Walmart parking

Like Walmart and the rest of them will give a rats ......do what I do, don't patronize places like that. I haven't shopped in a Walmart in 2 years, and trust me, it hasn't affected them one bit, but at least I know my money won't go into that disgusting company.

 

We've done it to ourselves.
They're sick of cleaning up after us ( as a whole ).

I'm with John Boy. Avoid 'em.

 

It puzzles me why Walmart ever began the practice of allowing trucks to park at their retail facilities. The few dollars spent by truckers is a drop in the bucket, and that would be the only visible upside for them. The downsides though, are many. Trucks annoy their other customers, truckers leave mess behind, the opportunity for accidents or altercations exist. Trucks are hard on the asphalt. There just isn't any good reason for them to allow for overnight truck parking.

I'm not saying drivers shouldn't park at Walmart. I sure will as long as it's allowed. I'm only saying there is no compelling reason for Walmart to allow it, and I would think it's only a matter of time before there is a company wide policy banning overnight parking.

 

The started it because Sam Walton was a truck driver before starting Walmart.

 

Sam Walton was a pro-trucker man, and that permeated the Walmart culture. RV's and big rigs alike parked at Walmarts. Today I'd say about 20% of Walmarts have some form of restricted parking for big rigs, from no parking signage to very low clearance bars and parking lots designed to make it impossible for trucks to maneuver.

As noted truckers have brought this on ourselves due to property damage and unbelievable behavior up to and including leaving feces bags and urine bottles and PILES of garbage behind. In some locations the store has to hire a full time staff who's primary job is cleaning up after truckers, and when feces or urine bottles are involved they have to get a HazMat response. One filthy trucker will wipe out their profits from selling to truckers for days worth of shopping.

You want to really have an impact on making sure Walmart stays available for truckers? CLEAN UP YOUR ACT. I take it upon myself, and teach my trainees, to always pick up litter and push empty carts back on our way into the store. If time permits I'll sometimes ask to talk with the manager and make sure truck parking is okay if I'm on a 30 minute break, not so much that I'm worried about getting towed before I stow my groceries, but to let them see a friendly and helpful trucker.

If I need to take a 10 at a Walmart I will either talk to the manager and/or talk to the rent-a-cop. I've never been turned away and often they'll let me know the preferred spot to park to be out of the way of night deliveries or parking lot cleaners that come in during the wee hours.

Avoid the Walmarts that are in dense residential neighborhoods if possible. I always use Google Earth to get a good view before selecting a Walmart so I'm not causing a problem with local traffic.

Some Walmarts still actively cater to truckers, like the one in Grants, NM that has a truck parking lot out in the front with room for 15-20 trucks (although they are closed 12 pm to 6 am). Others tolerate truckers, like the one in Williston, ND that prominently displays large "NO TRUCK PARKING" signs in the midst of 30 trucks lined up like they're at a truck stop for their 10 (or longer).

 

Park by the docks get your crap & leave.

You don't loiter in your car do you?

I don't do Walmart .

 

Well that explains it.^^ Thanks.

Lepton, you and I have very similar styles. I too go out of my way to change perceptions etc, and while this helps on a individual basis, not enough people will participate to stop a ban of trucks. With Sam Walton gone, I would think Walmart will be making business decisions as a corporation normally does, and ban truck parking. There just isn't anything in it for them, unfortunately. Each complaint made by a customer, and each pee bottle picked up is one step closer to a total ban.

Lepton - I'm glad you are a trainer - with all the trainer horror stories, more are needed like you.

 

Perhaps instead of a trucker's national "Avoid Walmart Day", perhaps we should organize a trucker's national "Clean Up a Walmart Parking Lot Day". If every trucker picked up some garbage and returned a few shopping carts from the outer fringes of the parking lot or did something to make it a cleaner place than before you parked and made a point to talk with the manager or an employee to let them know what we are doing, then perhaps it might start to change some attitudes toward truckers.

Sam Walton deserves better than for us to leave our crap in his parking lots.

 

Now that's a tremendous idea. Sorry OP, but I think Lepton's idea will get you what you want faster than a shutdown will.