Parking at a Truck Stop
 

OK so we all know that parking is at a premium nearly all over the country right? If you dont get in to certain truck stops by 4 in the afternoon you wont find a spot. Here is my pet peeve for this month!

Why is it, that some of you drivers cant ever seem to park straight in your spot? I mean its not that difficult to put your rig down the middle and not be parked right on the line so the next guy cant back in is it? I see this over and over when searching for a place to park, some dim witt parks so crooked that you cant back in next to him for fear that when he leaves he will take your mirrors with them. Dont they teach newbies how to back in to a tight spot in trucking school anymore?

I recently tried to back in to a very tight spot, on a corner when I realized that the driver next to me ( Swift Truck) was crooked enough to not allow my tractor enough room to swing in, and the guy acroos form the spot, parked on the corner did not back up far enough so his tractor was sticking out too far (Snieder). So after a few tries I simply gave up, circled back around and found a spot right across from the spot I was trying to get in to.

I was entertained by 6 more drivers trying to get in to that same spot, I finally got on the radio and confronted the Swift Driver for parking crooked, after much denial on his part, he did move his truck over, and finally someone got Snieder to move back and walla, another Swift driver finally got in there for the night. I mean my rant has a reason, if we all took the time to park in the center of our spots, back in all the way in to your spot, then maybe we can fit more trucks in !

I think there is a way to make some side money by offering back in services at truck stops for in -experienced drivers. I mean it would teach the new guys how to properly back in without all of the over steering I see them do, and it would keep other trucks from being backed in to and causing damage (I see this all the time too).:):cool:

What are your thoughts on this subject?

How can we, as drivers make an effort to make it better for everyone when it comes to parking?:confused:

maybe some arent as experienced as others? maybe when one pulled in the one next to him also wasnt straight? are you one of those drivers that give other ***** about not backing in to a door on the first shot?

It's not that we can't park straight. We just get a kick out watching people like you have a fit. :)


Just kidding, I agree completely. Not something I lose sleep over but it is annoying.

Truck Stop Parking Wars

In an Industry that has a high turnover rate it's not surprising to see lots of rookies all the time.

My rant is when you're pulling up to back in and some smart ass pulls into the spot before you can back up. That's why I avoid the big chain stops whenever possible.

That's a good point!

Jeez, how far are you pulling up?

I learned many years ago that truck stops are a magnet for trouble, especially when it comes to parking. I got out of the truck in 2004 and even back then parking was crazy. I have never understood how it is that so many trucks are able to shut down at night like they do. I mean what are the odds? I started trucking in 1991, and watched the industry change drastically over the next decade. So much so in fact I got disgusted with things and left. I saw a driver take a baseball bat out on another driver at the Flying J in Ft Smith Ark. I saw two drivers have it out on the fuel island fist to cuff in Lima, Oh. I had a driver at the Petro in Florence SC try to start a fight with me because someone gave him a hard time on the CB because he ran over a trash can while trying to park. I was sitting in my seat reading a book, just relaxing, the guy tried to back in the NO PARKING area in front of me several times. I watched him run over a trash can, lodging it between his tandems.
I went back to my book. Later he pulled out and left I watched him drag that trash can a good way and he left. About 5 mins later I was blinded by his spot light on his rig. He was pointing to his radio, I turned it on to hear him calling me all sorts of names. He thought I was the one who gave him a hard time over hitting the trash cans. It wasn't too long after that I decided I was done trucking. I mean when trouble finds you while your just sitting reading a book, I would say things are pretty bad.
So I feel your pain when it comes to parking and dealing with the unprofessional drivers these days. It does seem that the trouble makers, and hot heads out number the professionals doesn't it?

I've read several of your posts. I think you are an idiot, plain and simple!!

Doesn't matter when you've got someone like a PANTHER II straight truck that simply noses in behind you. I've had that happen a couple of times. Last time it happened, I started backing into the hole, and you should have seen him jump out of his truck to try to stop me. Told him that next time, I wasn't going to stop. I'd push him right out of the parking lot into the swamp. Then, pulled out and parked in another hole.

I've also seen one of those little "expedite" trucks get hit in the side when he was trying for the hole the truck was backing into. Bad news to try to sneak in on the driver's blind side. Knocked him into the fender and steer of a parked truck, and with all the drivers that saw it, it looked like he was going to get lynched.

I'm glad I'm not pissing any of you off, but don't let me find any of you parked in my reserved fuel island parking spot

If I don't have a truck on either side of me, I can't park straight to save my life. Same way in my car, if I pull into a parking lot that is empty I'm going to be all kinds of crooked. Ask me to thread the needle between some crooked trucks and I can do it one shot though.

