Truckers UNwelcome

[jay shipley]

Tacoma, WA. King Oscars restaurant and hotel. We were told, by other drivers in our company, that this was a nice place to be. We delivered to the base on March 3rd, then drove to this establishment, ate some lunch, then later my wife and I got a room, so we could shower and relax. Our friends had parked behind the restaurant also, but they didn't get a room. They stayed in their truck, as well as another truck beside them. The next morning we got up, rented a car, drove down to Mt St Helens, because we didn't have a load yet, and our friends didn't pick up until the next morning. When we got back, we ate, again at Oscars, and then went out back to go to bed. We live on East Coast time, so it was probably about 11:30 PM here....we got an obnoxious knock on our cab, sleeper, shining lights in our windows, etc. It was THEIR rent a cop, telling us we couldn't stay there.....even though we spent all but $200.00 there in less than 2 days. We both got out of our trucks, went inside, was told by the front desk personnell that we had to go. We, then, went to the restaurant, since we were parked in back of them.....the young lady said it was OK for us to be there for the night....called the front desk, and told them as well. About 3 hours later, we were awakened by Tacomas' finest telling us we had to leave again. The rent a cop had gotten HIS way. We left. Tomorrow we have to drive our rent a car back north 30 miles to return it, since they weren't open to do that when we came back. MORE money in fuel. Just letting everyone know.....we are NOT welcome.....they just want your money. If you want a good nights' sleep....stay in your truck....somewhere else!

 

[ATeam]

If there is one thing I don't like about expediting it is the fact that truckers are not welcome to park where it would seem to be OK to do so.

I don't blame property owners who run trucks off. We have our fellow truckers that crush curbs, leave urine bottles behind, pee in parking lots, leave trash, run over signs, leave deep wheel ruts in the grass and/or keep the neighborhood awake by idling through then night (among other infractions) to thank for that.

It recently happened to me in Albany. Diane flew home for a dental appointment. I was staying in the truck until she returned. I had gone to a mall to go to a movie and eat. Finding the new theater in this mall still under construction, I ate and returned to the truck, not intending to spend the night there. But a half hour before the mall closed, and before I has left to spend the night some place else, security knocked on my door and ran me off.

I hate it when that happens. It is one of the very few times in my life when I feel like a second class citizen.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

No... we're just driving second class vehicles.

Musta been an important dental appointment to fly home for. Or a dentist who's worth his weight in airline tickets.

 

[Turtle]

Yeah, that ol' "I'm a truck driver" reality thing can hit hard sometimes.


Happens in vans, too, tho.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

True, Turtle. IMO, it's right up there with...

"I'm a garbageman."
"I'm a proctologist."
"I'm a lawyer."
"I'm a cow fart tester."

Forgot one... "I'm a politician."

 

[greg334]

The advantage of a short small truck is that I park in two spot and fit into the scene. I talked to the security guard in the catskils when I was there the other day and he is instructed to tell us to go. He does not agree with this but the owners of the property was getting sick of seeing all the tractors and trailers taking up spots for the customers to us.

Phil,
I would assume seeing that she flew home for dental work, you also fly to Geneva to get your Rolexs cleaned. Life's a b*tch when you have to take time to fly somewhere to get something done.

 

[x06col]

Sounds like a kid working the parents. First the front desk clerk, then a cafe employee. Maybe try THE manager, or, ring Oscar hisselfs bell. Probably been a different outcome.

Don't pay to deal with the worker bees.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Sounds like a kid working the parents. First the front desk clerk, then a cafe employee. Maybe try THE manager, or, ring Oscar hisselfs bell. Probably been a different outcome.

Don't pay to deal with the worker bees.

I'd have to agree. You might not always find who you want, when you want them, but I'd be writing ol' Oscar a letter this week. Did ya get the Rent a bus patrol's name? Those guys are dime a dozen.

 

[ATeam]

Musta been an important dental appointment to fly home for. Or a dentist who's worth his weight in airline tickets.

Important, yes. But also faster and cheaper to fly her home and back to the truck than to take the time and money to deadhead home.

When we were home for Christmas and took care of our annual appointments, her dentist recommended braces to avoid problems and surgery later in life. That means a number of trips home over the next 1.5 to 2 years. Getting adjustments done on the road by different dentists is not a reasonable option.

We estimate the air fare will about double the already high cost of the dental work, but more than that, we are grateful to have a job that gives us the freedom to take the time off to get the work done, and provides the revenue that makes it affordable. It is good to know that we both are likely to still have our own teeth at age 80.

This flying home thing presents a new challenge to us that is fun in its own way. The goal is to board the plane from wherever we happen to be on the day of the appointment, land in Minneapolis, rent a car, go the to dentist, return to the airport, and make it back to the truck all in the same day. The challenge is booking flights for a known appointment date only AFTER freight is on the truck and we know for sure what the departure airport and our available time will be and on the day the flight leaves.

We have yet to spend just one off for a trip to the dentist. Schedules have been such that two or three days have been the norm. But we will keep trying to achieve the one day goal.

I mentioned in another post that personal circumstances will cut into our personal time this year, and that is why we are not going to the truck show. These are those circumstances.

 

[Kat123]

Phil, It's kind of sad to think someone has to explain why they are doing something to someone on this forum when it is of a personal nature. Do I detect a little bit of jealousy in your response Greg 334 ?????

Kat

 

[Broompilot]

We drive Trucks, I have never been run off or approached in a Truck Stop or Rest Area. No we are not WELCOMED everywhere we think we might be OK, or ASSUME.

Sorry for your tale, some Hotels Cater some simply think we do not impress the Guests they Cater to, even though our $ is Green the night you decided to stay in the truck you were not generating an income for the Establishment in renting a room.

