No Truck Stop's
 

I have heard and read of several truck drivers who say they dont stay at truck stops. Ware do you all stop the ? rest areas ?

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

a lot of guys will stay in rest areas or they will stay at the shippers or receivers if they have room. You will also see guys sleeping on on ramps. their are also some places that have truck parking. some hotels and a few restaurants have room for a few trucks. most strip clubs and adult book stores off the interstate have truck parking.

I tried to stay out of truck stops when I drove away from home. It was just easier that way.

I think rest areas are alot cleaner than the truck stops any way and alot quiter.

A cool spot is to park right in front of the entrance gate to the consignee. You don't have to worry about setting your alarm clock because they will have to wake you up to open the gate. And you will be at the head of the group, if other trucks arrive during the night.

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

That makes sense from a business stand point.


:lol:

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

Stop???? Who's got time to stop???

:wink: :lol:

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

If you don't go to a truckstop, where will you get a shower?

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

Who showers? :lol:

Depends on the truck stops. T/A's are the worse IMHO. But that doesnt mean the rest are stellar in comparison either. Usually the best are the mom & pop truck stops a couple miles off the Interstate. They generally get only local traffic and rarely fill up.

Depending on the state, I'll stay at rest areas but some rest areas are so small that if you dont get in by 5 or 6pm it could get difficult manuevering through them as some selfish drivers feel that the "NO PARKING" areas dont apply to them.

I have never stayed on a ramp to an interstate and the only guys that do are the ones who have run out of hours for the day, add to that its dangerous and in some states illegal.

I have stayed at some shipper/receivers but they have gotten wise and put no parking signs all through their property or signs that say "NO TRUCK PARKING".

Indian casinos have lots of room. It'll only cost ya couple hundred too! :lol: :lol:

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

Lately, Ive been bathing in the truck with soap, water, and a rag but thats because I cant find a truck stop with a fluoride/chlorine water filter. :/

As for truck stops; Ive been regional for a while so Im home every weekend, so I do my best to stop at the receiver for the nite to maximize my time the next day. Whichever is more convenient is where I stop, whether it be a truckstop, rest area, or an offramp.

My favs are the rest areas though, especially the ones in FL, GA, and some in AL.

Don't plan on stopping anywhere near West Memphis! I thought I'd shut down there one night. There were no parking spots at ANY of the truck stops.

I continued west. No space at the rest areas.

I finally shut down on an onramp an hour later. I use onramps as a last resort.

Re: No Truck Stop's
 

[quote="Rob_0126"]Lately, Ive been bathing in the truck with soap, water, and a rag but thats because I cant find a truck stop with a fluoride/chlorine water filter. :/

You can buy a 5 gallon shower bag at Wal-Mart that's solar heated for about $5.
I got mine for Civil War reenactments (did use a bucket of hot water in the tent) but plan on using it for the road.I figure I can hang it on the back of the cab and at night take into the truck and with a bucket to clean up or if it's nice out and secluded shower on the side of the rig.

I once had a drop in New Jersey that I was advised to park in the mall parking lot across the street (it was legal) and park towards the street. In the early AM I'd see why. I got there around 6pm and shut down for the night. About 4AM somebody came banging at the door. It was the reciever collecting paperwork and assigning door numbers. Sure enough, the whole parking lot was filled with trucks! Since I was at the front, I got assigned a door the first round. 8)

When I commit to a load, I plan my trip. I try to estimate how far I will be able to go before needing to stop for the night. It helps me to set a goal. For instance, I pick up a load and set a goal to reach a certain point before stopping for the night. Once I start driving, I know about how long it should take to reach my goal. Since I know where I will be stopping, I also know about parking facilities in that area. I keep a truck stop directory in my trucks. Before I get to a location, I can check to see what is available in that area. I don't like to sleep on entrance ramps. Planning helps.

When I commit to a load, I plan my trip. I try to estimate....Planning helps.

I agree. I TRIED to do that. Most of the time it works out. I planned on stopping in West Memphis. Who'da thunk it was so packed!!

