CDOT adopts emergency rules allowing food trucks to obtain permits to serve customers at highway rest areas

The Colorado Department of Transportation issued emergency rules establishing a process for food truck operators to obtain permits to serve food at highway rest areas. Commercial motor carriers moving critical freight and goods across the country are lacking many of their usual options for food service throughout the country, including in Colorado.

"This action helps ensure the availability of freshly-prepared food to commercial truck drivers while simultaneously providing additional economic opportunities to food truck operators,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “These food truck operators are mainly owners of small businesses, which are being hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Participating food truck vendors will - like businesses across Colorado - need to comply fully with all social distancing requirements pursuant to Governor Polis’ ‘Safer at Home’ Executive Order to protect the health and safety of themselves and freight operators."

Governor Polis issued an executive order on May 2 to suspend a section of state statute and allow food trucks to operate at Colorado’s rest areas.

 “As Coloradans continue to take precautions including wearing masks and staying home, we are all grateful for the hard work of Colorado’s truckers, who are working hard to ensure that our supply chain runs smoothly and our grocery shelves are stocked. In addition to expressing thanks to truckers, we are taking action and removing barriers and regulations that get in the way of our truckers having access to freshly made meals,” said Gov. Polis. “This action will help Colorado’s truckers have access to fresh and affordable meals on the road and help our small food truck businesses continue to support themselves in a way that also supports our critical supply chain needs and our community. I encourage food truck operators to help truckers who are helping all of us by getting out to Colorado’s rest stops.”

The initial rest areas available for food truck service will be at the following sites: 

• Colorado City
• Cortez (Sleeping Ute)
• Edwards
• El Moro Trinidad
• Rifle Rest Area
• Shaw Creek (South Fork)
• Sterling
• Wiggins