Do you have a truck stop addiction

[CharlesD]

Many people have a truck stop addiction. How do you know if you have this problem? Here are some of the warning signs.

1. You will pay .10 more a gallon for fuel your truck gets lower mileage on to get a "free" shower.

2. You deliver a load in an area that your company gets a ton of freight out of and your dispatcher tells you that you're in a great area and to stay put. You proceed to deadhead 75 miles away to a worse freight area beacause "there's nowhere to park here".

3. You are in a great freight area and the local Wal Mart doesn't have a problem with you being there, but you deadhead 100 miles down the highway to a worse freight area so you can be near some other drivers to socialize with.

4. After doing 2 or 3, you complain that your company can't find you a load.

5. You think this thread is utter nonsense.

If you have any of those symptoms, you need to seek immediate help. Try these steps.

1. Look for these places called gas stations. Most of the time the fuel is cheaper, cheap enough to more than pay for that "free" shower.

2. Choose where to park based on where you get the best freight opportunities, even if that means parking at a Wal Mart, a shopping mall, a rest area, or wherever you can manage.

You can live without truck stops.

 

[shadow7663]

Good post!
I hate truck stops! The only time you will see me at one is for a shower or if its the closest place to park. I am pretty good at finding nice areas to park my straight truck. Never been kicked out of a spot yet! (knock on wood). Just use common sense and you will never have a problem.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Charles..right on the mark... I am hardly ever at a TS these days...Why? Besides maybe a shower...the paperwork can dropped in on the way by the next drop box...NOW I am getting the NEW 200 series of QC..it has in cab scanning...no more tripak! Even more reasons to avoid the TS's...I only go there to socialize with wayward puddy cat drivers for some free entertainment....

 

[Turtle]

I get 20, 30, even up to 50 cents off per gallon at TA truck stops because of my carrier discount. TA and Petro fuel tend to be on the higher end of the cetane range, so I get better fuel mileage when I fuel there, too. I like to park where I'm out of everybody's way, where I'm not bothering anybody, and nobody will bother me. Sometimes, believe it or not, that's a truck stop. I'll park at Walmart, Home Depot, wherever I need to, but seeing how I'm the only expediter on the planet who will admit to actually sitting more than 24 hours in one spot without deadheading to another spot to sit, if I'm going to be there more than a day or two then truck stops tend to work better than a Walmart or a Home Depot or a mall parking lot.

 

[jjoerger]

Truck stops are great.
You wake up in the morning and on your way to get breakfast you can enjoy the beautiful sound of trucks idling and smell the wonderful aroma of urine.
Then during the day you can watch the 53 foot demolition derby or be entertained by wheel polishers and panhandlers.
For evening entertainment there's the parking lot parade as drivers circle looking for a place to park and later there are the lot lizards knocking on your door.
If it were not for the big fuel discounts and showers and slave pumps and 14 foot high canopies we would probably stay somewhere else too.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Yeah, I get the purpose of truck stop, but it is sad when an owner op will forfeit the best loading opportunity around, just to sit with the herd. For big trucks it makes sense to fuel there, or even if you have a huge fuel discount. But I like to fuel and roll. Some places where I drop won't have a truck stop, so yes, I will find me a Wal mart or other shopping center. It's nice to have options.

 

[teamjdw]

Hi ,my name is Jeff,and i have a truck stop addiction.

 

[Ragman]

Hi ,my name is Jeff,and i have a truck stop addiction.

All together now - " HI JEFF"

 

[transporter]

i am guilty. i park out front so i havent seen a lizzard in years. and i like the false security of a truckstop. i sit in restaurant extreem amount of time for airconditioning and to plug in. oh and the wonderful buffet. maybe its me but i have not seen a noticible price difference in gas truckstop verses gas station.

 

[shadow7663]

i havent seen a lizzard in years. .

Even the few times I do use truck stops I have never saw a lizzard at one of them! However I seem to always be greeted by the pan handlers....

 

[transporter]

yes unfortunatly i do run into beggers but not just at truckstops. white guy in laredo gas station. and rest areas.

 

[CharlesD]

Yeah, I get the purpose of truck stop, but it is sad when an owner op will forfeit the best loading opportunity around, just to sit with the herd.