I spent yesterday at the T/A at exit 10 off of I-4 in Tampa. I arrived around 11am and the place was already full, and stayed that way all through the night. Around 5am it started emptying again.

After I picked up my load, I had to return to the same T/A to scale my load. Again, it was around 11-11:30am. Guess what - full again.

At least on *most* occasions, even in the cities, you can pretty much plan that if you're in the truckstop by 4-5pm, there'll be parking available.

Some of the "untraditional" places I've stopped to turn in for the night have been unexpectantly great. Such as an entirely vacant dirt parking lot outside a small restaurant near Rumford, Maine, or the equally vacant truckstop in Jasper, Missouri. You sometimes forget what it's like not to park and sleep next to a reefer unit or an idling truck.

Some of these places have turned god-awful. Particularly the mom and pop truckstops that have gone out of business several years prior and yet continue to be listed in exit / truckstop guides, such as the Citgo truckstop in Blythesville, Arkansas. Sometimes trying to avoid West Memphis can only make matters worse.

At least with the big chain T/S's I know what to expect, and my expectations are typically low for such places.

I would park at the receivers if i can, but most of the time at a Good Truck stop if I can. Rest areas I seen all across the USA has a 2 Hour limits so stoping at them has been out of the question except for a fast pit stop. Yes I seen truckers stay longer, but does not mean they are legally in doing so. Side of the road? Only once and when I woke up I was getting on the bypass around Indianaplis, IN. SO no more ramp parking for me.

I realize that sometimes the load dictates that hours that you run, but as a general rule I try to start my day aroung 12 to 2 am, and finish by the afternoon. You can almost always find ample parking in truck stops during that part of the day. Also makes for a lot less stressful driving since there's little traffic on the road at night. I prefer Petro's because most of them have plenty of parking and I know what to expect. Also a lot of TA's with plenty of parking. I try to steer away from Love's and Pilot's as much as possible but there are exceptions, being the Bosselman pilots and the new Love's at Rolla, MO and KY I-24 xt 28 I believe. I keep a list of good truck stops and rests areas I come across. There are some great rest areas out there but also some where I've tried to pull out early in the morning and had to go over the curb to clear the truck on my left side. Good rule of thumb is to get the last spot at the end of the rest area if you can, that way when you pull out you don't have to worry about something on your left. There are also truck stops I avoid at all cost. The crappiest worst truck stop there is must be the TA on the loop in Atlanta. Talk about a parking nightmare. I always use the Petro when spending the night in Atlanta.

:twisted: find a lot lizard who can drive. threaten her with death if she stops w/o awakening you. keep her loaded on crack when you are driving. 24/7 rolling wheels. paid as a team. free sex. sell her in any major city when she becomes a bother :twisted: so why stop? why shower? why eat? forget logs just do it :twisted: otherwise stop wherever it is safe, shower when you fuel, eat when you need to and log what you drive :D

problem solved! :lol:

Don tbe afraid to git off the damn big road driver! Find a service exit, drive a mile or 2sleep in a gas station lot(they'll wake and usually offer coffee when its wakey wakey time!)
Dang! Drivers been doing this job since ol' Shep was a pup and new ones cant figure how to get off the interstate.
Common sense cousins. It prevails everytime!

Company yard/terminal, tank wash facility (tanker specific), scalehouses, rest areas, parking areas,. A truckstop is the last choice of parking for me personally.

About the only state I recall ever enforcing those parking limits is Virginia. Here in NM the only law regarding time limits at rest stops states that you cannot be there for more than a 24 consecutive hour period.

you drive in some of these rest stops in washington you have a hard time getting out the way these people park their trucks

Most rest areas with the exception of the very small rest areas dont chase drivers out after 2 hours. They'll chase car drivers out after 2 hours though.

As far as lot lizards go, I deal with them in my own special way. A shot to the face with 25ft Hornet Spray seems to do the trick. Something about nerve damage, just makes them go elsewhere.

