That TA, you might as well hang it up all day long. I have asked the folks there why they dont buy some land to build a bigger lot because of the traffic. Seems the dealership bought all that land and such, far as I can remember what they said.

I tell yah, they would do a whole lot more business if they could double or triple the lot size. I DREAD going to that TA, but we do have loads in Tampa area, heading north.

And about parking on offramps, I do my best to avoid that scenario. I have done it at times, but most of the time, it was out in the middle of nowhere like Hwy78 just NW of Birmingham.(when will they ever finish that road?!)

I usually plan by estimating where I will be when I shut down, then figuring what truckstops are a sure bet for parking. Which is why I hate going thru virginia up I-81.

 

I fueled up there the other day and I saw a Crete recruiting office right where you enter. I thought that was a smart place to put a recruiting office. If I had time I would have went in and talked with them myself.

How about the truck stops that charge, do you guys ever pay these places?

That Petro charged as a matter of fact. Last night I was in Rhode Island and pulled in the truck stop, a local one, on exit 5B on 95 and they wanted me to pay so I left. I know if you get fuel you don't have to but I didn't need fuel.

 

I stayed at that rhode island stop last week....I just plain flat out didnt have anywhere else to go and payed....made me mad but I had to. That was the first time i have paid to park since i have been driving..i steer clear of those rip off little places anytime I can.

 

Reading through these posts makes me soooo glad I'm local now!

 

I hate the big U.S. chain truckstops (flying J, petro, TA etc) I will only ever go to these places as a last resort for anything, I think they have the worst food, worst service and all the lowlifes seem to be attracted to these places. I usually sleep at the customer, most of my customers are repeat customers so I know I can sleep at most of the places. I also have a few secret places I like to sleep. There are only a handful of smaller truckstops that I will actually stop at to eat or shower. I think the big ones just rip off drivers and I don't like to suppport these places

When I am running in Canada, I know of a few spots to pull off the road to sleep since in some places of the country truck stops are few and far in between, and we don't have very many big truckstops like in the US, but the ones we do have seem to be smaller and friendlier.

I only stop long enough to get some sleep and then get up and get going again, I have never in my life spent 10 hrs in a truck stop, if I took 10 hrs off everyday I would never get my deliveries done and I would never get home, I just want to get my weeks work done and get my a$$ home, I have no desire to hang around a truck stop for half a day, all that wasted time sitting around is time I could be spending at home.

I usually stay away from rest areas because some of them are so tight that I am afraid of someone taking my front end off my truck, and I really don't like the idea that in some parts of the US they don't even allow you to park more than a few hours, I think this is bulls**t. There are not enough places to park as it is

I also think it is bulls**t that some truckstops actually make you pay to park, just proves that these places are just out to rip off the truckdrivers, they already charge too much for their crap food and everything else. The rip off Petro in Atlanta comes to mind, they now charge 10 bucks. it must a pretty bad area since the whole place is fenced in with razor wire.

 

I use that trick too. At the VW dealrship on Country Club and Baseline in Gilbert, AZ. They have you park in the Costco parking lot to unload. Well these guys to don't like accepting cars before 9am.......well when I'm there at 7am blocking their gate and not allowing the service writers and mechanics to park the cars.

 

Lol, does that Truck Stop ever have parking. The rest area just west of it isn't any better. I swung as wide as I could, my tandems sucked all the way foward and I still taped the trlr next to me, the only time I've ever made contact with another truck. After me and the other trucker checked to make sure there was no damage, he pulled fwd so i could get pulled in. I hate rest areas and truck stops in NY.

 

I only park on exit ramps if I'm going to be off the ramp b4 sunrise. Most places seem to be ok for you to be on the ramp late at night but when the sun rises is when they seem to wanna write tickets.

 

Had a friend try that in VA and they decided if he didn't get moving they would get DOT out there. Most of them haven't driven a truck and wouldn't understand.

 

amen to that, I usualy know about where I'm going to stop. Not an exact truck stop but a general area, then I look for the mom and pops truck stops near by and the rest areas. For instance I know I need to pickup in prtsmouth va tomarow and be in eadwardsville, ks 2 days later. I know I can be in loosville the first day, so I'll look for areas around there the next day I know I'll be at our terminal in Edwardsville