Parking

[Broompilot]

Many expediters like parking up front with all the cars and campers. More and more signs are being put up for us to stay out there.

On a personal note I do not want to be up there with them, my reasoning being every idiot who thinks that someone is gona break into his car in less than 4 minutes has to make sure that alarm works TWICE....BEEP BEEP UP YOURS TO.

Middle of the night the RV either gets up to leave, and has to walk pouch over to my tires to lift a leg, and than hear everything being packed up, or just the opposite comes in just afte you fall asleep repeating the above process.

Now there are plenty of dangers in the Truck Section as well, but I like living more with those than I do with the general traveling public. My best advice IS DO NOT PARK ON THE END SPOT, with out backing all the way doors to doors or nose in. Have seen way to many headlamps and fenders smashed up cutting corners to short, "which really takes an idiot driver to accomplish this feat" But amazingly it happens way to often. And someone issued these people a CDL class A

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Best spot I've found in a truckstop is the corner. Grass at the back and side. Next is grass at back and empty trailer on a side. Gives those tired rookies half their normal chance to bang into my truck.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[x06col]

Ahh, Truckstop heartburn. Still don't understand why you do it.

 

[Broompilot]

COL. CAUSE I CAN.

REASON NO. TWO, CAUSE I HAVE A HARD TIME HAULING THE FREIGHT AND THE TREE TO, especially LAREDO, PHOENIX, and other hot spots where trees just do not GROW, tall enough to shade the truck. Plus you know the sun does continue to move all day long and moving around and around that tree just made me DIZZY......

thats WHY.

Plus SHOWERS, items I may want to buy and find it much easier to get in and out of a Truck Stop than a Walmart, or Kroger.

Opps I almost forgot FUEL, not going anywhere with out that. And fifty gallons gets me a FREE SHOWER. Unlike the river bank by the Tree that I use to think I had to bring with me until I discovered truck stops. Wonder where I use to read that? Must have been Southern Homes and Gardens that invited all us Drivers into there Subdivisions just where we are wanted, like maybee some homeowner might think we are up to looking at little children? Not a problem I need to be accused of.

One should stay where one is welcomed and a Residential section is not to keen on Straight Trucks or VANS, even when one is in Uniform. Otherwise?????

 

[Critter Truckin]

Absolutely. As much as I would love to find the "lover's leap" type of location, there just aren't enough to park ANY size truck in. Plus, I like showers. And "free" happens to be one of my (if not most Americans) favorite words. Just ask the Commies... and Granholm. That, and I don't particularly dig swimming in the pond that the Mexicans use to jump the border.

 

[Moot]

I've noticed more and more Walmarts are putting up low clearance beams and NO TRUCK signs.

I agree that the car alarms, bass heavy stereos and straight pipe motorcycles are annoying. But I don't miss the bull racks or reefers that cycle all night.

 

[dieseldiva]

Not to mention the billy-big-riggers that roll in with their jake brakes roaring!

 

[vandriver101]

Broom,
Just watch out in Ontario,California at the T/A.The security there made me park in the truck parking area in a truck spot,Yep just me and my little van in the middle of a 18 wheeler spot.The looks and jesters I receieved those 2 days where priceless.I finaly did convince
the manager that there was no need for me to take up a truck spot,at 15.00 dollars a day for parking(unless you purchase that amount daily then it is void)and she gave me a voucher for the BK and let me park in the employee parking in back.I guess its just a rule there!!!!
Just giving you guys a heads up!!!!!

O/O B unit Panther #11514 Since 03/06

 

[Broompilot]

Good Point on Ontario. I use to go just a little more West to Fontana I believe, much quiter, and smaller. A little dumpy or it is a dump, but restaurant was clean and good food.

Seriously, though. In LA go up to Lebec, nice accomidations all around and no pan handlers.

My first trip to California, had a great expierence. Had a Woman banging on my door with the look of fear, so me being a HERO, I open the door. BAM shes in my Truck before one word is said, begs me to drive her to the TA accross the street. I ask why?

Some guys are chasing me, so I start up the truck and now my CB comes on. "she is in the straight truck" I look at her and state. "I am calling 911". "NO' she replies, than let me use your CB and I will leave. I agree. This little prostitute had stolen someones wallet and pants.

"Sorry" I told her, "leave or I am dialing 911 I do not need this" she hitched a ride with someone else.

Such a nice place those Ontario TAs, this was at 10:00 AM Pacific time. Warning never open the door, Rookie lesson learned the hard way. But its my nature to help, but it could also be my nature to get me beat up or killed.

 

[highway star]

A legitimate criticism of our society is the "I don't want to get involved" mentality. However, I've had enough years and experience on the road to think that that's the only way to be when a stranger bangs on the door of your truck. If I feel fairly certain that it's a legitimate driver, that's different. Otherwise, I just wave them away. The vast majority of the time it's going to be a hooker, a beggar or maybe worse. A hooker that's in trouble would qualify as worse.

 

[ATeam]

Broom's story reminds me of an event that happened in Atlanta, according to news sources. I do not remember all the details but it went like this: Well-meaning truck driver stops roadside to help a woman with a disabled car. Woman's partner emerges from the bushes to rob the truck driver. Driver resists. Partner kills the driver.

There was a time when I would have stopped to help a woman with a disabled car. Not any more. Not even if she has a baby in her arms. I'll call it in to 911 but I will not stop or exit my truck to help.

Unless we are in a known safe place, like an RV park or in our driveway, we keep our doors locked and windows closed; even when outside of the truck doing a pretrip inspection, even when fueling the truck. The security protocols we have learned from our carrier are not just for loaded miles only. With us, they are in effect all the time.

If the circumstances are such where I can tell it is not a potential set up, and we are not under load, I'll get involved; like the time we spotted a woman with three small kids in her car stopped in the freeway median, with the car rear bumper still edging out into the left lane. She had been sideswiped by an 18-wheeler, the driver of which probably did not even realize that happened and was long gone.

The tire marks and damage on her car told me she was in real trouble and this was not a setup. In that case, I got invloved, and helped her get her kids out of the car and safely off the freeway.

It is a great life we enjoy out here, but we keep our guard up.

 

[nightcreacher]

free parking,just get waitress to give you $25.00 worth of receipts every day,ive never paid to park at any ta or petro,all the waitresses will help you outas long as you havent stiffed them with a small tip.

 

[flatbedin]

I've NEVER had a shipper tell me I couldn't park on their ground for a few days after delivering a load for them.. Plus, where's the fuel usage in that????

I have everything in my truck that I need to last me till the next load...