Truck stop lot full

Because you shouldn't be.

 

When I have two hours left. Buy a Rand McNally map and you will know where they are. Some states also have parking areas or picnic areas. Similar to a rest stop but no bathroom.

 

You can plan on any of the major truck stops to be full by 5pm. So plan accordingly. Especially in the Northeast and some of the other major cities. If you want a good parking spot or one that's half way easy to get into, try to get to a truck stop by 3pm. Another option is to stop during the day between 9-3 and take your shower and do whatever you need to do. Then when your hours are up or its time to shut down you can park wherever. I would always find a nice quiet place to park or small mom and pop truck stop. If you have already showered during the day and you have food with you, you can park at a rest stop or pretty much anywhere you think its safe to shut down. The more experience you gain out there the more you will know where you can and can't go to park. My wife used to keep a little notebook and she would write down any place we could get into. Whether it be a good restaurant or a park, shopping plaza, etc... You'll notice a lot of the little convenience stores sometimes have parking for two or three trucks. Out in the desert and some of the more remote places have parking all over. There's a lot of little dirt parking places in which you can camp for the night and not be bothered. These are some of the best places! Up in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana etc.. there are a lot of little pull-offs next to a river or creek and not only can you park for the night but you can do a little fishing too!

A good tool to use to help find places to park is Google Earth. If you have a smart phone you can use the DAT trucker service app or something similar. If you are still stuck in the stone age you can pick up a good ol' truck stop guide. Probably good to have for backup anyway.

Its going to be a little frustrating and stressful for you out there at first. Going to take you a good three to four months of wondering around the country before you get the feel for it and are comfortable. The absolute best thing you can do to help yourself is practice your trip planning as much as you can. Learn to read your map inside out and also take the time to learn how to use all of the tools in there. A good Road Carriers Atlas should have absolutely everything you need in it. So take the time to read it and study it. Once you learn how to get places and how long it takes to get there, you will find planning your day out much easier. Also the better you are at trip planning the more money you are going to make! If you're good at trip planning this will allow you to maximize your mileage and allow you to make those 4200 miles a week! Being good at trip planning will also help your dispatcher. You'll be able to give them more precise times and eta's to pick ups and deliveries, allowing them to be able to know when to work on your next load. Ultimately, as soon as you get your load assignment you should do your trip plan and let your dispatcher know as soon as possible when you can be there. Now they know to be looking out for your next load. Once you prove you can do this time and time again, your dispatcher will know that they are able to count on you and this is when they will be a little less scared to stack loads on you. Stacking loads is what makes the big money!

This is also one of the biggest reasons I recommend the smaller carriers. At the mega-carriers you won't be able to work hand in hand with your dispatcher like you can at the smaller companies. Your dispatcher is your key to success and if you can establish a good working relationship with each other you will be very successful. At the small carriers, most of the dispatchers work off of commission and its also in their best interest to have a driver they can count on and work well with. You scratch each others backs...... and this brings us full circle back to finding a parking spot a 5pm. Now because you are a good trip planner and have a good working relationship with your dispatcher, you won't find yourself in Jersey trying to find a place to shut down at 5pm.

 

Another tip.... Download the apps for TA, Loves, Pilot, etc. It will tell you where they are, how many parking spaces and showers they have. Also, get from these places their free location guide brochures. Sometimes it's easier to use these than the apps.

 

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What an idiot driver, mistakes happen but a parking garage, you have to be dummy of the year .

 

"I do not understand how a driver could even make this mistake"

I'm going with tis wasn't a mistake- I'm pretty sure this driver chose to abandon and fly home. I'm sure he made his flight on time.

 

Well if RHM isn't around i'll park at the fuel island and wait for a parking spot to open up.

 

On I-94 in WI (outside of Milw and Madison) I sometimes see trucks pulled over on the side of on-ramps at night with just their non-driving lights on (yeah, I'm not a driver and don't know the proper term). Are they there because they are out of hours and is it legal to park there?