That is my point. I can't say how many times I've seen people deadhead out of a good area because there isn't a truck stop there. So you leave that good area and head to where the truck stop is, only to join all the other sheep who went to the same place. If you do that, don't complain to your dispatcher (especially if it's me) about a lack of good load opportunities from where you are.

 

[1CHINGON]

Charles

I believe that getting the good loads while saving $$$ are the keys in our business. What I do is to stay as close as possible to my delivery location, or drive closer to the freight areas. If there is a truck stop in the area, fine, I'll go there and even pay for the shower if not a TA. Why pay? Because at the last TA I have filled the tanks up with plenty of go-go juice. But even if there isn't any truckstops around, so what? There are plenty of places to park legally. But hey, let each do it as they know best. I'll try to take a load or two while they sit at their truckstops.

 

[Dakota]

I agree Charles. My work takes me off the highways, so I see alot of differing prices. Friday for example I saw prices in Indiana and Ohio from 2.83 to 3.05, 3.05 was at the Beaverdam Pilot and Flying J, 2.83 was at a Marathon and Walmart(Murphy)
I have dual tanks but I can turn the truck around and fill the other tank to save .20 cents a gallon.
Here in Indiana we have tax exempt diesel at truck stops and some, not all stations, some don't even ask for your DOT so sometimes I get better prices in Indiana, sometimes I get better prices in Ohio.

 

[transporter]

as far as fuel prices cheaper at gas stations i dont believe we are comparing apples to apples. made up example pilot gas $2.90 a gallon ohio drive 100 miles to a thortons gas station $2.70. this doesnt mean truckstop gas is more expensive than a regular gas station. there are 2 other variables going on. one 2 different states and 2 100 mile distance. what i have noticed is places with multible choices to get gas at same exit or within in 3 miles of each other the pilot trucksrop will eather be cheaper or even with lowesr price. i have no opinion about deseil becacause i dont buy diesel.
i am curious does anybody have a different experience than this

 

[xiggi]

as far as fuel prices cheaper at gas stations i dont believe we are comparing apples to apples. made up example pilot gas $2.90 a gallon ohio drive 100 miles to a thortons gas station $2.70. this doesnt mean truckstop gas is more expensive than a regular gas station. there are 2 other variables going on. one 2 different states and 2 100 mile distance. what i have noticed is places with multible choices to get gas at same exit or within in 3 miles of each other the pilot trucksrop will eather be cheaper or even with lowesr price. i have no opinion about deseil becacause i dont buy diesel.
i am curious does anybody have a different experience than this

From my experience if you plan ahead and start looking before you need fuel you can almost always find cheaper fuel than at the major truck stops.

 

[Dakota]

I've noticed diesel is higher at truck stops but unleaded. Is almost always competitively priced. Maybe because most trucking companies get a discount

 

[transporter]

i agree xiggi if you plan your fuelstops thats were you can save money on gas or deisel. but i still say thats a matter of location rather than gas station verses truckstop

 

[Streakn1]

Actually, our addiction is not to truckstops or any one truckstop in particular. Instead our addiction is to the sweet smell of burning aviation fuel and burning rubber from the tires of the A-320 Airbus loaded with passengers that landed hard and bounced a few times down the runway before settling down! No place like hang'n out at the end of the runway for the weekend!!!

 

[AMonger]

Many people have a truck stop addiction. How do you know if you have this problem? Here are some of the warning signs.

2. You deliver a load in an area that your company gets a ton of freight out of and your dispatcher tells you that you're in a great area and to stay put. You proceed to deadhead 75 miles away to a worse freight area beacause "there's nowhere to park here".

Not so necessary in a CV, no, but there are some factors that affect whether a place is good for parking or not. (1) Cops--some will roust you, like I got rousted in NY a couple weeks ago; 2) whether somewhere is safe; 3) what facilities are available and their quality; 4) whether wifi is available; 5) if there's too much traffic there for you to get a nap; 6) if a private property owner will run you off; 7) if you're going to be there an extended period of time.

It's one thing to park at the Home Depot or the mall for the rest of a day, but if you might be there a couple days, then one starts to look for a shower, maybe a TV room, etc.