Travel Centers of America is failing and will declare bankruptcy within five years.

Sign of the times,and not in a good way. TA Dayton in Eaton,OH. A few years back only a handful of these spots were paid parking. Now it’s increased to about 1/4 of the lot. And they’re not the only ones. Some of the Pilots have actually made the ENTIRE REAR ROW of the parking lot paid parking(a couple in Georgia come to mind,plus the TA in Cartersville,GA).Next thing you know they’ll make the whole lot paid parking and if/when that happens,drivers will be screwed.
At some point someone will have to say enough is enough. I know I try to look for a Mom and Pop truck stop to do my 10 because the mega brands have almost all but taken every reason away for me to stop in and buy something other than fuel or get shower points-and even then Pilot Flying J has been pulling fast ones with that issue!

 

Maybe if there was a way to discourage other drivers from using the paid parking, they'll give up on the reserved parking ########.

 

Used to be only like out East Coast or West Coast was pay 2 park..

But what ya did was buy 50 gallons of fuel and that covered you the 1st night..

If on a reset you went in the store or restaurant and spent atleast $20 and saved receipts.

That's how Ontario California worked.

 

Either way you’re still technically paying for a spot. And in some case more than what would be charged for parking! That’s how they get drivers into think they are getting free parking when in actuality it’s the opposite!
And then there truck stops are who do this and yet still charge for certain spots (Some Petro stops are notorious for this).
Basically, they’re DOUBLE DIPPING!

 

My company at that time fueled with TA so wasn't a big deal other than sitting in the fuel line an hour because everybody else was buying their 50 gallons too.

 

Crappy selection and absurdly overpriced on most stuff.

Even some Mom & Pops out there got better selection and better prices.

If they can do it certainly a mega chain like TA/Petro is more than capable.

 

Truckstops were bad before but this Covid situation has reduced my need to go inside to exactly 2 things, shower and fuel receipts.

If all they’re offering is convenience store food, (I call it “plastic food”, food wrapped in plastic.) I can buy it much cheaper from a wholesale club and stock it in my truck. Restaurants have been desperate for business so instead of lamenting that the Iron Skillet is closed I call the local Texas, Applebee’s or Friendly’s and have them run dinner out to me curbside. I’m sure this will reach a point where these “broke” truckstop companies will hire a security guard just to chase off the food delivery people.

I’ve wondered if TA’s system of policing the reserved parking is anymore complicated than sending out the guy who sweeps the lot to check if their are stickers in the window. It could be as easy as taking an old receipt or reusing the same ticket over and over. I still maintain, don’t pay for it while you can, eventually it’ll be mandatory.

Strip club/bar, game room/bar, some sort of porn shop, the spa is gone (raided?) and the “internet cafe” which has been closed for years. Still, rather spend my off time there than in the TA across the street. They’ll even sell you chicken tenders for less.

 

It's still like that in Ontario.