Why Are There SO MANY Trucks on I-81 in Virginia? | What Virginia is Doing About It 

The problem with tolls is that even if the tolls are a stop gap measure to pay for the widening of I 81, tolls never go away. Years after the project is completed tolls are still going to be there. Once a revenue stream is established governments will never do away with a source of income.

As to why there is so much truck traffic, I-81 is the most direct route for traffic from upstate New York and Pennsylvania to points in the southern plains and the southwest out to California via I-40. It's only a bonus that the corridor avoids major cities.

What I HATE most is when one truck tries FOR MILES to pass another truck, both going below the speed limit!

I’m a student at James Madison and walk back and forth across 81 several times per day. I can’t tell you how many times traffic grinds to a halt because of a tractor trailer accident, or how many close calls I’ve been in myself while driving on the road! I think WV’s approach in Martinsburg of 6 lanes with the left being car only would really help, there’s just too much traffic crammed onto those 4 lanes and cars and trucks really need a little separation from each other, but nothing as big and drastic as the 8 lane proposal

I travel between Pennsylvania and Texas so I use 81 weekly as a truck driver. Not only does I 81 need widening it also needs more truck parking as well.

I drove I-81 in Virginia for the first time a few weeks ago. First, I was impressed with the beauty of the countryside. Second the good condition of the roadway itself. Third, the volume of traffic (yup, lotsa trucks.) and finally, how well it moved. I had to bypass a backup southbound but the detour was not too difficult or time consuming. I understand the challenge and agree planners must look ahead. It’s way above my pay grade.

Before I watch, I imagine it's because of all the traffic trying to avoid East Coast metros on I-95, as well as people trying to avoid traffic through Atlanta and the big 3 North Carolina metros on I-85. You could extend this further south, along I-40, I-75, and I-24 in Tennessee until you reach I-59 outside Chattanooga, then pretty much to New Orleans. It's all the old US Hwy 11 corridor.

I live in Roanoke. I-81 is a beautiful highway and all the expansions they’ve done on it have been relatively pain free for most of us. Seeing as the stretch of 81 through salem and Roanoke is the busiest, not a day goes by where there isn’t traffic backed up. I’m glad they’re fixing it, and the 3rd lane honestly makes getting off at the 581 exit much easier than it used to be

Hey Milage Mike, I'm a truck driver from Memphis and I've been driving I-81 for about 5 years now running dedicated freight to Philadelphia, Albany, NY, Harrisburg, PA and back. I-81 has to be the most nerve racking interstate I've ever driven and I drove trucks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its frustrating to see infrastructure planned solutions being abandoned for financial or political reasons. This same thing happened with Tennessee's proposal to build a toll road around Nashville on I-40 which is another garbage interstate with massive traffic. The residents voted against any tolling in the state and now they can deal with our slow governed trucks clogging up the roads and delaying food, fuel, and fun. Ohio and Kentucky really has a winning formula.

I don't think the tolls would've been a good idea, and I think the incremental improvements are probably a slightly better approach. Although I do believe I-81 needs to be widened to at least six lanes from Strasburg, VA all the way to I-78 in Pennsylvania. I-81 isn't just truck heavy in Virginia, I can personally attest it's equally as truck heavy in West Virginia and Maryland too.

I am 65 yrs old and I grew up in NJ. Since I can remember, the 2 fastest ways from North Jersey to South jersey was some combination of the NJ Turnpike and/or Garden State parkway. I remember my Dad saying both were supposed to be paid off in about 20 yrs and then they would remove the Toll booths. They are still there.

Just on I81 today and I drive a truck. Had to deliver mulch to a landscaping company in Winchester. Love the interstate but hate the weight station, and was happy it was closed today. Stay safe everyone!!

I am someone who has travelled most of the length of I-81 yearly for 55 years. First 30 years I lived in Upstate NY and traveled to Florida to see relatives yearly. Then moved to Atlanta and go north to Upstate NY to see friends and relatives, travelling I-85N to I-77N to I-81N all the way to Binghamton, NY. The truck traffic has gotten worse every year. The worst is through VA until you get to I-80 in PA. What I do notice is that the truckers themselves make the traffic worse, especially in VA. That is not just me saying this, but also trucker friends of mine too. I-81 in VA is mostly rolling hills. Traffic backs up because one trucker will decide to pull out and pass another truck going downhill and won't get passed that truck. Then uphill will stay side by side and lose ground. Then try and get passed the same truck on the next downhill, and again not make it, as traffic backs up behind both. I have gotten behind trucks doing this countless times. One time it lasted for nearly 25 miles and I could not even see the end of the traffic backed up behind us. If truckers in VA would follow better highway etiquette, like they do in most other states I've travelled, it would make a difference in the traffic issues. I don't know what it is about VA truckers, but they seem to be the biggest jerks of any state I've driven in. And many trucker friends of mine agree.