Though I have thought of expanding my attack to the Jesus thumpers who come to the door, I havent done it yet, but I'm thinking of putting a big sticker on the door with a picture of satan.

The satan pic will make them even more determined to save your soul.Just put some religious symbol like a cross or a star of David to deter them.

I slept on an on ramp once and will never do it again. it was 3 in the morning and I was eastbound on I-84 in NY I stopped at the TA at x-5 I believe (my planned stop) and there was no parking anywhere!! I couldn't sleep I was worried about the truck tipping over and every time a car or truck went by I was afraid I would get hit! I think that was my 3rd load solo and I will never forget that lousy trip planning!!!

Have you ever gotten a ticket for being on the ramp though? Besides the risk of another sleepy driver or wide load coming by and the shoulders being not so strong on some places............isn't there also something about parking on the on/off ramps for extended amounts of time? I know we've done it before too....would take a chance and park it before taking a chance driving it too tired and know it's not always easy to find an empty parking spot, you can plan and plan yourself to pieces and no guarantee that plan will work out when you get to it..........

Try parking at the flying j across the street. I was there a while back and it was noon. no place to park. I went across the street to the T/A nightmare also. Thats one of the reason I hated the road. Parking is a nightmare out there.

Heres a few other pain in the butt places to try and get a spot at.

Pilot I-95 Port wentowth GA exit 109
Pilot I-95 Milford CT Exit 40
Flying J I-75 San Antonio FL exit 285?
How bout pilots in Carlsile Pa or Bordentown NJ

One spot you will always find a parking spot is the Flying J in Latta Sc on I-95 exit 181. I dont care when you go in there. Always a parking spot mon - sun anytime.

I Hate that one!!!! Parking is terrible and fueling even worse!

Gotta give that a try!!!
But then again, even with that one, they'll still try to recruit you into their religion, whatever the hell it is.

NO TRUCKSTOPS! what next. just tell the evangelizers you got more jesus then they ever dreamed of so they should give you money

Had guy knockk on my door at 7am one time. He asked me "can I talk to you about Jesus?"

I said "No.........I havent had any coffee yet and Jesus would understand"

I seen the State Trooper in ever State waking Truckers guess you been lucky..

Tell Mr. State Trooper that he is violating federal law by interupting your mandatory 10 hr break and that if you are to move, that he must escort you to a safe area. We had a driver who got delayed for unloading at a WalMart by the time they finished unloading he was out of hours and refused to move the truck one inch unless they called the police and had him escorted to a safe area to park for his break. I tried it at a shipper in Alabama because it took them 6 hours and 3 weighs to get the load right and by the time we were done, I casually informed them that I'm spending the night at their dock because I was out of hours for the day.
Nothing they could do about it. I wont say it will work every time and you have a better chance of getting away with it if the shipper/receiver doesnt know anything about the 14hr rule and they have no authority to look at your logbooks, neither do local cops. Its a sneaky way to get a place to stay the night. I hold no liability if you try this and it goes terribly wrong. :wink:

There are states that are starting or escalating campaigns to "ensure the safety of the public." i.e. step up enforcement.

A couple of months back (I posted this I believe) I watched three of Virgina's finest block an exit ramp full of parked trucks. Officer #1 started from the back and woke the driver up to inform him that some of his/her pay will be going to the fine state of Virgina. As #1 proceeded down the line Officer #3 kept a vigilant watch for drivers suddenly realizing what is happening, and proceeded to stop and ticket the individual. Officer #2 manged traffic around the trucks while Virginia's finest were hard at work. At least 5 trucks got tickets.

I have been noticing such operations in Tennessee and Utah.

Parking on a ramp in Utah is ridiculous because there are soooo many places to park.

First, I ran a 8.75 hour regimen. So if things got dicey and a safe place to park was not found by say 9 hours .. I had 2 more hours to find a safe place to park. I tried to always plan to be somewhere safe by at most 10 hours.

I got to say that GMAN provided the best advice on this thread (as he always does)

I am not a big fan of truck stops either ....