Another good Truck Stop bites the dust to the Monster

**SmokeyCowboy009** · 04.26.2012

As it says, the Cheers T/S exit 12 I57 in SE Mo has been sold out to the Pilot Corp.
We need to go after Pilot and tell them to leave the good places alone. We dont need more crappy places that dont provide services to truckers... ie customer service no service, we just want your money...

**48Packard** · 04.26.2012

Swell. Just flippin' dandy.

Don't get that way much, but Cheers is usually where I stopped when I was in that neck o' the woods.

**skibum_63** · 04.27.2012

We are the Borg
resitance is futile
We will asimulate you.
WE ARE THE BORG.

**Ladyblue379** · 04.27.2012

Great just what everybody needs, another Subway, YUK!!!!

**losttrucker** · 04.28.2012

Originally Posted by Ladyblue379

Great just what everybody needs, another Subway, YUK!!!!

I just dont get it!! Everyone complains about Pilot, even myself, hell I wont even buy fuel there, but no matter what time of day it is every mega fleet you can think of is parked there.......wether at the fuel island, on the curb, or "nosed" in

**x#1** · 04.28.2012

Originally Posted by losttrucker

I just dont get it!! Everyone complains about Pilot, even myself, hell I wont even buy fuel there, but no matter what time of day it is every mega fleet you can think of is parked there.......wether at the fuel island, on the curb, or "nosed" in

and generally all before 16:30 daily

**Allow Me.** · 04.28.2012

I would say complain to the small truck stop being bought out and ask them 'why". Pilot buying up "mom and Pops" must be making them $$$, right ? They don't build new truck stops that don't make $$$. And they make $$$ how ? By truck drivers coming in and fueling and buying their goodies. Most Pilots are busy constantly, albeit a lot of 4 wheeler customers.

**25(2)+2** · 04.28.2012

The takeover business model works better when you have proven traffic. The business also must be available to buy at a decent price for the buyer, and this goes for more than truck stops. Just look around at restaurants that have closed after having been for sale while going and unable to find a buyer at any price. I wouldn't want to operate truck stop as a standalone, either, the chains pick up traffic because of name recognition, and they don't care if some of us refuse to patronize them.

Pilot just took over the AMBest at Inver Grove Heights, MN across US52 from the the Flint Hills refinery south of the Twin Cities.

The restaurant in that place has been closed and is being remodeled into a Subway, that location has a shop, too.

The restaurant has not been much good there for quite awhile, so it's not much of a loss from what I've been told.

They are also doing lots of other remodeling to the rest of it.

Farther north, in South St. Paul, there is still an independent east a few miles off 494. There is an independent at Cannon Falls less than half an hour south. Most of the chain locations are going to Pilot, for whatever reason. I don't think they are adding any new Flying hooks.

Casey's has taken over many of the Kum'n'Go locations and some others in Iowa and MN. MN also has Super America franchises.Those don't have Subways that I have ever seen.

**Big Moe** · 04.28.2012

I used to stay at that Inver Grove Hts T/S alot. My old company had a drop yard there by the refinery. The resturaunt was fair. Not to many ppl there.. But at least it was a mom and pop. It wasnt too bad of a greasy spoon. The convient store area was decient. had lots of junk in it. A "nudie book" section bout a mile long. Typical AMBEST stuff. But It was a clean place. Not a lot of places by the cities, that was a decient stop. Pilot taking over now is going to be like everyone else. Same specials, no service, bad food.

Its a monopoly if you ask me. I'd be curious to see how many t/s's are owned by the big ones. They need to bust them up like they did the phone company.

If a few ppl own the power, we are all at their mercy. Fuel prices, etc will be all dictated by the powers that be.

Unfortunately its hard to avoid them. And if you are a company driver of a fleeet of any size, forget about it, your fueling there unless you rebel and go across the street to the run-down mom and pop.

Times are changing. But its the sign of the times. The trucking industry reflects our society.

Big Business!! Every Man For Themself!! Wheres my flip-flops..

**Scuby** · 04.28.2012

Originally Posted by Allow Me.

I would say complain to the small truck stop being bought out and ask them 'why". Pilot buying up "mom and Pops" must be making them $$$, right ? They don't build new truck stops that don't make $$$. And they make $$$ how ? By truck drivers coming in and fueling and buying their goodies. Most Pilots are busy constantly, albeit a lot of 4 wheeler customers.

Allow me I bet its one of three reasons. The first is the owners are retiring. The second is the owners of the T/S was tired of dealing with the BS that goes with running a business and wanted out. The third is the original owners kid(s) "inheirted" the T/S and didn't want to deal with the hasseles of running a business. In all three cases Pilot must've made an heck of an offer for them to do this.