They DID raise gas taxes on the counties/cities that I-81 goes thru back in 2019, plus a few 'extras', 7.6 cents a gallon, and it adjusts for inflation.

Nowhere near as bad as 1-95. The worst part of traffic in Virginia is between Fredericksburg and DC

In the past I've lived in several different areas of the I-81 corridor in Virginia. This video was a bit of an eye opener for me because I'm so used to all the trucks, I thought the amount of trucks on I-81 was average! Honestly I love driving on I-81 most of the time, but those times where you get stuck in miles of traffic due to a wreck really suck. I remember one time a 6 hour drive home took almost 9 hours due to a really bad wreck in Botetourt county. The traffic was rerouted to route 11 and my wife and I ended up in a really run down gas station with a bathroom in a literal closet. Not a fun experience! XD

I-81 is a good interstate, it's honestly one of my favorite ones next to I-85. You are right though, the reason that truckers use I-81 alot is because of other interstates being crowded like I-95. It's also that I-81 connects to other big states like Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and even Tennessee. In Danville where Iive, when you head down US-58 towards South Boston, Norfolk, etc. There's a great amount of semis that I have noticed heading to and from those cities. So yeah, there are plenty of truckers on interstates

We could use the 70B we've sent to Ukraine to improve our highways without tolls!

As someone who does live in the I-81 corridor in Roanoke and worked as a firefighter( now retired) for Roanoke County. I know all too well the issues with truck traffic on I-81. A large number of accidents occur on the stretch in now being widened( and still do). I refuse to ride my Harley on 81 because of the traffic and the idiots out there. One caused me to wreck 3 months after I retired by brake checking me. I have seen what happens when trucks tailgate each other and one stops short due to traffic slowdowns. Or change lanes and don't look to see if there is a car beside them before they do. No one living here wanted tolls to pay for improvements when VDOT and the General Assembly didn't hesitate to spend money on widening 95 and 64 in NoVa and Tidewater. So at least there is SOME money being spent on widening 81 now and hopefully it will continue and widening will continue. We just need drivers to be more observant when changing lanes, and not speeding up to trucks then slowing down to a crawl to pass said trucks, THAT will cut down on the amount of wrecks we have.

Excellent piece! I drive I-81 from North Carolina to New York and thanks to the trucks I never feel lonely. This problem, like so many, has grown out of the basic cowardice of our political leadership. The courage to do something unpopular is as rare among politicians as it is among "ordinary" human beings.

Very well done. One addition: Norfolk Southern's previous management had started a project of upgrading their route from Harrisburg to Memphis. Several sections in the middle are barely above branch line status. It currently takes too long and too many operating crews to get a train over the road to be competitive. Current management is now focused on squeezing every dime until it bleeds. It is not "the" answer but part of a larger solution.

Best Solution put the freight on a train it's fuel efficient and trains can carry more freight than trucks. I-81 actually parallels part of the Norfolk Southern crescent corridor a fast way to transport freight between the north and south

For those who aren't familiar with it, the Virginia Inland Port is a road/rail intermodal container transfer facility. There are many similar intermodal facilities located throughout the nation. Some are huge, some are small. This one is in the middle.

I-81 is a trucker's alternative to I-95, I-85, and I-64 to name a few

Canadian truckers love the highway to get south...most of our carriers go north south (us Canadians) and 81 along with 75 and 95 are our three routes but 81 is the least interrupted by large metros. 75 has Cincinnati and Detroit, and then Chattanooga and Atlanta. 95 is just too busy. 81 is just awesome

I don’t mind tolls in general as long as the money is used as it’s supposed to be. In other words keep up with the maintenance and debt service. A lot of states start using toll money as a fund for other things.

Rte. 11 is often used during backups on 81. Dottie's in Fairfield, VA has clean bathroom and big parking lot. Exit 200 in VA.

