, etc., are not considered emergencies and will result in a citation," the patrol said, as quoted by The Trucker. KOTA's report put it a little more softly, saying drivers who pull over for nonemergency reasons, including phone calls or fatigue, "could receive a citation."

What drivers are told to do instead

The patrol's advice is to keep going to the nearest exit and find a safe and legal place to stop. KOTA lists a rest area, truck stop or service station as options.

When a true emergency happens, the patrol says drivers should pull as far to the right on the shoulder as possible and handle the situation quickly. For a mechanical breakdown, the patrol says to call for assistance. For a medical emergency, it says to call 911 right after parking.

The patrol frames the warning as a safety issue. According to KOTA, it says stops on the shoulder can be especially dangerous when other vehicles, including commercial trucks, are moving at highway speeds.

The parking problem behind the debate

The warning lands on a sore spot for many drivers. Truckers are told not to drive tired, and now the patrol says a tired stop on the shoulder is not an emergency either. That leaves the next legal parking spot as the only answer, wherever it happens to be.

The patrol's statement, as reported, did not address truck parking capacity in the state.

For drivers planning a run through Wyoming, two free tools may help. The Big Rig Daily guide to truck parking tips and apps covers ways to find a spot before the clock runs out, and the hours of service calculator can help map out the 11 hour, 14 hour and 30 minute break limits ahead of time. A refresher on the rules themselves is in the guide to ELD and hours of service rules.

A question for readers

Every driver has been there: eyes heavy, clock running, and the next safe place to stop still a long way off.

Should a state that tickets tired drivers on the shoulder have to guarantee enough safe places to pull off first?

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