Some have posted here before they do not care for Truck Stops, I hate to be the bear of the basic Facts, a Duck is a Duck, a Truck plus a Driver = a Truck Driver, Trucks are welcome for free at a Truck Stop but some establishments no matter how big the comfort of the vehicle are not Welcomed.

I do as Phil suggested at Walmarts, I ask at a Hotel before I spend a dime in the restaurant, if it is OK if I lay over for the night in the Parking lot. If not I either decide to leave or have dinner and than leave, usually I just leave if I am not welcome.

 

[greg334]

Phil, It's kind of sad to think someone has to explain why they are doing something to someone on this forum when it is of a personal nature.

Kat, you have it all wrong - he does not have to explain things to us, many of us understand what it is all about and why. But for some reason he is defensive on something many of us would do too. Go figure.....

Do I detect a little bit of jealousy in your response Greg 334 ?????

Kat

Right you are I am jealous, he can take his Rolex to Geneva to get fixed where I have to send my FedEx to NY. Man when you have that kind of disposable income, it must be really nice to have to burden yourself with traveling 4000 miles to get your watched cleaned. And I would assume that when he is there, he eats a little better then he does when he is on the road, maybe Auberge des Vieux-Chênes or does a little shopping at du Marché and of course like other Rolex cusomers, he would only stay at Des Bergues. With a travel itinerary like that, wouldn't you be jealous too? Ummmm ..... swiss chocolate......

 

[Broompilot]

Kat Jelalous? Yes I am. OK People I really like my job I really do. But do I have bad DAYS yes ALL LAST WEEK SNOW, ICE, MORE SNOW, find out no Fuel Increase for this month yet etc...

I find some writings on here that everything always goes ones way, this is great that is better, the perfect load, the perfect truck, the perfect financial plan the perfect carrier.

I can find faults in everything I attempt to do, it could be better and could be a whole lot worst. I try my best not to come on here and attempt to tell this group how perfect I have set everything up to be OR I WOULD BE FIBBING.

I enjoy after a week like last week that I made it thru I did not loose control of my trailer, I made the best decisions that I thought I could at the time. But ya wana know the truth? I MAKE MISTAKES, and I can usually improve from them.

Trucking or any part of it is as far from perfect as any business could ever be. You just never know when the Bridge in MN just might fall into the River. Could I make the point any stronger?

 

[silverdollar]

Greg, I took my rolex to a jewelry store in Dayton,Oh to have it cleaned, they sent it to rolex to be cleaned,rolex also replaced a few parts, took about 30 days and cost me over 900 dollars.

 

[greg334]

Greg, I took my rolex to a jewelry store in Dayton,Oh to have it cleaned, they sent it to rolex to be cleaned,rolex also replaced a few parts, took about 30 days and cost me over 900 dollars.

Oh I think it would be better to get on that G550 and fly over there, check into the hotel, have the concierge at the hotel take the watch to Rolex, have a nice dinner and then a good night's rest, then have the concierge get the watch for you, you go back to the airport to fly back to New York so to get back on the road.

Seriously, my Rolex is no more, the jeweler who was to have it sent to NY for servicing lost it. I took the little money they gave me and bought a Timex (no lie) and a Hamilton 992B Railroad Pocket Watch (serial number says it was made in 1912) that was for a retirement gift.

 

[Kat123]

No Greg I wouldn't. You must remember there will always be people that have the perfect plans, live the perfect life and tell themselves they live in the perfect world.

Kat

 

[pelicn]

We drive Trucks, I have never been run off or approached in a Truck Stop or Rest Area. No we are not WELCOMED everywhere we think we might be OK, or ASSUME.

Sorry for your tale, some Hotels Cater some simply think we do not impress the Guests they Cater to, even though our $ is Green the night you decided to stay in the truck you were not generating an income for the Establishment in renting a room.

Some have posted here before they do not care for Truck Stops, I hate to be the bear of the basic Facts, a Duck is a Duck, a Truck plus a Driver = a Truck Driver, Trucks are welcome for free at a Truck Stop but some establishments no matter how big the comfort of the vehicle are not Welcomed.

I do as Phil suggested at Walmarts, I ask at a Hotel before I spend a dime in the restaurant, if it is OK if I lay over for the night in the Parking lot. If not I either decide to leave or have dinner and than leave, usually I just leave if I am not welcome.

Good post Broom!

Now, if I read the original post correctly, it was ok to park the truck on the night you rented the room. It was the following night that you were asked to leave. If you are not staying in their hotel, then how can you expect them to allow you to park in their lot?

 

[x06col]

Maybe, to make you want to come back again, or, thank you for the couple c notes you left there, or, god forbid to be neighborly??? Dunno, should be A reason.

 

[arkjarhead]

Well the motel is in business like anyone else. They have to pay for that parking lot and maintain it. Would you let someone use your a part of your business if your received nothing in return? Plus they didn't say if they were outside idling or not. If they were I bet someone in a motel room complained about it.

 

[CharlesD]

Those of us in vans don't have quite the same problems, but I had a guy knock on my window at a rest area north of Albany and inform me that New York has a law against idling and I would have to shut my engine off. This guy wasn't a cop or anything, just some regular schmoe who had stopped at the rest area and decided he was the environment police for the area. I told him I had a rule against sleeping in a cold bed and left it at that. He left the rest area and I never had any more trouble.

I can understand businesses not wanting idling trucks for the night, but what bothers me is seeing all the no trucks signs and then seeing people run off in the middle of the day, when they're just trying to stop in somewhere and do some shopping. Or you have those barriers over the entrance to a parking lot that are set about 10-12' high so semis can't get into the lot. So it's ok for a department store to sell goods that had to be brought by a truck, just as long as truckers don't stop there to buy any of them. Makes no sense to me.