Some good info here. We travel 81 somewhat regularly from NJ to Charlotte (just moved to SC back in the Spring). I do everything I can to avoid anything related to 95. And the tolls piece of it is huge. I think the tolls would cost me about $30 each way. Instead I take 78 in NJ to PA and then out to 81 all the way to 77 down to SC. There is certainly a good amount of traffic but coming from North Jersey and being so close to NYC I think I have always been used to truck traffic. The drive for us in VA on 81 is usually enjoyable with the scenery and certain places we enjoy stopping. And that whole 77 tolling trainwreck is something for sure.

Great video! I'm a truck driver myself and only attempt to run 81 at night. Unfortunately congress just passed the trillion dollar infrastructure bill and lane additions are specifically left out. Toll roads are abhorrent. You basically take a federally built and funded road and make the locals pay again. Florida and Texas build new roads with the tolls then drop the toll once paid for. The federal government gives no funds unlike the interstate system

I've never had issues with I-81 to begin with. My family moved to North Carolina years ago, but most of our relatives are still up in the NYC area. Swinging out onto I-81 to stay the hell away from the coast became our preferred route heading north, so I've driven a large portion of it's northern length many times now. It became preferred because to be frank its a way nicer drive with consistently FAR less congestion then alternative options that hug the coast more. At least in the northern stretch of it we drive there are really only a handful of areas where it passes near a few larger (though still in the grand scheme of things fairly small) urban centers, but even their the congesting usually isn't too great. To honest for me at least I've never really had issues with it or see much need for improvement. I actually kind of prefer it's smaller scale, ultimately traffic finds a way to fill however many lanes you give it anyway, so adding more lanes probably wouldn't actually change much long term. Maybe it's way different for people that use certain stretches every day, but as someone who semi-regularly drives half a dozen hours along a bunch of it I don't really see a super pressing need for expansion over most of it's length, a few targeted projects near the urban centers maybe, Roanoke as mentioned in this video would be one such example, but I'd seriously dispute assertions that it needs to be three, let alone four lanes over it's entire length. I also think the bitching about not being able to pass trucks at times is pretty stupid, those trucks are usually pretty much doing the posted speed limit (if not a bit higher much of the time) so once you cut the crap people complaining about being 'blocked' by them are in most cases basically complaining about being unable to speed effectively.

Miss being on I-81 .. it has a lot of beautiful scenic views of the mountains and Appalachian region

As a trucker, I appreciate this video. A couple things about tolling 81. There are so many tolls in the eastern US. It costs over 300 dollars in tolls on the PA turnpike for trucks with annual increases expected for at least 14 more years. It has led to many of us seeking alternate routes. Tolls are how these kinds of roads get clogged. There are so many truck stops both of corporate and private ownership. Tolls could really hurt their business. Take for example the truck stop at exit 205. That is almost a tourist attraction for trucks and they are improving it to be even better. Also with the interstates that are concurrent in spots (64 and 77) would those be tolled as well? I'm not sure how I would answer these questions since I'm not an engineer, but I am against tolling it.

I love that company’s idea of 8 lanes. How that can work is: As soon as you get to Virginia from either side, the road should be extended to 8 lanes 1 mile outside state lines before entering Virginia. Then split the roads as Left Passenger Cars only & buses & Right as Trucks & Commercial Vehicles only; or vice versa. Then, put a 5’ barrier (2 of them) to divide the 2 roads, and for exits, the center 4 could be center exits, or Pull a “New Jersey” and make a Flyover for central lanes to the right exit.

What slows down 81 mostly and causes a lot of accidents is the interaction between trucks and four-wheelers on grades if they could just add an extra truck lane on majority of the grades and more signage and warnings for Bank turns I'm sure it would free up some congestion the other biggest problem is the professional driver is mostly dead so unless you can fix driving habits from poorly trained unprofessional semi truck drivers I don't think you're going to lessen the amount of accidents on 81...

Another fantastic piece. Thank you, Mike.

I81 needed another 4 lanes 20 years ago, with a few climbing lanes. Tolling only one type of vehicle won't work, Rhode Island just got told to take their truck-only tolls down.

I live in Salem Va which sits directly beside I - 81. Its always been a problem for us here and most locals avoid it completely. Minor road work will cause traffic to be backed up for miles. Even worse if there is a wreck. The GPS will reroute the tractor trailers through town and that in turn causes all the roads in Salem to get backed up. Mostly because those big trucks cant fit on some of the roads in town. Basically suffocating the local traffic. I seriously hope they expand it soon it seems like it gets more crowded every day!

