What truck stops to avoid?

For the most part...... the closer you get to any major city, the worse the truck stop will be......

 

That's the Council Bluff area,always a spot at a casino there, and nowhere near a Flying J.
I stay at the Horseshoe Casino there and go to the Hooters and look at all the homely girls, ;(

 

This isn't a bad T/S just an oddball one: The Flying J in Frazier Park CA on I-5. The whole place has this creepy vibe to it, it reminds me of the hotel from The Shining. Especially since the building is laid out like a maze you almost expect an axe wielding psycho to jump out from behind a corner.

Then the shower heads were apparently made for five foot tall patrons as you have to literally bend your knees and almost kneel it get underneath them. Otherwise it's a pretty neat place to catch a 34. If you go exploring behind the lot in the shrubby wilderness you'll find disposed truck tires, old tools, and even an abandoned tent. Speaking of the tent, it looks like it has been at the mercy of the elements for several years. The oddest part of all is the owner clearly left in a hurry as one of his shoes is still next to it as well as unopened cans of food and a sleeping bag.

 

Avoid all West Memphis AR, Gary IN, Flying J Dallas TX, Pilot East St. Louis IL. Pilot, and Flying J Birmingham AL. All in Jackson Mississippi area. All big metro areas avoid.

 

No mention of Indy yet.
I always was told the top 5 were (and this goes for any ts in the city
1: Gary,
2: Atlanta
3: Indy
4: Dallas
5: Laredo

 

Add Memphis area to this list too......

 

I like the Dog Track in West Memphis, good people there

 

I was going to say any truckstop that has their own armed security guard, but I think you just named all of them that I have been to. Lol. Not that I've ever actually feared for my safety. Mostly just crackheads looking for handouts. Ignore them.

 

The truck stops in Harrisburg use to be bad about 10 years ago......there was one next to the TA, I think it was a Cowboys about 10-12 years ago and it was bad. Good if you liked commercial company.

To add to my comment above about being near big cities and truck stops.....

That BP in Maxton NC is the outlier..... that place is filled with em....

 

There's plenty of small independent truck stops all over that have questionable parking with 12" deep pot holes.

Will second any of the truck stops in south Dallas. But example, the Dallas J is not bad but only if you know what to expect, get in well before dark, and have good backing skills. As long as the tweaked out methhead chick is not mobile, and once you get settled in, it's tolerable. The other options in Dallas area is almost non-existent, so you have to learn to manage your expectations with the truck stops around major cities.

I hate the south Atlanta Pilot.

Also, the Loves in Tacoma should be avoided at all costs with the exception of a few slower days of the week, at off-peak hours.

Also, around thanksgiving and Christmas, expect all truck stops near larger cities (that do not have pay to exit program) to be inaccessible due to all the long-term parkers.