Do you have a favorite truck stop?

express1man · Jan 26, 2008

What is your favorite place to layover? Pilot, TA, Flying J or ?

Does the truck stop have all you need and provide a value to you in the business that you are in? I don't know about anyone else, but after spending hours on the road I like a clean place and all of the services I need to be in one place.

*Shower
*Tripak
*Food
*Money Transfer
*Decent fuel price
*Friendly faces
*No hassles
*Bottom Line, to save money

First thing first. I hate going to truck stops owned or operated by non-Americans. My reasons are this: It seems that these stops are not really customer friendly and by this I mean, place is usually run down, not very clean, products been on the shevles forever, coffee has been on for hours and hours and they get upset if you ask them to make a fresh pot but they are happy to charge you full price for old burnt coffee and last but not least, the fuel prices are some of the highest.

I have 2 favorite truck stops that I layover at. They take my ComData card, they have Tripak which are the two most important things I need to get paid on time. Plus both places offer a driver's reward program that can save me a bundle. They also always have fresh coffee (which is always my petpeev), decent cheap restuarants, and clean workable showers.

First choice pick: Pilot Travel Centers - At the Pilot, I get points for every gallon of fuel I purchase, I get free showers and free food. Also they take my ComData card which gives me cash fuel rates at the pump, plus a 5 cent rebate on every gallon on top of that. $10 showers for free. This is a big time savings right here and depending on the location, most are very clean and have all the services that I need.

Second choice pick: Love's Travel Centers - Everything that Pilot has except for the fuel rebate.

TA - Like an old tired out truck stop. Would not be my first pick for anything. If that was the only place for miles I would use them to park for the night. Not much else. Always as I have seen always 10 cents higher on fuel price. Bad for the bottom line. Oh! They do have one plus, they have Tripak.

Flying J - Been there a few times but they don't except ComData. Seems pretty decent but the people at the locations I have been to is very rude.

Moot · Jan 26, 2008

I don't have a favorite because none seem to offer everything I want.

Flying J: Large, van friendly parking lots. Usually have trees on the perimeter and some on island within the lot. Nice for shade. But no Floscan or Trippak Scanning. Tasteless coffee and if the gas pump island has paper towels then the wash buckets are bone dry or there is no squeegee.

TA: Most are former Union 76's and have changed little in 25 years. They have Tripak and Transflo scanning but gone are the sleeping rooms and big orange ball.

Pilot: Have scanning and good coffee.

Petro: Scanning services are in the fuel building. Clean showers and restrooms.

Road Ranger: Bad coffee, some have small lots for cars. Most have scanning.

If I could build the perfect truck stop to suit my needs it would have the parking lot of a J, the coffee of a Pilot or Kwik Trip, the cleanliness and amenities of most Petros, scanning and the food of the old mom and pop independents.

Kinda like building the perfect truck. Borrow a little from each.

terryandrene · Jan 26, 2008

There are plenty of exceptionally clean truckstops owned by non-Americans; they are owned by Canadians.

express1man · Jan 26, 2008

A Kwik Trip. I Take It You Must Be From The Wisconsin Area? Nice Place, I Live Up There And Yes Kwik Trip Is A Nice Place.

arkjarhead · Jan 26, 2008

My favorite truckstop out of all of them is Iowa 80 truckstop in walcott, iowa. I love going into that place. I like Petro about the best out of all the bigger chains.

Flying J would have to be on the bottom of my list. The main reason was when I drove the fuel cards I had were never accepted at the J. So I figured if they didn't want to take my money for fuel I wouldn't give it to them for anything else. I had a good time at a FLying J once in California. It was Thanksgiving. I think it was near German,CA. South of Bakersfield. We had a good time in the driver's lounge watching football and visiting like we were all good friends, but we didn't know each other from Adam.

Turtle · Jan 26, 2008

Flying J doesn't take Comdata because of the years-long legal battle they have had with each other. Comdata wants Flying J to install Comdata's card readers (Comdata owns nearly 90% of the card reader market), and Flying J wants Comdata to accept, and properly process, the Flying J Fleet Cards. For the most part, Flying J keeps coming out on top, as judges continue to rule in their favor. But every time Comdata is told to comply with this or that, they reinterpret the decision in their own way, squiggling through some legal language loophole, and ends up not really complying at all. Sooo, back to court. It all has to do with how the cards get processed, which financial institutions process them, where the fees go, and how much they are, and what information is processed (fleet vehicle, purchase information, etc.) and at what point in the process different things about the card get processed.
Like, truck # or items purchased gets processed, but depending where in the order of processing it gets recorded, it may or may not get recorded so a fleet manager can see what's going on with the trucks. Also, fuel and in-store purchased being processed differently, often by different financial institutions, making it impossible to process a fleet transaction as a fleet transaction, and not as a regular debit card transaction. It's a real mess. Fascinating, but utterly boring at the same time.

I don't drink coffee, so that's not a factor. I drive a van with a small fuel tank, so the fuel cash discounts don't even cover the Comdata transaction fee, so that's not a factor. I have a fridge/freezer/microwave that I usually eat out of, so the truck stop food isn't much of a factor. I scan at whatever truck stop I happen to pass by that does scanning, and I park at the J, because of the lot, the better internet access, and the fact that, even while driving a van, they give me free showers, where none of the others will.

My favorite, though, is old and run down, a little on the skuzzy side, not particularly clean, not quiet, no place to park (for a van, anyway), not in a good part of town nestled in amongst truck dealers and repair shops and stockyards. They do have good food. Actually, they have great food. They have a bakery with fresh baked goods. They have steaks fresh from the stockyards next door. The service is great, the prices are low, and the people-watching is worth twice the price of admission.

Stockmen's Truck Stop in South St. Paul, MN.

Crazynuff · Jan 26, 2008

terryandrene said:
There are plenty of exceptionally clean truckstops owned by non-Americans; they are owned by Canadians.

And what Continent is Canada on ????

Doggie Daddy · Jan 26, 2008

Crazynuff said:
And what Continent is Canada on ????

When I started reading this thread,I didn't realize there was going to be a quiz.DD.

cheri1122 · Jan 26, 2008

Danny's Big Rig Resort (well, they do have palm trees

) in Phoenix is a great one, because you can get your truck washed, oil changed & service done, shower, and do laundry, all in one place, which is a real timesaver.
Elsewhere, I like Pilot, because the coffee is worth getting up for, and the Driver Payback points are a nice little bonus. You can use them as cash in the TravelCenter, and nearly all of the (sadly, fast) food places as well. I'm trying to save mine for a year, then splurge!

arkjarhead · Jan 26, 2008

I knew a guy that saved up his driver payback points then used them to buy Christmas presents from the truck stop with. I saved mine and then when the wife would ride with me I had them for the extra money I would spend that week or so on her. I always liked a place where I could stop and do everything I needed to at one spot and then get back on the road.

Crazynuff · Jan 27, 2008

arkjarhead said:
I knew a guy that saved up his driver payback points then used them to buy Christmas presents from the truck stop with. I saved mine and then when the wife would ride with me I had them for the extra money I would spend that week or so on her. I always liked a place where I could stop and do everything I needed to at one spot and then get back on the road.

I saw a letter in Pilot's "Challenge " magazine where a driver requested that Pilot put in packaging services so he could ship things he bought at the Pilots . Has he ever considered shopping online ? Flying J has an e-store . ( But they don't take Pilot Payback cards )