Cool all of them right in my back yard. And yet I never remember being in any one of them. I really don't have any use for truckstops. I got to make a note to stop and look at the Walt Whitman though, maybe I'm missing something

The big deal is that even though it's a company truck, if I don;t have a reason to have my motor running, I don't run it. The heat wave broke a little over a week ago here in the midwest, and I have not had to run my motor for coolling at night. I can drop the windows and leave the bumk vents open and get a decent nights sleep. I rarely run the engine in winter (6 nights last winter) but do once in a while in summer when there's no choice. I sleep better with the engine off and don't waken every couplke of hours to check the gauges. So I don't want to p;ark next a reefer that starts up and roars through my open windows at random intervals through the night. Some people idle their engines year round, I'm not one of them.

I guess the absolute worst truckstop I've seen would be a toss-up between the rathole in Plant City, Florida and the truckstop that was torn down in Phoenix to make way for the Pilot. Anybody remember that place in Phoenix? The shower was one big room with a bunch of showerheads and a trench. While you were taking a shower, you could watch someone else's filth run past you in the trench. Great place. That dump was demolished around 1996 I believe.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.

Hey, it was good enough for Alcatraz. Ha, ha,...

__________________
Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

Hey if it's good enough for the convicts, it is good enough for the truck drivers.

The top 3 baddies I can think of are the Pilot (the old Williams) in Dallas at x.472. Well, really its not the Pilot but more the streets around it where trucks park. Lots of drugs, lizards, and pimps. Every time we go in there one or both of us are propositioned.

The second bad one is that one in Yuma,AZ on I8. It's been awhile but I think it is a 76, maybe. Anyone who has been there knows what I'm talking about. My old co-driver was driving with a friend at a different company and they stopped there. My old co-driver was stabbed and his friend beaten real bad by thieves for their wallets. Both spent a couple of weeks in the hospital.

And number 3 would have to be the TA in Columbia,MD off of I95. Something is always going on. I can't even take the dog out because I'm paranoid he'll step on a used needle. It's very disgusting in the parking lot, the employees have cornered the market on rudeness, and the building has a faint stinky odor. We avoid this TA at all costs.

The best 3 for safe parking lots, ok to good food, and cordial staff that I can think of is Petro in Breezewood,PA (excellent shop personnel); Kens on I90 outside Seattle (I think its a TA now); and Clint's on I30 x.44 in AR. Clint's has great coffee and pretty good food, ok to good staff. But, they have a crappy fuel island. On the plus side about Clints, the Rip Griffin (I think its a TA now) is on the other side of interstate so we usually get fuel and junk food at Rip-Offs then go to Clint's for good food and coffee.

I know it was long winded but I hope this helps someone.

I was just at a very good truckstop visiting a trucker friend of mine this week.

The Petro at the interchange of I-90, I-94, and I-39/StHWY51 in Wisconsin - Near Portage

The coffee is great, service is usually great, and the food is pretty good for a truckstop (Try the omlletes)
The parking area was a little dim, but nobody who didn't belong was there, NOT ONE... Well... I was there.
I felt safe leaving my car running and unlocked next to the truck while we were inside (I was grilling for advice on living on the road)

As Petro's go, that one is among the best. I pass by that one twice a week....and stop in on occasion for a meal.

However, on my way out to Hudson every week, I really like the Kwik-Trip truckstops, and especially the one at Tomah, at exit 143 on I-94.

Another favorite place of mine is the Truckstop at exit 160 on I-90/I-94/I-39, in Edgarton. Ray's Restaurant rocks....

The Walt Whitman is one nasty place. I live in South Jersey so I'm glad that I don't need to frequent that one. Another one that is very dangerous is the Delaware Truck Stop on 13 in New Castle,DE. It sits behind a Hooters and the cops don't even go back in there. You can't really see it from the road. I stopped there in the middle of the afternoon once and vowed to never go back. The TA in Paulsboro, NJ is nice, if you can find a spot. They now have idleaire and a good resturant and a little mini shopping center next door with a CB shop and other stores. You can also hit the Dunkin' Donuts, McDonalds and some other fast food stops without moving the truck.

One truckstop I hated from a manuvering standpoint is that one at the Southington exit off I-84 just south of Hartford, CT- very tight parking area and I was always afraid someone was going to hit me in there. From a driver safety standpoint there were many where I felt I had to be vigilant. Any of them in West Memphis had suspicious characters lurking. Also the Petro off I-285 in Atlanta and the Pilot on Hwy 78 near Birmingham was fun too.