The bridge crossing the New River is being replaced. A 3 year project approaching year 5 with only 2 lanes complete thus far. The fact they're replacing two 50 year old 2 lane bridges with two brand new 2 lane bridges shows they have no plans to expand.

Thanks Mike for the info

Love the maps you used. I especially like the Norfolk Southern mainline map.

Being from Maryland I-81 in Hagerstown is still just 2 lanes each direction and has become a major issue for the local area, I-70 in Maryland between Hagerstown through Frederick is arguably worse. What's funny is West Virginia is the one that has already widened the majority of it's I-81 and never has problems on that stretch. The other thing with 81 is that even though these ain't large cities there still is several smaller cities like Roanoke, Harrisonburg, and Winchester that should all had their sections of 81 widened years ago, but we just keep letting that cost to fix it increase

A lot of corporations have the Northeast warehouses in Eastern PA (Harrisburg, Allentown/Bethlehem, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and their Southeast warehouses largely in the Atlanta metro area. I-81 helps link those two regions.

Easy to see how 81 is so popular. It conveniently bypasses all of the major east coast cities.

I’m just glad my road bound traveling daze are behind. With a history of MA-Fl Trips. Of which only the first couple were over the entire Rt 95 corridor. That was until I had to fly down to FL with my Dad to go get his beloved 78 Lincoln Town Car, back in 1984, after he took sick and Mom and Dad were forced to fly home in MA, from their small retirement place in S. FL. That’s when my Dad showed me the most preferred way north from the Sarasota area. Up Rt 75, making our way to Chattanooga then Rt 81, all the way up to Rt 78 in PA, then making our way to the old Tappanzee Bridge, then into N. E. That took us around almost all the tolls.

Trucks use I-81 to avoid I-95.

Drove it many times to JMU in my college days.

Drove 81 about 4 years ago as a detour around 95. It was the year the hurricane came up the coast and parked itself over the Carolinas and 95 was closed the entire length of NC and up to Florence in SC. Didn't realize how high we were until we got off onto 77 heading towards Charlotte and started seeing the truck runoff areas for if their brakes failed as well as the heavy fog area warning signs. We hit the heaviest fog bank I've ever driven through, literally could barely see the front of the car, luckily it only lasted a couple of miles but holy shit was my butt puckered the entire time.

I love I-81. Beautiful drive.

Just a note: The Shenandoah is east of I-81. Where I-81 does cross the Shenandoah, specifically the North Branch of the Shenandoah, it's only a minor stream. The major river crossings in Virginia are the James River and the New River. The Maury River (at Lexington), despite being only a moderate stream was a major crossing only because of the awkward approaches.

a few years ago i saw an article that said where I 81 & I 70 intersect, 2/3rds of the US population can be reached in 3 days.this explains all the warehouses popping up everywhere from chambersburg pa, to winchester, va. which I 81 goes right past the edge of both towns.therefore I 81 WILL be a HUGE part of this trucking/shipping area.the trucks MUST take I 81 to access other routes to their destination.

I don't live in VA, but 81 is a great detour around 40 through the mountains around Asheville, NC (via 26).

Usually I-81 flows very well, but when it stops, oh boy does it stop. I'm a JMU student so my campus is cut in half by the road, and I've seen many insane parking-lot-esque backups on that road

Excellent research and presentation!! It should be noted that AMTRAK has extended its NORTHEAST REGIONAL service to Roanoke, and, in summer 2022, upgraded to two Roanoke-Boston round trip trains daily.

Talking about I-81, how come there isn't a direct interchange between I-81 and I-76 in PA? You have to get off and get on some state road with traffic lights to get on the other highway. Super annoying.

Great video! I am a touring musician based out of Roanoke, Virginia, I’ve been on nearly every highway in the country and interstate 81 and interstate 95 are my two least favorite. Mostly because of all the accidents, usually from truck traffic. We played a gig in Harrisburg PA last night, and on the drive back, I thought I’d look up some facts about 81. Very interesting! I’ve always been a firm believer in freight being transported via trains, and then short haul trucking from train depots. Next time you’re in Roanoke, let me buy you a cup of coffee! Take care.

More videos like this man!

