What truck stops to avoid?

That's it. I'm done with parking at any truck stop or rest area, they're always full anyway. with one exception, the one where I park.

 

What he said, you want to avoid travel plaza/centers they all have the same setup, same atmosphere, same trash, same food, etc... Look for places that are called truck stops, the mom and pop shops. I would rather stay at a convenience store with five spots and one toilet and they close at 10 pm than stay at a travel plaza... But, most company drivers will give an actual truck stop bad reviews (trucker path) why? well because they are lost at a truck stop, they are not like the travel plaza, they are always different. omg no liquid lemon pledge dispenser in the shower, omg the shower has a door, I can't fit my big ### in the shower, etc..

I suppose in the end it's all a matter of preference, but if you give the non travel plazas a try you'll never go back.

Perfect example, newborn truck stop tallapoosa ga

 

Fuel is usually cheaper too, not that it matters for most company drivers. Hell went to one the other day that you couldn't prepay... hmm mighty trusting of them. Fueled 400 dollars worth of diesel and 35 of DEF and went inside only to find out they don't take comdata lol. Ouch. Would have just driven off but I know for a shop that small that would be their payroll for the day.

 

But the coffee is terrible and the restrooms are nasty at every non travel plaza, plus the craters in the parking lot ,
and unless you love adventure, never pull onto mom and pops truck stop when it's raining as the water fills the foot deep holes

 

Make that 5 foot deep holes. Triple T comes to mind as does the old Stoney Ridge. I recall tow trucks responding to drag out stuck trucks on that moon scape a time or two he he he. (Not me, I had a good amount of under carriage clearance thankfully... as long I watch that trailer frame on my drives when turning.)

 

With the speed these guys go through flying j or pilot or any other mega chain they should have no trouble if they maintain that speed at the independent with deep pot holes

 

Had to stay at the Loves in downtown St Louis..never again. Stayed in a back dirt lot and it began filling up with sewage. Someone starting banging on the truck at 2 am. They finally left. High tailed it outta there at 4 am. Stayed at some mom and pop truck stop in Hattiesburg MS. More lot lizards than
Galopogas has iguanas..I go all over the country and to me the south, with the exception of the large cities elsewhere, is the worst.

 

Truck stops with shady cats and security issues are one thing, but the ones that stick out in my head are the "traps"....where you wonder if you'll ever make it back to the highway.

The pilots in Channahon Il and Mahwah NJ come to mind

 

Salinas pilot is a trap
Good luck scaling a load there
Probably use 14 hours to do it
Then add the mostly blind side parking... what a place
No shortage of customers though!

 

Don't get me wrong, the non travel plaza/center obviously isn't for everyone, but for me, I like the exploration of different stops versus the same thing all the time. You never know what you might find there, stopping at a travel plaza you know what's there before you get there regardless of which state it is.

Another thing I like about the non travel centers is you have a good chance of finding a spot because well obviously the plazas are the place to be. I also find the staff to be more friendly, that may be due to the way the large corporate structure dishes out the rules for employees, which we all know lowers moral.

I don't mind a moon landing once in awhile it tends to make things interesting, especially enjoy watching the unsuspecting driver zooming through, you know the ones that darn near get thrown out of their seat, break some plastic, etc ...they tend to slow down after the first surprise. If align yourself properly with the right crater, you can almost guarantee no one will try to park beside you.

Craters, natures reality check.