TA just raised shower prices really?

Good luck trying to find a decent parking spot to even get to the shower. Seems like after 5 PM everybody showers together.

 

I haven’t had that problem yet, but if I just needed a shower during a 30-min break and there was no parking, I would park anywhere (next to a CAT scale, for example). If I suspect there will be a wait time, I either reserve the shower right away or take a shower somewhere else. I almost never wait for a shower. In packed truck stops with a shower wait time and during a 10-hr break, I give it 1-2 hrs, and then reserve a shower once there is no one in line. I don’t like wasting my time waiting inside the truck stop for my shower to be ready. The truth is you never know if it will take 30 min or 1 hr.

 

Most of the changes they've been making over the last few years tend to have the opposite effect.

 

I fueled at Love's got a shower. Now parking for free at Petro not spending any money. That's funny, and they wonder why nobody is in the restaurants or buying anything from them.

 

It's because there isn't enough demand or paying customers in the middle of the night for the business to justify keeping someone on the payroll for those hours. I'm not condoning it, just saying it's a business decision on their part. I find that the highest demand for showers is most always early in the morning and late in the afternoon/evening.

 

1000 gallons per month at PFJ and you get a shower every day if you want it.....and I do when possible.

 

I like their shower program, but as an independent owner operator my cheapest choice is TA/Petro through NASTC. The independents or smaller chains are usually up to 5 cents cheaper than TA/Petro, but their showers suck and some don’t have enough locations, or worse, they don’t have any showers.

I’ve come to the realization that even if I had the daily shower program, I likely wouldn’t have the time to shower every single day. I can’t be the only trucker showering 1-2 days, or even 3 days worse case scenario. It’s sad I have actually gotten used to it.

#truckerlife

 

It seems like what you just said about spending your money at Loves then parking for free at Petro is the reason why TA/Petro is expanding their pay to park program. Why not just park at Loves even though they are smaller and always a cluster____. This is also why the sit down restaurants are disappearing because drivers wish to eat in their trucks and not the restaurants.

 

Omega1,
You hit the nail on the head. Because these huge corporations are in business to make money they will look at total sales in restaurants and the time of sales and change hours of operation or close them altogether. The same goes for showers. If there isn't a demand for them the price changes just like the paid parking is wrong but they are going to make money or close the doors.

 

PE_Trans,
Being a company driver I always had the choice to fuel where I wanted to so I chose TA/Petro. I always enjoyed the 1 stop shopping, fuel, shower, sit down restaurant and park. There is no way I wanted to find the cheapest fuel, prepare my food in the truck, shower every 2-3 days and worry about where to park for free. I understand some drivers trying to save every penny they can but after a full day on the road it is just to easy and comforting to do it at 1 truck stop. But that is just my opinion.