Would you haul this?

That's why they call it trip planning. Always, have a ready list of several Truck Stops along your route, that you can stop at or at the least, use Google to make sure they are truck capable. Texas, is bustling with truck friendly areas that you can park. Just south of where you were, there was at least one Quick Trip truck capable under construction but looking mostly finished in April Google maps, so it should have been finished. There's the Exxon..there's at least one in Buda I used to stop at, and then there's always the Walmart's if in dire need.
Point is, you should keep a mental note and learn of new one's along your route in case something like a back up happens that you can use as an alternate stopping place for those contingencies. That's what is the purpose and intent of trip planning. Not just figuring out the fastest most direct route.
This helps you get the max miles if you know where you can go...and if you have time left to drive because you had a good run with no interruptions for the day, you extend your driving distance to the next truck stop if you have the time and ability to make that distance in that time. I was always recalculating how much farther I could get, and of course, take into consideration, any large cities you'd have to go through before you hit that next spot.

 

just saw that on the news. Was hoping it wasn’t you. Freaking Eye 35 is a disaster waiting to happen at any second.

 

lol it sure is. When I wAs still down there it seemed like alot of people were stressed out and angry. Out. Of. My. Way. Man.

 

I hear you, just saying, if you live there, you should have scoped out tons of other areas. Texas vs Michigan for truck parking, I'll take Texas any day of the week and twice on Sunday. They just built a new truck stop near me, finally, but hear tell it's owned by guys that own a trucking company and they're persnitckety about people not fueling there and parking. They even have jerks (that's the only word for them) who park their cars to save their truck spot. There needs to be an ordinance, that no car parking in a truck parking spot...period. But...things are getting stupid out here, so it's not surprising. Here, I can park at a Meijer's (grocery store) if need be, by asking politely...at least for overnight, that is if the local citizen mafia hasn't ordinanced out commercial vehicle parking in their city. I say screw em all, and let them starve, and pretty soon they'll kiss your tires when you come through.

 

You're right, and stopping early is an equally valid tactic..but you still need to know where the truck stops are along the route. Just means you get an early start to get there, which is why my plan is always to drive till 4 - 6 am, then someone is leaving the truckstop, I get to park, get up around 2 - 4 pm and drive the same or drive a short distance to my final and park there. The option is I get there when I get there usually after 2 p.m. You're one of the guys whose parking spot I'd be getting.

 

Good place to park north of Austin is exit 266 or 267. Big lit up stop with a ton of open parking for OS. South of Austin exit 180, go right at stop sign if SB. Or you can park in Shertz. Exit 174 take a right into the business park. Big roads usually empty and you can turn around easy. Road right near the Amazon distribution building. Just for future reference!