The shoulders of an interstate exit near a Walmart distribution center were always lined with semi-trucks, presumably with drivers sleeping before or after their deliveries. On my last trip past this area, the road was plastered with No Parking signs every few feet, and so trucks were seen on the side roads next to neighboring cornfields.
I can understand why the Department of Transportation doesn’t want a highway lined with trucks, but what I can’t figure out is why Walmart doesn’t make provisions for its drivers. This is in central Illinois, where land is flat and plentiful, and the multi-billion dollar corporation could have purchased an extra acre or two to accommodate those who make its distribution possible. The same policy is enforced at the local store where No Semi Parking signs are everywhere and are anything but welcoming for drivers who need a break. Whether motivated by hospitality or safety reasons, it seems like a simple thing to allow overnight parking for those who make deliveries to the business.
The circle of stakeholders who merit concern expands beyond direct employees and shareholders. Consider whose work makes your organization’s work possible — and find ways to accommodate them instead of alienating them with your practices.