They have widened a few small sections in Rockbridge County which is a long uphill grade and have a new plan to do the same in Northern Augusta and Southern Rockingham counties which will help. The two major issues are even in those widened areas trucks will move over to the left lane which they are not supposed to do because there seems to be No enforcement of the law. That alone sort of kills the idea behind the third lane. The second issue is when there is an accident and traffic exits I81 say on to Rt. 11 which parallels much of I81 the local Sheriff Depts or State Patrol makes NO effort to help with the traffic flow. They just ignore the problem and it quickly becomes gridlock. The Weyers Cave area in Augusta County is a prime example of that where the lights there are just not able to handle any increased flow of traffic and it is a nightmare. Considering there is RT. 11 there could be improvements made to that for traffic flow during emergencies which would make such events less of a strain. Bottom line is they need to widen the darn thing for the long term solution but when you leave such things up to politicians you are pretty much screwed.

I like the plan too of widening I-81 to 8 lanes with car lanes only and truck lanes only. Plus diverting untold percentage of freight to rail. Too bad that won’t happen. -Central Florida roadgeek who hasn’t driven I-81

I drove on I-81 last week Lots of trucks and construction. Especially south of Roanoke, Virginia. I drove it from Knoxville to Scranton

I use I81 to see my daughter in VA Tech from Fairfax. I love the bottlenecks near I64 and I81

I've been on almost the entire strech. It's annoying waiting behind a truck to go around. I think the southernmost portion and the I-77 concurrency are wider, though.

I am 45 years old, and as a teenager my father and I used to travel to northern VA from FL and back picking up new RV trailers. Sadly, the road looks JUST the same as it did in the 90's.... and THAT is the problem. If you look at I-95 and I-75 - both interstates have been largely expanded to 3 lanes in each direction, rather than I-81's 2 lane standard. I-81 MUST be widened to allow for this massive expansion in traffic.

This is a really insightful, well researched documentary. Having driven I-81 a number of times and experienced the heavy volume of tractor trailers, I agree steps need to be taken to separate car and trucks... just like they do on the NJTP.

I served as a paramedic in the exact location you traveled and videoed at the beginning. I have put so many people in body bags and have dealt with some horrific injuries on I-81. This stretch of interstate is backed up just about every day due to accidents.

It serves the Eastern seaboard. I take 81 to DC, Baltimore, Norfolk, etc. I drive a semi but refuse to go into the northeast. I’ve always said my cut off is east of 81. I take a lot of freight from Michigan and Texas to the East but you’re completely right. 81 is always busy and I drive at night to avoid traffic especially around Roanoke. Still beats 95 every time. I refuse to take that interstate.

NO TOLLS! We pay enough taxes to pay for another lane.

I drive 81 every single day from Inwood, WV to Winchester, VA for work. I’m only on the road for approx. 20min but it can be insanely frustrating traveling down that stretch of 81. It goes to 3 lanes up in Martinsburg, WV and feels so much smoother. I wish most of it could be that way.

As someone who has logged thousands of miles on I-81 on two wheels and four wheels (sometimes more) I can tell you the absolute answer to the problems on I-81 (just like most highways where this is a similar issue) is easily solved by TWO improvements. Number one is the expensive part but stop delaying the inevitable and build a third lane. Left lane for vehicles under 26,000 lbs that can maintain the speeds and NO BUSES!! Funding for this type of improvement is already in place with the revenue already being generated. Like charity donations, only pennies on the dollar make it to fund what you think. STOP padding pockets of legislators, STOP overpaying huge construction companies for these projects (and you know they are padding pockets too) and set a timeline for construction phases to be completed or daily fines to the construction company for the delays. Number two has much lower costs as number one but also generates revenue without the needs of taxes or tolls. MORE Law Enforcement. Instead of sitting there in the median only wanting to chase down those who speeds fall into "Reckless Driving" I suggest non-stop patrolling. Pull over trucks that are taking miles to pass another. Pull over the tailgaters. Pull over the left lane hogs backing up traffic. Virginia already has the law against '"Traveling in the left lane" and need to ENFORCE it. More cops, more tickets, more revenue that goes to the local county that the ticket was wrote in. Thus the local governments can PAY more towards I-81 improvements.

I've driven I 81 my whole life because I used to live way too close to it. I mostly did it in a car but I also drove it in a truck. My parents had a new home built less than a 100 yards from it and I hated it Because of the truck noise. Sure am glad I live in Myrtle beach SC now with no highway noise of any kind only 2 blocks from the beach 🇺🇸🏖😎🌊🌞🏝

What is sad about I-81 is there were numerous studies done decades ago that concluded I-81 should be at a minimum of three lanes going in both directions. No one would listen or even talk about going forward back then. Now it is to the point where it should be four lanes going in both directions. VA Tech was just one College that did a study to recommend that. The Government always talks about Infrastructure yet never does a darn thing until it is 20 or 30 years to late!!!

