If you’re a Vermont local or have ever visited Vermont, you may have heard of an extremely scenic stretch of winding, narrow road that is officially called Scenic VT Route 108 By Vermont Agency of Transportation. Or, if it doesn’t sound familiar, you may know it by its more common name: Smugglers’ Notch.
Tractor-trailers and trucks simply cannot get through the narrow path here. It’s too winding, too tight, and not designed for such large vehicles. And yet, despite numerous signs (in both English and French), fines, statistics, local terminology (VATs call it “stuckage” every time a truck gets stuck, because it’s a thing that happens several times every season), people try it anyway.
Some blame this on faulty GPS programs that routed people; Others suggest that some drivers take it as a skill challenge rather than recognizing it as a reasonable physical limit for vehicles of a certain size. This has been a problem for years, and you can figure it out news article, reddit threadsAnd MoreAll basically “Yeah, some idiot from out of state got his truck stuck again, and this time it took over 3 hours to get them out.”
This has been a problem for a long time; Over the past decade, at least. The road becomes impassable in winter, to such an extent that it is actually only reliably open to traffic from approximately May to October each year. When the leaves are particularly twisted, it is incredibly beautiful, but it is also very narrow. It attracts many visitors from outside the state; Many people come in cars, maybe get out and travel on foot, and find it too A very pleasant motorcycle route.
As you can imagine, there are many people whose days are negatively affected when a truck gets stuck in Smugglers Notch. VAT and local authorities have used various tactics to prevent trucks from doing so; Everything from an increase in trucks to soft chicken has warned against this road over the past few seasons. And yet, at least a handful of trucks (and a few buses) still try it every year without failure.
Therefore, on June 16, 2026, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed a new bill Which passed the state legislature, making it a law that will take effect on July 1, 2026. Penalties for employers of truck operators who try to go through Smugglers’ Notch. about to go from $1,000 to $10,000.
Incidentally, that amount will be imposed irrespective of whether the said truck is stuck in the notch or not. If the truck also gets stuck, the fine for that offense is rising from just $2,000 to $20,000. No, this is not a typo error; It’s actually twenty thousand dollars.
For any employer of truck operators who violates this law two or more times within a three-year period, this penalty will be doubled. In other words, in a worst-case scenario, where some Dingus’ truck gets stuck twice within the next three years, they could have to pay over $60K in potential fines.
Or, you know, they could choose a different path and avoid the potential problem altogether. It’s all about choices, and making the best when possible. Also, do not completely ignore the warning signs on the road.
