Sounds Like Dannys, A big rig resort, in Phoenix. They dont have an annual fee, but a parking fee. and all is welcome, although not many 4-wheelers go there because there are no gas pumps. Hell they dont even have diesel pumps, but if they did, they would be the best truckstop in phoenix!!But probably 95% of sales is to O/O who want there trucks washed, waxed, polished, and want to buy chrome.
Plus They have the BEST Chorizo and egg Burritos!! Yum Yum!!

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A million miles of barbed wire fences, I hear the moan of a westbound train. That purple sun is fading in my windshield, here comes the lonely night again......-Troy Olsen

Just make a choice and choose your business: Choose to cater to trucks and truck drivers, and stay out of the car market, OR vice versa. Don't try to cater to both markets.

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When you start thinkin' you're a person of great influence, try orderin' someone else's dog around.

And make the place easy to get into, out of, and around in. Pick the biggest, flattest piece of land you can find. Keep the concrete to the edges of the lot where it belongs.

My friend asked me why the truck stops here are so small. He's from south africa and has driven all over Europe. He may have been exaggerating a bit, but he said the truck stops over there could park 3000 trucks. They had 4 restaurants, as many fast food joints, the equivalent of a small mall for shopping, movie theater, etc. And that's just at one stop.

I know that's probably not even possible here, but it'd be pretty nice.

i think the main things are:

1) Cleanliness:
In the bathrooms; Make them large enough and design them right---pilot is a good example of what NOT to do. i get sick just walking in there. You can get marble/simulated marble type tile cheap.

i would suggest looking at what ohio does with their rest areas; They actually give each trucker an individual restroom/shower "room" and it is clean.

Even some scales in some states do it right---each individual "stall" is actually a separate room onto itself.

b) the smell in many truckstop restrooms---esp pilot and flying j's is just-----not good. You have to use chemicals---they are not that expensive. Use them. VENTILATION IS THE KEY---IT IS EVERYTHING.

If the airports and train stations can do it(stay clean) you can too.

2) Parking.

Obviously, we need plenty of it. i understand that land can be and is expensive.

What i would suggest is to build the truckstop farther away (as far as possible actually) from the big city---this way we can get more acreage and thus put in more parking spaces. i look at it this way: When the driver wakes up, they are going to have to do some driving anyway to make their delivery in the morning. Even if you put the truckstop right in the middle of downtown in the big city, the driver would still have to do some driving in the morning to make the delivery.

b) i think Most drivers will not mind driving up to 180 miles after they get up in morning to make their deliveries IF they can find a truckstop with LOTS of parking among the other things i will discuss. i certainly wouldn't mind.

c) i also agree that pavement is not really nessesary; gravel or even dirt will do it.

d) i would strive for a 120V electrical outlet at each parking space. Maybe charge .50 a night to use it.

e) In exchange for having lots of parking, i would not be opposed to paying a fee to park---but make it reasonable---say $3. This would help offset the cost of buying the extra land it would take to provide adequate parking space which again i know can be expensive.
Actually 900 to 1000 spaces MINIMUM sounds right.

3) Restaurant
i think as professional drivers what we want (and really deserve i think) at the end of the day is a nice cooked meal, in a CLEAN environment, with decent, not crappy(teenagers) service at hopefully not too high a price. At least provide cafeteria like quality food.

a) i'm not saying all teens/younger adults provide bad service, but i would suggest only hiring older women as the waitstaff who have plenty of experience. In this case, older is defined as 35 or older even though 35 is not that old in the real world.

b) Train and require the staff to clean the table off properly---don't just wet it down, DRY IT OFF......COMPLETELY!

c) Train and require the staff to actually DRY THE G DAMN UTENSILS OFF COMPLETELY BEFORE ROLLING IT UP WHILE THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT BOYS, CLOTHES, HAIR, NAILS AND OTHER STUPID S--T THAT THEY TALK ABOUT WITH EACH OTHER.


4) Personally, i would end the convience store part of it, but that's just me.

a) i don't have a problem with the "chinese massage" thing although it's a little wierd.

5)Security

i think there should be a person constantly or from time-to-time driving around in the parking lot in clearly identified car/vehicle with plenty of spotlights. This person should also always offer rides to anyone who is walking.

b) i don't think the parking lot lighting should be too bright as this might make it harder to sleep. i would suggest motion sensor lighting and/or the orangish lighting that some state highways use.

6)Possibly provide alternate sleeping places/onsite hotel.
Try providing basic "express"/mini-rooms for drivers to sleep; These rooms would be basic, scaled down sort of "bunk-rooms" just to provide quiet comfortable sleep for drivers. They might only be the size of a closet and consist of only a bed and possibly a t.v. Soundproofed of course. i think $15 a night is fair.


More later.

Cleanliness, ample parking, and employees who actually LIKE their jobs, and are helpful and friendly is ALWAYS a plus.

That being said, I'd like to see a healthy menu in the restaurant, instead of the deep-fried, covered in gravy, high priced slop that most of the bigger chains have. I would gladly pay a little more for food that is tasty, and healthy.

Also, many drivers have pets on the truck with them. How about a self-serve pet wash? That would be GREAT!

One more thing...many drivers may get stuck for a day or two, waiting for a load. Why not put a car rental service at your stop? Many, many times, have we wished to "sight-see", or just go to a restaurant or store that we can't in the big truck.

Good luck in your new business!
And where/when might you be opening this stop?
Thanks!

