Remember too that driver X may be getting a 500 dollar bonus maybe more for every driver they recruit if you use their name so their motives may be less then pure when they tell you to go work there.The harsh reality is that there is no way of telling which company is for you and which isn't what may suit driver 1 will aggravate driver 2 just do your research.You have made a good start by coming here but remember everybody has their own agenda.Some fellows are just angry people with an ax to grind look at all there posts you will get a good Idea of what type of person you are listening too.Nobody here can give you the answer you are looking for I know I was exactly where you are right now because I was there a few weeks ago.If you want to be good safe legal driver then chances are that is what you will be because that is what lives inside of you.Is it scary hell yeah it is scary it is also the best job I have ever had but hey that is me and what works for me may not work for you.Look in the mirror and ask yourself do you want to do this if you answer yes then go for it life is not a dress rehearsal you ought to be doing something you enjoy.good luck with your decision Later

Whenever I backup, whether I'm at a customer or a truckstop or my terminal for that matter I always turn off the CB, the radio, and have the window rolled down. That way if someone was to critique my backing technique I cannot hear them nor will it inspire me to respond to them. Remember arguing with someone on the CB is like wrestling a pig in the mud, eventually you realize the pig is enjoying it.

tjgosurf, thanks for all the info!

Gee I have a ton of questions. I'm surprised that this string isn't longer.

How do you guys go about finding truck stops? Is there a book? Does the OBC tell you? I'm sure these are noob questions but this is the noob faq string, yes?
How about personal safety- like showering at a truck stop? Leaving your vehicle when doing so etc. Or are you more apt to get a bad case of food poisoning than to be rolled? Lots of horror movies have a "truckers" theme ya know. Lol! I was once upon a time under the impression that there was a sort of unwritten truckers creed or brotherhood or something- they take care of their own and more often than not would watch your back. Is this no longer the case or was it ever?
I'm old enough and have traveled enough to know there are quite a few rest stops along an Interstate but what do you do when nature calls and you're in the suburbian regions? Mcdonalds? Do you have a routine (eating at certain times drinking less maybe) that limits your need to stop so often?
Probably not in the right order to follow the prior question, but are there any "under-the-hood" cookbooks around for truckers? lol! I saw a guy on tv once ("That's Incredible" maybe) that had written a book about it. Seems like it would be a nice thing if you could get good at it.
How about boredom? How do you deal with that? I'm not talking about the time behind the wheel, I'm talking about when you're down due to HOO rules or detention or repairs.
Seems like you would encounter incredibly crazy and diverse temperatures on a weekly basis. Do you really pack for all of those occasions or is it a matter of packing for cold temps and wearing less if it's not needed perhaps? That's all for now...

__________________
Bob
Unwilling Midlife Crisis Participant

You can buy a pocket dictionary with most the truck stops in it. It will tell you what highway its off of--what exit-if it has showers, food, internet, etc. They usually run around 3.95 i think -- could be wrong.

As far as showers and time away from your truck--just lock it up. When you go into a truck stop--just be aware of your surroundings as you walk in. In most cases, truckers do watch out for each other. They normally do especially for us lady's from my experience but I am sure that most watch out for each other. I have rarely felt as if i was gonna get rolled. Just watch around you is all i can say.

As far as the food==its possible to get food poisoning but I myself will not hardly eat fast food nor will i eat off the buffet. But thats just me--when i go in to eat i want to be waited on and plus i have heard stories about the buffet.

Ok--boredom! Hmm--i didnt get bored too much but i usually watched tv or read or some have the internet. So--bring along a hobby you can do while waiting for your break to be up.

I pretty much stop when i feel like it--eat when i feel like it and sleep when its time. Depending on your delievery/pickup times. I normally try not to stop in rest areas at late nite--bein a woman I have had some weird things happen in rest areas and most the truck parking in them are not visible to most except other truckers which are usually sleeping--so i dont feel too safe in rest areas late at nite. Of course you normally wont find a spot but sometimes you do but I had a bad experience in a rest area once with a vagrant--so i try not to stop at those late at nite unless parking is in front which is rarely the case.

Well Schneider has a map of all the Pilot locations across the country because they are the fuel stop (outside of their OC's) for Schneider. Outisde of that, you also just get used to knowing the roads and where truck stops are. I mean, after a few times across I80 or whatever, youll remember where stops are. On my route there are 2 Pilots, a TA, a bunch of Flying Js, a Chevron, a couple of mom n pops...etc. There is also an actual book out that lists what each exit has across the country as far as ammenities...but its not a pocket dictiionary size.

When leaving the truck, I just lock the doors. I've heard that the truck companies dont make too many combinations of door keys so your door key could very well open a couple of other trucks doors in the parking lot. As far as safety, park under lights and some people feel parking as close to the building as possible is a good safety thing. I think that truckers do have some sort of creed like that, but at the same time, I don't look at every driver for every truck and match them up either.

As far as the bathroom breaks, plan as best you can, stop when you feel the slightest urge to go.

Boredom, depends on the person. I have XM so I listen to all sorts of stuff otherwise my ADHD would drive me crazy. Actually today on the last half of my route, I pretended I was a trainer and talked to my imaginary students the entire time telling and showing them the ins and outs of my route. Yeah....sad. When the truck is stopped, people have laptops or TVs they watch. I had to stay overnight at a Pilot last night and went in to ask if they had any magazines as I couldnt find anything and I was going crazy with nothing to do. I never use my sleeper so I dont have all that extras in my truck to keep me entertained. Lots of people have hobbies they take with them on the road.

As far as weather, Im on a dedicated account that ahs the same stops daily so my weather is the same from beginning to end for the most par. I think that lots of drivers will have a jacket of some sort and when winter gets close, they bring along the extra stuff like a winter cap, gloves, etc.

Hey guys, thanks for the input. I just noticed there is a "The Truck Stops Here" catagory. There's a big table of contents for this site and I'm still trying to learn my way around. Thanks again.

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Bob
Unwilling Midlife Crisis Participant

There is a pocket size truck stop guide--i have one--and i think i got it at a pilot. Not real sure where but i think it was pilot.

Thanks for this post.

if you can find a race track (dirt or paved) or industrial area nearby and talk to the owner or management of the property you may not even have to pay, worst case it wouldn't cost much.

i know alot of motocross tracks in the country and can honestly say they would probably let me in for free.