I watched a lady try to back into a tire shop the other day, it's not an easy back in a semi at all on the narrow city street plus the parking lot out front is always packed with cars so you have to be careful cutting it short. She was in a daycab which should have made it real easy and a 45-48ft trailer but it took about 10 minutes to get in there with a spotter and some help. Instead of giggling and then complaining about it like you might do I went over and gave her some help. Told her to stop her current try, pull down the street an extra 30 or so feet and put the left rear of the trailer darn near touching the SUV in the parking lot as she backed in. Also told her to put her window down and actually stick her head out to get a better view than to keep leaning forward to look out the mirror. She then got hung as the left front drive came off the ground, told her to either lock the rears in if she could or pull back forward a hair then give it some more throttle to get over the dip.

If you see someone having some trouble offer to help instead of coming here to whine about it. Too many rookies are out there that simply aren't ready to be out there on their own. I've seen rookies who flat out confessed that they could not back and their company was ok with it because they would make sure they never had to back in..............yet here they were having to do a back in.

And add-on to yesterday's thought: Have you been to a local mall lately, or any shopping center with a parking area for that matter? If not then you should go check out some of the parking jobs that go on. I don't know how many times I've gone to pull into a spot only to realize the reason that it was left open is because 1 or both cars are on the line or cocked all funny in their spot when they may sideswipe you leaving. I just give a cackle knowing that I am better than they are at parking for the most part and move on down the line. It's not limited to truckers bud. It's a society thing so you might as well get used to it instead of letting your BP go thru the roof over something like this.

heh, i've done that more than once. if i swing, angle, and throw my flashers on, thats not your que to block me. so far they always get out of my way

Bwahahahahaha I love some of the comments! First off I dont get upset when truck drivers cant park straight in a hole, its just annoying thats all. Hell I expect it too with all the rookies out there, after all I am very entertained sitting in my cab watching rookies back in.

Milkman, I am glad you think Im an idiot, why with 18 years experience I guess your a better driver than me, and everyone is entitled to there opinion. Some feel the need to lash out at others usually because of jealousy or an inferiority complex, whichever your case is my friend I wish you well in your driving career.

Firebird, I have to be honest here, Yes I am one of the drivers who occasionally will give someone crap about there backing abilities if they are so bad they are going to hit another truck. But usually I mind my business and just laugh at there expense.

The night before last I stopped at the 201 exit on I-75 at the Flying -J in Georgia and found a spot to back in to, the only problem was the idiots that parked outside of spaces making there own spots at the end of a row and partially blocking my path in to the spot, but being the pro that I am, I still managed to get her in in one shot, a little crooked, but I did it and straightened out and got a good nights sleep.

Leaving a stop the other day at 5:00 am in the morning I find a truck parked in the street blocking me from exiting the plant. I did try my best to get out but my trailer was going to fall in a ditch, so I had no choice but to blow the air horns to wake up the jerk and get him to move. After the third time with the horns, he woke up and gave me the look, you know the one Im talking about and started bitchen to me on the cb for waken him up! I was like dude You cant park there in the first place! Its blocking the gate and exit to the plant what were you thinking? He shut right up and moved.

Here is another good one, I am pulling in to the TA truck stop in Nashville in downtown and a trucker is coming out the same entrance I am going in! I had to slam on the brakes, forcing my load to whip lash me good, I did not even say anything and he starts yelling at me for almost hitting him! I said you realize that YOU are coming out the wrong side, this is the entrance, his answer was he did not want to hit the last truck at the end of the line in the parking lot, translation is he was too lazy to turn his truck sharply to go out the exit, then threatened to come back and kick my butt! I was like bring it dude, I am on the scale waiting for you, he never did come back, I guess he was just another cb rambo. the things we have to put up with out there.

I always had to park just so.... or I'd have trouble sleeping, and have to get up and fix it.

you a car shark or something ,every comment has something to do with car sales

Nothing like a little spam in the morning

It's not really about skills, or experience.. It's about ignorance, and disrespect for everybody else, but himself....

I agree solo. I've seen drivers do some absolutely stupid things when parking... Angle parking, parking "outside" of lined spaces to the point that they block in 10 trucks, etc.

Lazyness is the key to crappy parking, park it where it stops is the motto of many drivers out there. I was in the TA yesturday at about 3 pm to take a shower and eat diner early, after observing the sheer nukmber of morons trying there best to park there and listening to all the negative crap on the cb, I decided to drive up to Chattanooga and stop at a Waffle House that has truck parking and have a peacefull nights sleep without worrying about being hit by a rookie!