how do they pay for free showers?

There are no free showers. The day you quit trucking, they take the cost of all of the 'free' showers out of your last paycheck.
I bet they didn't tell you that in truck driving school, did they?
That's why you see so many dirty truckers out here. They think they're outsmarting the system by not getting a shower, but they forgot about the RFID chips in the pfj hot dogs they eat. They track you wherever you go. If you even get within 20 feet of a shower, it triggers a charge.
Flirt with the ugly gal at the fuel counter? You rack up a new shower charge per minute, more if she is really offended and you are wearing a bluetooth headset at the same time.
You can't win out here.

 

Is this for real?

 

Rearview, great video

 

Put things into perspective here.

Showers used to be free. They were community showers and you had to keep one side of the shower curtain open to watch your stuff.

Then truck drivers started forgetting to return towels so there was a towel cover charge up to $5.

That turned into truckstops wanting to keep the $5 and they charged another $5 towel deposit.

For $6.00 you could get a room at Whiskey Petes.

For the $12 plus they charge now, you could buy a full steak dinner with all the fixings, a free shower, someone to put the fuel in your truck if you fueled, and a thermos of free coffee and you still had money left after tipping the waitress to buy breakfast in the morning and tip that waitress.

I would worry more about how we as truckers are set up to be gouged by these truck stops.

 

@rearview

we are WAY past those days, don't even hope on going back either.
my favorite major chain is Petro followed by TA, but I prefer to give my business to small moms and pops. Love being out west for unical/76's, wilco/Hess off 95.
I hit a shell over in Kalama Washington, the other day- enough parking for around 50 trucks, no shower, small building, great food and awesome staff. Those are the gems I like finding.


but if I haven't made it clear enough, #### flying J & pilot. That includes bosselmans, town pumps and especially road rangers.

 

I'm glad you asked this question jabber. I've been wondering the same thing. I've also been wondering how the truck stops make money every time a person uses water to flush a dump down the toilet. I've also wondered if they are losing money by giving away free toilet paper??

 

And not to mentioned, over pay a over rated college football player who has only played half a game

 

The same way they pay for everything else....price gouging their captive customer base. Notice how everything on the shelves at a truck stop is at least double what it would be elsewhere.