How common is it that drivers will block the fuel isle for 30 min?

Depends on where you fuel. I've only ever been blocked once, and I asked the guy to move. The only reason I even asked him to move was because I was about to piss my pants, and I didn't want to be at the pump, I wanted to be pulled forward. He was cool about it.

 

It was bad before, but after new HOS got implemented last year, that break can be done on duty, it became horrible

 

When you have as many clueless foreigners and CDL mill super stars in the industry as we do, its going to happen.

The industry was never this bad until the mega fleets starting flooding the industry with the under and barely qualified in a desperate attempt to fill empty seats.

 

I bought got ran over by a woman driving the Knight truck.
Was walking back to my truck, shecame highballing it through the truck stop, swung wide, around me to scale, then parked at fuel island.
Been there about 20 minutes.
She had her window down as she went by, and I yelled at her, “Get outta the way!” And she looked at me all funny like, I’m in High visibility FR clothing, you can’t miss me.
Another driver said something and I said loudly before she made it to park at the fuel island, that I figured she would, she looked like one of those unable to back up.

 

47 minutes.
They just made her move.

I missed the truck number as I was eating and couldn’t get phone up fast enough.
She still couldn’t back though.

 

It happens at least 80 percent of the time. A walk past the fuel islands is all that is needed to see that the majority of trucks are not fueling. They may have finished, or may have stopped for other reasons, or may have parked for the night, but they are not fueling. I've had guys block the pump not fueling, and eventually when the got back, it was only to move forward of the pump to start blocking again.

It's gotten to the point that fueling is my least favorite part of trucking. I'll take a slow shipper/receiver any day over a trip to the fuel island.

 

this is why i was so happy with working nights. when ever i got to the truck stops, most were sleeping. some were actually fueling, but none were blocking the fuel islands.

then my last job, was a bonus. we had onsite fueling, so now the only time i stopped at the truck stop, was to get a roller dog and a coffee, and i'd be able to find a parking spot, at about 2 in the mornings.

this crap will continue, and if 18 year old's get to drive? expect more stupid crap.

 

Yeap, worst thing about trucking is truck drivers.