showers

[backster]

Just had a question as to the availability of good showers when OTR. Once I start driving, my wife will probably ride along alot of the time. Are showers on the road easy to find or what do you normally do?

[Rev.Vassago]

Just had a question as to the availability of good showers when OTR. Once I start driving, my wife will probably ride along alot of the time. Are showers on the road easy to find or what do you normally do?

Darn near every truckstop has showers. As far as "good" showers, you are better off getting a hotel room.

[street_95]

im new out on the road, but i have found the showers to be not to bad cleanliness wise and not much of a wait.
generally i use pilots and petros t/s.
do have some shower shoes though.

[choperbob]

ohio turnpike has good clean showers free at restareas. most larger truckstops have clean showers. my lady, who is picky, has no problem getting a shower everyday if she wants.

[Crete_drvr]

you are better off getting a hotel room.

Yeah that's both affordable and practical

Just stick to the major chain truck stops, Pilot, flying hook and Petro. Dont forget your flip-flops.

[Crackaces]

you are better off getting a hotel room.

Yeah that's both affordable and practical

Just stick to the major chain truck stops, Pilot, flying hook and Petro. Dont forget your flip-flops.

Not to be contrarian, but many small independents have great services and you are treated quite well.

Ranch Hand, Montpelier ID
Scoggens, Dubois ID
Pioneer Village, Halsey OR. (BTW You get a hotel room for 10 bucks to shower in here!)

AM Best has some really good truck stops like I90 stop in Mitchell SD and Garden of Eden in Eden ID. My point being is that independents sometimes offer better and more services than the big guys. I support mom and pop shops because that is all they have to offer.

Personally I hate Pilot and especially hate Loves. The company I work for just signed a long term fuel contract so I will be using these franchises but ......

I know of no Pilot with adequate room to wait for a shower. You sort of find room to hang out in the fast food restaurant or the store until your number is called. If you are called and do not get to the desk promptly (like 2 minutes) .. you are put back into line. I have found a trend of a number of under-trained help trying to manage complicated computer systems that are constantly are broken. Parking sucks at many Pilots with inadequate number of spaces and room to get into those spaces. Every horror story I have experienced started with "There I was at a Pilot" (OK Loves too ..)

Now from a previous life I have 1M (1,000,000) Hilton Points so I can and do occasionally rent a Hampton Inn room when I can to shower. How affordable and practical is this!?!

[Rev.Vassago]

you are better off getting a hotel room.

Yeah that's both affordable and practical

Affordable? Yes, it can be. The last hotel I stayed in (a Howard Johnson's), cost me $28 a night with my Check Inn card. Well worth the money to get out of the truck for a few days.

Practical? Why not? Many major hotel chains have truck parking.

I suppose for the Crete driver, though you are too busy running your butt off for a pittance, that you have no time for hotels, and can't afford it anyway.

[BigDawg]

Wife and i stopped at a T/A in Ohio to fuel and take showers my shower was clean and descent for a T/S however the wife's shower was a different story she went in got ready to hop in stopped and saw human feces all over the stall.

Wife went to fuel desk and told the woman about it, woman all but called her a liar she told her that shower had just been cleaned and was good to use well wife invited her to go look for herself and she did attendant about fell over couldn't believe it, wife asked her would she like to take a shower in there well no.So we left and wife took one on the Ohio T/P

[choperbob]

8) ok i guess that anyplace open to the public is bound to have jerks use it. rule of thumb, if place is run down and trash is everywhere, lot lizards crawling in and out of trucks, whell don't drink the water. other hand, if facilities seem well kept, service is friendly, and everything seems well stocked and clean well take your chances that a jerk didn't use it before you. but then that shirt you tried on at walmart, how do you know that a chanker infested syphletic ridden leper didn't try it on before you? i don't live a real safe life and won't die safely' i live well and hope to die well!

[Rev.Vassago]

but then that shirt you tried on at walmart, how do you know that a chanker infested syphletic ridden leper didn't try it on before you?

That's why I shop at K-Mart.

[choperbob]

not me i just go to the shirt trees and pick the 1 that is ripe at med. / lg. arty: drawers is hard to pick tho, to green a rash, to ripe a rash.

[Big John]

Make sure you wear flip flops while in the shower, don't go bear footed!

Far as feces in the shower, I have been at a couple of truckstops waiting for a shower and the cleaning person has came out pissed because some trucker ***** in the shower. Then they want to know why we are treated the way we are.

[Crete_drvr]

I suppose for the Crete driver, though you are too busy running your butt off for a pittance, that you have no time for hotels, and can't afford it anyway.

pittance? My check last week was $1258, I ran 2997 paid miles, I suppose if you consider that running your butt off

Yeah I'm sure you make more money then me, you wanna cookie? I don't think $60K a year is too shabby for someone with 1 year experience.

You dont tell people what your truck payments and insurance premiums are do you? That might work with someone with zero knowledge of how the industry works but not me, son.

All I do is run down the road without a care in the world and collect my check on friday.

And whats the percentage of hotels/motels that have truck parking? Not very high.

I don't have $28 to throw away when I can shower at a (albeit crappy) Pilot for free.

[Rev.Vassago]

I suppose for the Crete driver, though you are too busy running your butt off for a pittance, that you have no time for hotels, and can't afford it anyway.

pittance? My check last week was $1258, I ran 2997 paid miles,

I wasn't aware that Crete started out drivers at $0.42 + per mile.

