has parking always been this bad?

That is BS.
If you are not smart enough to plan your trip it doesn't matter if you run elogs or paper.

 

Well, now you see..here is the issue. This forum has a ton of OTR company drivers input. Nobody here gives insight on those hourly drivers in day cabs pushing their hours just to reach home or log book guys that HAVE to fudge them to pick up and deliver because the product was delayed by the shipper or receiver. So your point is valid for OTR company drivers.

 

Open deck. Park where they sell, repair, or store what's on the deck. They think it's for them and nobody bothers you.

 

I do my best to avoid this issue by running at night. If you have a good DM and you can handle switching to the graveyard shift, most places I have been with will work with you on delivery times as long as they know you will be running the night shift more than not. I have been able to do this for the last 2-3 years fairly successfully. By the time I drop my load off and get parked its 9am and the truck stops are empty.

 

Either you dont get around much. Or i don't get around much. Cuz i don't see many americans anymore.

 

My contention is parking went bad with the hours of service change to 10 hours off. In the late 90s my folks moved up 700 miles north from Calif to Wash and I would do night drives to go visit them. Anyway, I used to see trucks parked late at night at almost every on ramp on I-5. They could split their time off or just do 8 hours off and get back rolling again. Almost always gone before the soccer moms got up.

I've been out here only the last 6 years but I see parking is tough between 1800 and 0100. One big trick is to learn how to split break so you're not gonna be looking for parking during that time. Say you start your day at 0700 drive 2 hours to the shipper then by 1030 they have you loaded . If you wait there half an hour more or so off duty or sleeper you have your 2 hour break recorded for your split. Drive 5 or 6 more hours say, 1600 or so and take 8 hours in the sleeper now, easy parking and when you get up you completed your ten and have 6 or 5 hours left to drive then take a 2 hour break sometime around breakfasttime.

 

I am slowing down in my old age

 

I never slow down.

 

Wasn't my fault they Government ed me!!

 

OK I stopped reading here. I usually read all post before I respond in any way. But the ignorance here I can't ignore. Are all truckers suppose to be dumb white guys from Texas? Seems you all ran to the oil fields and now are trying to earn a living.

"I see dumb people"

Should have been the tag line from that movie.