Been driving on 81 since 1971 going to Tech and back, visiting friends, re-enactments, and as alternate route to Miami at 77....

John Grisham, in his novel Gray Mountain, calls it a "stampede of trucks" on I-81. Perfect phrase!

I once read a description of I-81 "a line on a map highway that mostly exists to get traffic off I-95." I used to live near it in northern Pennsylvania. There's also a nasty stretch in Pennsylvania south of I-80 where dense fog periodically severely limits visibility and regularly leads to pileups.

I'm guessing interstate 81 is a busy interstate highway in Virginia

I 81 is also an excellent diagonal route for NE to SW which you touched on a bit. Also check out Smiley’s Truck Stop and their brisket sandwich.

Great information. Thanks for this video. I'm constantly arguing against people who really don't understand the significance and vitalness of the highways and interstates to our economy. It's the same people that completely downplay the importance of trucks and the roads so they can make emotionally based arguments for more rail and public transportation in cities. I roll my eyes. It's so silly and ridiculous. Anyway, I spent a summer in Carlisle, Pa. where I-81 and I-76 interchange. That was a really busy truck stop. I used to drive I-81 from Florida to Virginia and back over many summers. The Shenandoah Valley is one of my favorite places in the US. However, these days when I road trip I no longer drive on the interstates unless I need to make time. I really enjoy the backroads.

I'm from Tennessee, and I've noticed that the traffic on I-81 in Virginia seems so much higher than the stretch in Tennessee, even between Bristol and Roanoke. Which is a surprise, considering that Tennessee is more centrally located and has similar problems with truck traffic on pretty much all of its interstates. In fact, you should do a video about why there is so much truck traffic in Tennessee, especially Chattanooga, which has worse traffic than probably most metro areas three or four times its size.

Hello 👋 Mike!! Great video my friend and thanks for sharing your ideas about the I-81 improvement project to help alleviate the truck traffic . I-95 through NC is in desperate need of a major overhaul by adding an extra lane on the north and southbound lanes would help tremendously. I know that’s the problem on I-81,but what are your thoughts on the problem on I-95 in North Carolina as it too has heavy truck traffic ? Would it benefit by adding an extra lane on the north and southbound sides through NC? Hope a logical solution can soon be found . As a former engineer, what are your ideas for the I-81 problem ? Take care and I’d really love for you to do a video on the I-95 NC truck problem?

we refer to "micro-passing" as a "governors' race" also, when the big river bridge were refurbished, they were widened to 4 lanes each way; the capacity is just being used

My wife and I used to travel I-81 from Maryland to Oklahoma regularly. I even learned how to leapfrog with the truck drivers as we made our way through the mountainous areas (she thought I was playing some weird game of "chicken," but after I explained it, she calmed down). My chief complaint was that the 81 stretch was long and tedious, so I once took a northern route through Western MD, WV, OH, etc., just to be different. I went back to I-81 during the next trip.

I just drove back from the west from I40 to I70. In Virginia there's a bit of revenue enhandsment, so I set my cruise just about on the limit. I saw a frustrated diver do a brake check on an 18 wheeler over truck not passing me in left lane. He didn't get hit but was a bit scary. The need for a 3rd later is needed. The Problem is there will be a Pruis doing the speed limit in the left lane, guarantee it.

Honestly they should improve I95 instead of focusing on I81. I have driven all of I81 and while the trucks are annoying it's no where near as bad as dealing with I95

Great reporting Mike! Yes I-81 is a mess. I traveled it for 28 years and witnessed it's growth. You visually can't see the enormous amount of trucks until there is a wreck or backup. As everything slows down, it looks more like an intermodal freight train than a highway. But I must say I greatly appreciate those truck drivers because they keep the economy moving. God Bless You and be safe out there. Thank you for the great videos! 👍

As to why there is so much truck traffic, I-81 is the most direct route for traffic to/from the southern plains and the southwest out to southern California via I-40, from/to the major northeastern cities, and it forms a "super-bypass" of those cities with Interstate segments forming spurs to those cities (I-64 Richmond and Norfolk, I-66 Washington, I-70 Baltimore, I-76 Philadelphia, I-78 New York, I-80 North Jersey and New York, I-84 Hartford, I-90 Boston). I-81 is not just a Virginia problem, these traffic problems and need for widening is for the entire section between I-40 in Tennessee to at least I-78 in Pennsylvania.