2997 paid miles = about 3300-3400 actual miles.

I suppose if you consider that running your butt off

Yes I do.

Yeah I'm sure you make more money then me, you wanna cookie?

Oatmeal, please - Crunchy, not chewy.

I don't think $60K a year is too shabby for someone with 1 year experience.

$60K per year on a trucker's calculator = about $40K a year on a real caclulator.

$60,000 per year / $1258 = about 48 weeks a year on the road.

Since the 1st of January, I've had 11 weeks off, and I'll get another 4 weeks off in December. And I'll clear more than $60,000.

You dont tell people what your truck payments and insurance premiums are do you?

Sure I do. I've done it several times on this forum. Truck payment is $2558, insurance runs about $700 per month for everything but my medical and dental (something I bet you don't have).

That might work with someone with zero knowledge of how the industry works but not me, son.

1 year makes you a rookie.

All I do is run down the road without a care in the world and collect my check on friday.

Oh yay - another "professional" without a care in the world.

And whats the percentage of hotels/motels that have truck parking? Not very high.

You would be surprised at how many do.

I don't have $28 to throw away when I can shower at a (albeit crappy) Pilot for free.

But I thought you were sitting high and mighty, earning $60K per year? I'll gladly take a hotel shower over a truckstop shower any day, but the shower I love the best is the one at home.

[yoopr]

after being on the Road for awhile you'll know where to stop and where Not to Stop.
Some showers at Good truck stops are Spotless and Clean.

[backster]

Thanks for all the replies. not real sure i'm excited about fungus covered floors, but i guess i can take one for the team everynow and then.

[brian]

terrible herbst' truck stop in nevada is immaculate, I80 can have its spotless moments, flying hook in denver is usually pretty good, if theres a petro around ya they`ll usually be the cleanest out of the big 4, I never stop in pilot or TA though.


and you and your wife can each claim 52$ a day living expenses on your taxes, stay in a hotel and have the accountant write it off.

[Rev.Vassago]

and you and your wife can each claim 52$ a day living expenses on your taxes, stay in a hotel and have the accountant write it off.

Actually, the $52 a day is for meals. Hotels are a write off completely seperate of that $52 a day.

[Crete_drvr]

LOL 15 weeks off a year, I'm sure.

$2,558 x 15 weeks = $38,370

plus insurance 4 months at $700 is $2800

total: $41,170 that you have to come up with out of your pocket, but I suppose thats pocket change to you huh?

I think people can see right through your BS. The difference between what you and I post is: I post the truth.

No I don't think that I'm living high and mighty at $60k a year. I left an office job making $70K a year to do this. I have a good chunk of change in the bank and could buy your pete outright. But I dont have to prove anything to you or anyone else on this board. Don't think for one minute that my lack of driving experience makes me naive. I did my homework before I left my secure office job to do this. I've spoke to many many o/o's because I have been considering buying a truck and doing it myself (hauling cars) and it's about 50/50. The guys who make it are business savvy, they're good with their money, they dont waste money on chrome, big radios and lot lizards. They eat out of a cooler, hardly ever at a 'barfay'

You brag because you have more experience than me? Oh well, I'm gonna sit tight until I can swing a union LTL job and be home every night. I suppose you came out of the womb (or test tube) holding a steering wheel. :idea: I aspire to acheive more in life but find truck driving satisfying enough to stick with it.

What I meant by not having a care in the world is, I don't have to worry about truck payments, insurance premiums, my truck breaking down, someone taking off my hood at a truck stop while I sleep, or a tire blowing. That statement had nothing to do with the motoring public around me.

[Rev.Vassago]

LOL 15 weeks off a year, I'm sure.

$2,558 x 15 weeks = $38,370

You really have a comprehension problem, don't you?

$2558 PER MONTH

There is NOWHERE in this business where someone would have a truck payment of $2558 per week. Your research is lacking, apparently.

I think people can see right through your BS. The difference between what you and I post is: I post the truth.

Yeah, right.

No I don't think that I'm living high and mighty at $60k a year. I left an office job making $70K a year to do this. I have a good chunk of change in the bank and could buy your pete outright.

Sure you could. Uh huh.

But I dont have to prove anything to you or anyone else on this board. Don't think for one minute that my lack of driving experience makes me naive. I did my homework before I left my secure office job to do this. I've spoke to many many o/o's because I have been considering buying a truck and doing it myself (hauling cars) and it's about 50/50. The guys who make it are business savvy, they're good with their money, they dont waste money on chrome, big radios and lot lizards. They eat out of a cooler, hardly ever at a 'barfay'

I better get a pair of waders. It's getting pretty deep in here.

You brag because you have more experience than me? Oh well, I'm gonna sit tight until I can swing a union LTL job and be home every night. I suppose you came out of the womb (or test tube) holding a steering wheel. :idea:

Nope. This is nothing more than a job. I could leave the business tomorrow, and not miss it. I'm not married to my job.

What I meant by not having a care in the world is, I don't have to worry about truck payments, insurance premiums, my truck breaking down, someone taking off my hood at a truck stop while I sleep, or a tire blowing. That statement had nothing to do with the motoring public around me.

Truck payments and insurance payments are nothing, if the job can warrant them.

You have the same worries as a company driver as everyone else does regarding break downs, accidents, and tires blowing - they stop you from earning. If you were as "business savvy" as you claim to be, you would already know this.