Judi Kay

Almost forgot these 2 things...
Have the ability to accept ALL fuel cards and
Please, have water hoses at the fuel pumps to wash our windshields, mirrors, and side windows!
There are so few stops anymore that do have hoses...the others just have a bucket, and squeegy, that more often than not is reaaly gross!

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Livin', Lovin',Laughin'...Makin' Friends, & Lovin' Life, Rollin' Down That Big Road!!! Redneck Women RULE!! Hell, YEAH!!!!

Your friend is right to an extent. I am first generation American. My father is Italian and my mother is French. And I can tell you I have seen a few truck stops on my travels. You have to remember though that Europe doesn't build like America. They build something big and only one time so while they are big they cater to all the truckers. They don't have so many in Europe. Europe makes monopolies so you are held hostage to certain locations and certain prices. For instance, there are only on airline per country, one telephone company (for italia), one or two electric companies, few oil companies and all the big business goes to privaleged sons and daughters of important families... this is called "nepotism" from the italian word of "nepote" which means nephew. You can look it up but I hope America never goes down this path, and let me tell you the rhetoric obama is talking about is the exact same politics that I hear when I am in Europe. But I digress!

From the suggestions thus far, and as a commercial contractor, I can see that a stop of this sort might have some ventures that fail; some that work for a while, and some that stay. I might suggest an alterable building with a delivery hall down the center with a loading dock.
It would essentially be a rectangle split down the middle with a supply hall and dock, creating a "U" with a covered walkway surrounding the building, with outside benches and smoking urns, windows into the shops, minimall style. This way, drivers can separate to their different interests without having to wait on each other.
Each vanilla space would be one of 3 different sizes, but modifiable due to one caveat: no slab wiring, and plenty of drains. With wiring from above, walls can be easily moved to shrink or enlarge spaces, divide spaces or join them. This way, when a lease of a business is over, or if they fail, you aren't stuck with XxX space sizes, and can accomodate a larger variety of clientele. Your Swedish Masseuse may only need a cubby, while the swimming pool will require...well, you get the idea. The outside benches, grass lots, or whatnot are to give drivers a way to get out of the truck and relax without being in a crowded noisy enviornment, yet be able to hang out with a few others in small groups or alone.
Not sure, but the possibility of a self-wash for trucks or using hired high schoolers (trained) comes to mind. Allow only proven polishers or other commercial services onsite, and don't allow soliciting to the trucks of any kind. The shuttle to the grocery or mall is a good idea if you're not too far out.

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"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
~George Orwell

build it where their is a lot of truck traffic, not way out in the woods, right off the highway, i agree with keeping it away from the city, the closer to a city the more homeless people waiting at the door asking for a ride or spare change,
but the biggy would be the showers and bathrooms,
Showers: how about cleaning them the proper way, not just a bocket of water and mop, nothing worse the showering on/around "down below hair"
more then a rag type towle, tho i use my own most often. 2 towls would be nice.

the bathrooms, build the stalls bigger, not the type you have to squeez into.
and a seperate shaving/cleaning area, it rages me when i go to wash my hands in the bathroom and they are being used by 4 guys at 4 sinks shaving and brushing teeth.

parking is a no brainer. simply just have enough

the parking lot. if no pavement or cement, use gravel, no dirt, i hate walking on the dirt lots when its raining, i prefer not to track mud into my second home.

dont have security, have the lot partolled by local/state police, have the lot pee-rs ticketed and removed, also to ensure extra safe parking. specially for our ladie drivers, and to keep the other ladies outa the lot.

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Enjoy life now - It has an expiration date

Clean private showers with a crew ready to clean them after every use! No greasy fried foods and no buffets!

First off, you need space and all pull through parking. You need a 'moat' or slight dip in the pavement to plant the steer axle in when parking. You need the entire perimeter fenced, so as to keep the riff/raff out. You need security that is trucker savvy to patrol the lot. You need trash cans that are emptied daily, and plenty of them. You need to enforce parking rules instead of allowing a free-for-all as is common at so many truck stops. You need a tire/minor engine repair facility available as well as trailer wash-out and complete truck wash facility, if feasable. You need 20 minimum fuel islands with window washing equipment. You need room for the completed fueler to park so the next completed fueler can go without waiting for the previous completed fueler to grab his burger/smokes/soda.

Now, lets move indoors. You need enough staff, and you really need to keep truck/car transactions separate. I don't mind waiting behind another trucker at the cashier, but when it's a 4 wheeler with kids in tow, buying enough junk to last for 2 weeks, plus paying for gas on a pump they don't know the number of, it gets a little irritating.

Most aisles are way too narrow to pass someone. Forget about looking closely at something on the shelf. You have to block the whole aisle to do so. I loved the fuel stop in Iowa that has 4 or 5 t.v.'s. And I like t.v.'s in the restaurant. I like CLEAN restrooms/showers and plenty of 'em. All these things I mentioned require enough staff to handle it. On the west coast we have In-an-Out Burger. They always have 12-15 people behind the counter, compared to Mc D and the others who barely have 3 or 4. My point being, they understand this and would rather pay for the needed extra staff so as to have their operation run very smooth.

And lastly, no gravel/dirt in the parking area and fix the pot holes quickly. How about a restroom in the parking lot so we don't have to walk all the way in to go, or, as some people do, go behind their truck. And no homeless bums wondering around the lot either.