California Allows Food Trucks to Sell at Rest Areas Statewide During Coronavirus

The California Department of Transportation, better known as Caltrans, has approved public rest areas statewide for use as food truck vending lots. The move is meant to help provide warm meals for necessary travelers, particularly truck drivers crisscrossing the state, while also offering a new way for impacted food vendors to make some much-needed money, says Fox LA.

California executive order N-52-20, signed by governor Gavin Newsom, says that “Caltrans is authorized to develop and implement a process to issue and administer temporary permits allowing commercially licensed food truck vendors... to operate and sell food in designated safety roadside rest areas.” The easing of the restriction on commercial vending will last for 60 days, meaning vendors would only be allowed to sell through June 15. Any food truck vendors must also be in compliance with local and regional laws already in order to vend at specific rest stops.

Los Angeles proper does not have its own freeway rest stops, though several exist in surrounding counties like Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara. Rest areas are particularly important in more rural California counties, where truckers and other drivers rely on them more heavily for basics like food and bathrooms. Anyone interested in applying for a rest area vending permit can do so at the Caltrans website.

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