As a professional driver if I had the option of never going to another truck stop again I would take it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately my current trucking company does not have any other way to get diesel so I am basically screwed.
When I was still driving Over The Road (OTR) I would fill up at the company terminal and plan my rest stops at rest areas so I could basically avoid truck stops unless I needed to scale my load or fax in border paperwork.
In this article on truckdrivercdl101 we are going to look at the reasons why I hate truck stops
Why I Hate Truck Stops: Greed
I get truck stops are there in order to make money but the sheer amount of greed that exists is almost beyond reason. From the extraordinary markup on basic samples like bread and water to showers that now exceed twenty bucks per shot to emergency supplies needed to get back on the road it is blatantly obvious the truck stop is not there to help the driver but to exploit him or her
As I mentioned in a previous article about making the most money as a truck driver if you want to build your nest egg one of the best ways is to avoid truck stops as much as possible
Why I Hate Truck Stops: Lack Of Parking
In the last decade we have seen more and more truck stops going to paid parking spots which most trucking companies will not cover. There are also truck stops that have completely gone to the paid model charging drivers a lump sum to park overnight or requiring they purchase X amount of diesel
There are millions of trucks on the road and only enough parking for a fraction of them. If you are driving in certain parts of North America the search for finding an available parking spot can be daunting on the best day. Either you will have to shut down early or pay for a reserved parking spot. This leads to drivers violating their Hours Of Service (HOS) to find an available place to park
Why I Hate Truck Stops: Safety Concerns
There are truck stops that you can walk around late at night without a concern in the world however there are also truck stops that have security guards who are armed.
Whether it is predatory individuals who are looking to rob drivers or others who are out to cause damage to trucks and trailers or groups of people looking to steal whatever you have in your trailer. Truck stops come with their own problems when it comes to safety
As an added safety tip when it comes to sleeping at a truck stop many drivers find it safer to loop their seat belts through the door and snap it into place. (see photo below). Even when parked at a company terminal I would do this for every trucker knows that companies tend to use the same key pattern for all of their trucks meaning any driver can open your door
Why I Hate Truck Stops: Accidents
The number of accidents I have seen at truck stops over the years simply amazes me. There may even be truck stops that your trucking company may forbid you to going to as the accident rate is so high
Whether it is drivers speeding through the parking lot like it is the Indy 500 to drivers knocking off your bumper while attempting to back into a difficult spot to drivers just being dumb and attempting a maneuver to get around a truck that is blocking their path when they know there is just not enough space. Accidents in truck stops happen all of the time
Why I Hate Truck Stops: Other Drivers
I do not know who is training new drivers these days but it is definitely not a trucker with years of experience under their belt. A old school driver will make it their point to teach the new drivers that when it comes to truck stops their are a number of unwritten rules that one must obey in order to gain respect from other drivers and to avoid confrontations
- Truckers Do Not Blast Their Horn While Backing – When you are learning to back one of the things the instructors will tell you is to blast your horn so everyone knows that you are going to be going in reverse. This is fine at shippers and receivers however when we are talking about truck stops it is considered rude as other drivers are attempting to sleep no matter the time of the day
- Never Take Your 30 Minute Break At The Pump – If you want to go into the store or use the washroom then find a place to park that is not at the pump. This is just common sense that other drivers will want access to the pump and will want to leave once they are done fueling. Remember everyone is working and your lack of etiquette will lead to angry truck drivers
- Throw Out Your Garbage – Over the years truckers have lost the right to park at certain stores due to truck drivers just being slobs and throwing their garbage out the door of the truck and not where it should go. If you are ever driving on an onramp near a truck stop take a look at the side of the road and I can guaranttee you some lazy trucker decided that was the best place to throw out their garbage.
- Park In Designated Spots – So you decided to take your ten hour break at a Pilot or Loves and when you wake up you find that someone decided to block you in whether intentional or on purpose. Now you have to bang on the truck door telling the driver that he/she needs to move in order for you to start your day. This is a conversation that is very heated that you want know part of. Of course the other side of this is the truck stop will decide to call their local towing company who may make it impossible for you to be released unless you pay their bill which can run thousands of dollars
- Respect – Everything on this list that I have mentioned boils down to respect. It use to be drivers would automatically respect their fellow drivers as we are all doing the same job and know what that entails. The driver culture has gone steadily downhill over the last decade and it comes down to respect or the lack of it
Well there are a few reasons why I hate truck stops and avoided them as much as possible when I was driving OTR. With my current position I must fill up each day before returning to the terminal, to ensure the next driver in the truck starts off with a full tank of DEF and diesel, and I treat truck stops like a land mine knowing something bad can happen at any moment and hoping I will find a fuel lane that is empty so I will not have to deal with another driver.
