Friday can't get here soon enough (trust me)
 

I did a good one this week. Made a mistake that I've never done, or even heard of anyone doing:

This past weekend (and the week prior) was spent prepping for my wife's family reunion, where we decided to do a huge chicken roast. Turns out that I'm the only guy in the family that's capable (well, willing is closer to the correct word) of doing any type of physical labor. The reunion always ends with a huge party on Saturday night where everyone (definitely myself) over-does the consumption of alcohol.

On Sunday, I was just flat-out exhausted. We were home by noon and in bed/asleep by 2. Woke up around 6 just long enough for dinner, then back to sleep.

Monday morning, I started back at WS Thomas. I normally pack my clothes up the night before I leave, but was too tired. So, early Monday morning I packed it. Well, most of it.

I flat out FORGOT to pack ANY socks and underwear, damnit!!!

Can you get that stuff on the road?

Not at any truck stop that I've seen.

I have seen underwear and socks at numerous truck stops. It's cheap stuff but it would get you by.

If you can't find them at a truck stop then you can always go to a Walmart or Dollar General. Both have underwear and socks. Dollar General would be less expensive, but they may not have sufficient parking nearby for your rig.

I've been past 1 Wal Mart since Monday and they ran me out of the parking lot as soon as I pulled in and set the brake (yes, I was at the far end of the lot, but didn't care). I should be home fairly early tomorrow and have been lucky enough to have enough shower tickets for a daily shower this week. Plus, the A/C works REALLY good in this truck.

I'm glad the A/C works really good. lol

When I pulled a trailer, if I was at a Walmart just to do some shopping, I'd pull into the loading dock area like I had business there. I'd park my truck way out of the way, and if I had any doubt about the situation I'd stick a very, very, very polite note on my driver's side window explaining that I was just picking up some supplies and I'd be leaving soon. I'd make sure to put my cell # on the note big and bold and of course make sure I had my phone with me.

Never had a problem. Never even got a call. When they know you're there spending money they tend to treat you better than if they think you're there freeloading. At least that was always my theory.

Btw, PA - I80 - exit 60 or 62 (the Clarion exit) is probably my favorite Walmart for shopping. They've got a truck parking area around back that you access from the side road. By the looks of it, they set it up that way because they want drivers to feel comfortable parking their truck there and spending some money.

I always made sure my stuff was packed for the next trip when I walked into the house. No matter how long I was home or what I was doing, my bag was packed and all I had to do when I left out again was grab it and go.

If I had to stop at a Wal-Mart, one of my favorite was in TN on I-24, a little way up from Chattanooga. There's an area of the Wal-Mart parking lot that trucks use, even for sleeping overnight, and I've never known anyone to say a thing about it. Although, I would stop, do my shopping, and leave within an hour.

I stopped at the one on I-66 in VA, just off of I-81 one day to get some allergy meds. This was pretty much an emergency stop since I could barely breath and my eyes were so itchy my vision was affected. The way their lot is set up, there's a large parking area set up way in the front of the store, far away from the entrance. That place has signs all over with "absolutely no truck parking". A rent-a-cop was at my door before I could even set the brakes. He told me that I couldn't park there, even though there was a tour bus and 3 or 4 large rv's towing trailers/cars in the same section. I told him what I was going in after and would be gone in 5 minutes. He told me I couldn't park there. I told him again, he told me again I couldn't park there. I set the brakes, shut down the truck and climbed out. He said he was going to call to have my truck towed as I was walking into the store.

I just wonder if he actually called for a tow truck since I was in/out of the store in under 5 minutes. If so, I wonder how much it cost the store (or Celadon).

Since that time, I try to avoid going to Wal Marts while I'm on the road. When I was with Celadon, the only time I'd go to Wal Mart on the road was when I was in Laredo and bobtail.

I can understand a store rousting drivers for sleeping in their lots - it's their property. But when they roust drivers for wanting to actually shop there, then leave, that's a completely different situation.

I had a similar thing happen years ago at a Cracker Barrel in North Carolina (the city name escapes me at the moment). I arrived for my pickup around 3pm. When I checked in, I found out that the shipper was having equipment issues and my load wouldn't be ready until the next morning. They said I could drop the trailer and bobtail to get some dinner and park there for the night, which I did. When I bobtailed out, I went to the Cracker Barrel. When I pulled in, there was 5, maybe 6 cars in the parking lot. I parked as far away from the front door as possible, way off in the corner. When I walked in, there was one other customer sitting in the restaurant.

I was seated, ordered my dinner, etc. They brought the food out and maybe 5 minutes into my eating, the manager walked up to me and asked if I was the truck driver parked in their lot. When I told him that I was, I was told that I had to get the truck off of their property. So I did - I got up from my dinner, walked out the door without paying and left their precious lot. When I got back to the shipper, I proceeded to call Cracker Barrels corporate office to complain, they explained to me that it's their policy that NO trucks are allowed on their property unless making a delivery. I've yet to step foot in a Cracker Barrel again.

You ain't missing much. They're overpriced for the tiny portions they give ya anyway. I had breakfast in one the other day and found myself wishing there had been a Bob Evans in town.