INDIANAPOLIS -- Since the pandemic forced many restaurants to shut down in mid-March, truckers have found it hard to find a place to eat.
Now drivers are catching a break. The state will allow licensed food trucks to operate at highway rest stops on a temporary basis.
According to the Indiana Department of transportation, the program will provide needed options for truck drivers, many of whom are reporting limited availability of food and beverages options near highways.
INDOT will allow food trucks to open at interstate rest areas and welcome centers. On a first-come, first-served basis, the state will issue two permits for food trucks to operate between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Permits will be valid until canceled by INDOT or the national federal emergency status is lifted.
Interested applicants should review the “Indiana Rest Area and Welcome Center Temporary Permit Application for Food Truck Service” document available at https://www.in.gov/indot/restareas.htm [lnks.gd] or INDOT's COVID-19 response webpage at https://www.in.gov/indot/4037.htm [lnks.gd].
Only complete applications will be considered. All submitted applications must include:
1) Proof of a current liability insurance policy;
2) A valid operating registration, license or permit from the Indiana State Department of Health, a local health department, or other valid issuing authority as required under IC 16-42-1-6 and 410 IAC 7-24-107; and
3) Proof of Registration and good standing with the Office of the Indiana Secretary of State.
