what do you do when truck stops are full

All depends, paper or eLogs? Each situation, location and time is a bit different but welcome to trucking in 2013.

 

park in the fuel isle lol
I look for local factories with big parking lots or walmart, kmart lowes, home depot ect. exit ramps....

 

Park it in the ditch?

 

I don't normally have this problem, only a handful of times can I remember not being able to grab a spot at a t/s. In cases like that I look for a wal-mart, lowes or anywhere with a public washroom. Lol

 

I dont get why guys dont use more of the reststops most of the time there empty

 

I used to when I was a new driver. I use them less in the winter because, what happens if a big snow storm comes in or the truck won't start? Also, even though the food is overpriced and generally not the greatest at the truck stop, I like to be waited on. Then there are tv/movie rooms at some truck stops. You can also shower there (spread the word!).

I generally only look to go to a rest area if my plan is just to park it and go directly to sleep.

 

There are several options open to you:

Many Walmarts allow you to park overnight. Not only can you sleep, but you can pick up some things you have been needing
Rest Areas usually fill up quite a while after truck stops, so that's a good place to try.
I have parked in Lowes Home Improvements parking lots several times with no problems. PLUS They have FREE high speed internet

Get yourself a good truck stop guide and hop on the CB and ask other drivers. we love to lend a helping hand.


Thanks,
Paul

 

You may want to start buying a lot of your own food at Walmart and use a refrigerator and a George Foreman cooking grill preparing your own meals. It will save you a lot of money. Being "waited on" does get costly over a period of time.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

I usually try to plan ahead but of course this isn't always an option. If I have driven to/from a customer several times and know the area well I try to remember which truck stops were not full at that time. I'll usually have the option to drive down the road a bit further and stop at a rest area. There were a few times I just ran out of time and had to pull over on the exit or entry ramps. Most heavy traffic areas if you don't get a spot by 1900 you are out of luck. When I could I would drive nights because you had less traffic to deal with and always had a spot in the morning. It's all about where you run and how you run...but again there are just times when you have no choice. Keep your CB on as well. Sometimes people will flag you down if they see you are looking for a spot and they are about to pull out.


P.S....The best thing I ever did was buy one of the small pocket size T/S list. It lists everything by city and mile marker so easier to find other stops in the area. Also it lists the length of the highway so if you are close to another state and still haven't found a stop you might be able to cross the state line and find another T/S if you have the hours.