Truck driver fined after stopping tractor‑trailer on Germany’s A96

A 54‑year‑old truck driver stopped his articulated vehicle on the shoulder of the A96 near Weißensberg in the Lindau district after exceeding his allowed driving time. Police discovered the unmanned truck on Friday evening, escorted the driver to the nearest rest area and said he faces a fine for illegal parking on the motorway. The case highlights a chronic shortage of designated parking spots for heavy‑goods vehicles on German highways—estimates suggest about 20,000 missing spaces—and recalls earlier accidents caused by trucks parked on hard‑shoulders, such as a fatal motorcycle crash on the A8 near Augsburg in March, as reported by the ADAC.