And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 90 Da

catshavestaff · Apr 1, 2007

Sooooo...we're sitting in the kajillionth nasty truckstop, ( I know, "kajillionth" is not a word, but it IS descriptive), and wondering where all you experienced drivers sit when you're waiting for a load offer or on layover for a Monday morning pickup? I've seen that some folks sit in the Wal-Mart parking lot, which is not much better in some locales...but where else?

x06col · Apr 1, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

Anywhere except a truck stop. ANYWHERE!! Is where I sit. Where exactly are you at? Could help getting some suggestions over the week end.

ATeam · Apr 1, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

Anywhere but most truck stops (a few are nice) 24 hour grocery stores with the manager's permission, 24 hour restaurants like Denny's or Perkins, Wal-Marts, rest areas. If you truck has a porta-poddy or a toilet built in, office parks are generally quiet and safe. Otherwise find a 24 hour gas station with bathrooms, drive to the office park to sleep and drive back to the bathrooms in the morning. If you truck is equipped with shore power, many RV parks will allow you in (idling and generator use is prohibited). They have showers and laundry. Sometimes shippers and consignees will give permission for you to stay there before a pickup and after a delivery. Hotels work too, but you have to pay to stay of course.

scottanhelen · Apr 1, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

We stay mostly at truck stops the larger chains are better, TA, Flying J Petero, and Pilot. Most you wont have any problems with if you do not get on the CB and cause them. If you do not have one yet I would get national truck stop directory (the truckers freind).

catshavestaff · Apr 1, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

Yes, we've been staying at the bigger chains, and sometimes they're o.k., but we've also started to try to pay attention to when rest areas are nearby. We're trying to learn to strike a balance between the fuel it takes to get off the beaten path and still stay with in the board radius, and also get fuel, showers, do laundry, etc. As the weather grows warmer, though, won't those big parking lots get pretty hot? Idling the truck to run the A/C is something I'm seeing on the big rigs, but they don't have to pay for their fuel, as far as I understand. We talked to a couple recently that said they stay at RV parks...but their the only ones we've heard say so. And how many RV parks keep you on the board? Hmmm.

LDB · Apr 1, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

I stay in the parking lot of different stores a fair amount of the time so I can restock the pantry etc. and usually find them closer to the cons than a truckstop. Often there are a few choices of places to eat nearby that are not available by the truckstops too.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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ATeam · Apr 2, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

We talked to a couple
>recently that said they stay at RV parks...but their the
>only ones we've heard say so. And how many RV parks keep
>you on the board? Hmmm.

I don't know much about Panther's board system so I can't say. I can say that we don't stay at RV parks when we are waiting for freight. We only go to RV parks to take a break or if we are already predispatched on a load with a couple days before the pickup.

cliffn · Apr 3, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

When I did my OTR training back in 1994 there was a time we stopped for a few hours at Cabela's in Sydney, Nebraska. I was really impressed by the fact that they had nice truck parking. That was my introduction to Cabela's which is now a huge supplier of all kinds of sporting goods.

Anyway, there are extremely nice Cabela's stores popping up all over the country and they all have HUGE parking lots for RV's, trailers and trucks.

If I am somewhere close to one of these, I will usually park there. As I am writing this, I am sitting at the one in Buda, TX just outside of Austin. We are picking up a load later today in this area.

I realize this will not help you everywhere you go but as I say, these are popping up all over the country and you can see a lot of great stuff at Cabela's. They have extremely clean facilities and a restaurant.

So, if you happen to be in a part of the country where there is one, give it a try.

You can find a wealth of information about them at Cabela's.com including their locations.

Hope this helps a little.

arkjarhead · Apr 3, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

Not only will the parking lot be hot this summer, but it will stink to.

nightcreacher · Apr 7, 2007

RE: And Still More Things to Learn in Your First 9

boy you straight truck guys have it made,try parking a tractor trailer in an rv lot,lol,I can name many more places i cant stop than i can,and I realize its from the guys that have thrown their trash in the lots,and its not always truck drivers,but we all get blamed.
i saw an RV guy dump trash out of his trailer,guess they just stopped to eat at a wal-mart,but like I said they dumped their trash right out the door,before they had a chance to leave,I was knocking on their door,and then almost got into fight,as he claimed he didnt do it,and as i told him,might not have been you,but it came out of your RV