Also keep in mind that I-77 & I81 run together from Wytheville to Ft Chiswell. Only place I know where you can go North & South at the same time :-) (81N & 77S)

Considering that I 81 is a truck route, why is there's hardly any truck stops in Virginia on 81?

As a professional truck driver with about 3,000,000 miles driven, the biggest issue is people that hang out in the left lane of 81. Even if it were 3 lanes, a car only lane does not solve the problem, because we then get people hanging out in the middle lane, i.e. that truck fast lane and we cant get around anyone, because we are restricted from the left lane. No restrictions on lanes usage, but heavy enforcement on lane loitering will solve the problem... It always does. If I am traveling west from VA, I take 64 through WV. Yes, its more hills, but very little traffic.

I have notice this for 370 miles down I-81 when driving to Dollywood from northern Virginia.

I'm willing to bet that 90% of incidents and backups are not the truckers fault.

If trucks don't deliver it, you don't get it. If you want to eat and drink, then depend on trucks!! Truckers get a bad rap and most are safe conscientious drivers like myself. 35 years now and over 3 million miles...

As a frequent truck driver of I-81. I work out of Richmond, VA so most of the time I go west I travel through there. Lot of OH loads.

Other major trucking routes that need to be widened are. Number 1. Interstate 5 in California between the SR 99 interchange and Redding. From the 99 split to the 580 split, 8 lanes, 4 each way. From the 580 split to the 205 split, 6 lanes, 3 each way. From the 205 split up to the north 99 split, 8 lanes with the sections through Stockton and Sacramento being 10 lanes, 8 general purpose and 2, 1 for each side, express lanes. Then from the north 99 split to Redding, 6 lanes, 3 each way. Number 2. Interstate 15 between the Nevada state border and Hesperia. From Hesperia to Barstow, 8 lanes, 4 each way, with the southbound lanes having an additional lane at 2 sections going uphill. Then from Barstow to the Nevada state lane, 6 lanes, 3 each way with some mountainous sections being 8 lanes. The section between Barstow and the Nevada state line is in dire need of being done, so much so that even the mayor of Las Vegas is trying to get California to widen its section of I-15. Number 3. Interstate 10 between Yucaipa and Tucson. 8 lanes from Yucaipa to the top of the Chiriaco Summit. Then 6 lanes from there to Tucson.

RVers use 81 as well to avoid tolls on 95

Just build a train bro🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

they did increase gas taxes on those facilities near the I81 corridor and I81 exits by 10 cents gallon. where 64 mergers in Staunton to where I66 merges near Winchester, there's always delays and slow traffic between those 2 points

I've hauled many back haul loads North bound on Sunday afternoon,you gotta be on game...its ruthless.

The interstate highway system was designed/intended for defense purposes and supply chain not primarily for public traffic, therefore the problem is caused by public traffic NOT the trucks. Any/all tolls assessed against commercial traffic is/will be ultimately paid by end users/consumers of the goods carried on tolled highways.

Don’t let the car-haters find this video; they’ll swarm the comments repeating the words “induced demand” like a mantra, claiming that “you can’t fix traffic by adding more lanes, bro!”

It’s because the truckers literally will drive 50 miles per hour or below in the passing lane and they do this all the way from Northeast Tennessee to Pennsylvania near Harrisburg - Allentown region when finally the road widens a little bit. It’s especially bad on I-81 near Roanoke and Salem and causes jams there all the time.

I've been driving on the entire length of I-81 every summer for the last three years. I love the views and the general flow of traffic in my experience is pretty good. You will encounter the ocassional traffic build up due to the semis inability to pass another semi. It was always somewhat obvious me (I have an engineering background in Materials Science) that a 4 lane system (both ways) would be a semi-good solution to help the flow of traffic. 2 lanes dedicated for semis and 2 lanes dedicated for non-semis along long stretches. This can change as exits come in with clear signage to let drivers know when the semi/non-semi rule is transistioning. They can also implement variable speed limits for these transistions as needed. Overall, I love I-81 and it is my very part of the drive on my way up to Maryland from Texas. Much love to the truckers putting in the work to keep this country going!