What are the safest and most dangerous truckstops??

to duckie,if you like the twin pilots on 78 in memphis so much you should try the hole across the street,the night clerk makes money off the drug dealers and the hoes not to call the cops on them.they have offered me drugs (showing it to me with a crack pipe in open view of the clerk)while paying for whatever im buying from the store.the pilots have security and they try to do there jobs but awile back one was beaten up real good and theyre boss told them at night not to go out of sight of the building

 

Anyone ever spent the night at some of the rest stops along I-90 in Montana or Wyoming? Rest rooms only, but sure have plenty of peace and quiet. Also, Wyoming has pull-offs (for lack off a technical term) that sure look nice for a short nap.

 

I'm curious Drivers, why is the T.A. in Jessup, MD so bad when just up the road is the Travel Port??
At least the Jessup T.A. DOESN'T charge for parking and has MUCHO spots and the food in the restaurant is a LOT better than the Travel Port, plus the waitresses in Jessup actually care and are conversive and don't become lizards at night. There is the hotel in Jessup on site that is a LOT more attractive than the one in Baltimore.
Personally I've NEVER felt uncomfortable in Jessup but quite the opposite in Baltimore.
The REAL RATHOLES:
The Petro off I-95 in Joisey near Trenton.
The Flying j across from Steel City in Gary, IN.
Never been to the Whitman in Joisey, never will either, but from ALL reports, it's a RAT HOLE.
The T.A. on I-80, west side of Jersey.
The Pilot on I-78, west side of Jersey at exit 7(?).
The T.A. in Mississippi just east of the I-20/59 split.
ALL truckstops on the loop of Atlanta!!
West Memphis speak (stinks) for itself, plus the roads are great in a off road vehicle or a Mack.
The Pilot in Laredo, soon to be outclassed by the new Flying J and T.A., for a little while that is. There's some other RAT HOLE in Laredo yet I never found it. For FREE parking get to the southeast side of Laredo to the Wally World on the OUTER loop.
I haven't been in the Northeast recently yet there is that one RAT HOLE across from the OVERCROWDED Pilot just a few miles northbound into CT. on I-95.
I never stopped in Youngstown, Ohio.
The T.A. near I-40 in downtown Albuquerque, NM., used to be a real dump however in appearance it still is. Apparently the lizards have been somewhat eliminated, however the last time I was there I didn't stay till dark yet I did eat in the restaurant and the food was rather surprisingly good.
ANY Truckstop a in the Cincinatti, OH. area. What fun are those, eh?!
Southside Dallas on I-20, T.A. AND Flying j. They're both the same: DUMPS!!

There ARE quite MANY other locations that really ain't worth even getting fuel at, yet I cannot recall more than these, so I'll submit this list as it is.

Thank You For Your Tym!!

 

Just like to add a Correction to that... Yes they do charge for Overnite parking because they revamped their parking lot where everything between the TA and Hotel is for Scale Parking Only, Which is a joke because of the construction equipment, you have to scale pu a Ticket and in the back behind the hotel they are installing a Idle Aire so it was super jacked up last time i was their about a month ago so they should be finished with that by now, any way

They charge for parking unless u get fuel or spend 20 bucks in the store or get a hotel room

 

My worst one was the noble truck stop in ga...that place gave me the creeps and also was where I once had fuel stolen.

I always loved the kenly ta in kenly nc...I stopped there for just about no reason at all sometimes.

 

All of these horror stories are great pieces of literature for an aspiring trucker. I guess it's better to hear it now than experience it firsthand and be unprepared! What do you guys/gals typically do when propositioned by a pimp/lizard/dealer?

 

The Albuquerque PD has really been cracking down on prostitution and drug dealing along Central. I think they ran some stings at the truckstops.

I do agree the restaurant at the T/A is pretty good. I remember my family was eating there during a trip to ABQ. A large group travelling in a busted down Suburban had just finished eating and the father went and paid for the meal. He came back to the table and left a tip. One of the kids came back into the restaurant, looked to make sure the dad was out of sight, and then grabbed the tip money. My dad said "Hold up son, I think your dad meant that for the waitress." The kid sneers at my dad and says "My dad said the money is for me, he's that big guy out there, he could kick your *********." My dad rolled his eyes and said "Whatever." The kid left. I wonder how many pissed off waitresses that group has left behind on their trip.

 

The T/A in Jessup is definitely a dump- and the parking lot may be large, but the spots can be tough to back into. The Muralt's in Missoula MT was nice- especially the showers. I never minded parking in Gary (at the T/A, ex 6) or in youngstown-I would park at the sin bin at night, get some sleep and then in the morning drive across the street to the T/A and get a shower,breakfast etc.
BTW- if you don't like the T/A in Gary, stop at the one in Lake Station (big potholes) or Porter (best of the three). Good luck if you try the gary pilot- that place is always a [mess.]

 

Steel City has good food. Don't forget the shuttle bus that picks up drivers in the truck park.

Bad place: I-465, exit 4, Pilot in Indy. When you pull out of the fuel island, then go in to settle your fuel bill, be VERY certain you set your brakes. That downslope will bury the nose of your tractor in the exit ramp from the interstate.

'Nother bad place: Bandit truck stop, I-80, eastern Pennsylvania. Well named.