is finding parking really that difficult

Yes, or at least it was in my day. With the economy hovering on the edge of the crapper there's fewer trucks today.

I learned to not let that happen by using truck stops during off-peak hours and parking elsewhere whenever I could. Today, the 14 hour race prohibits or at least makes a lot of that difficult if not impossible. You can still rest whenever you're tired, but that leads to unemployment.

There are thousands, probably, of other long-established "traditional" areas to park in urban areas the guys who run there all the time use. A lot of these can be spotted from interstates. If I was driving today I'd use Google Maps satellite view to find more of those. Every city has industrial areas, and they're usually right off the interstate.

 

why buy a book and support the truckstop bank. when there's an app for that. for free.

 

I remember the old truck stop guide, maybe an inch thick, printed on newsprint. Off the beaten trail the only thing it was good for was getting you in trouble. If a place sold diesel, it must be a truck stop!

I got to one in the bay area, it was nothing more than a gas station. There would have been room for 3 trucks if not for the 4-wheelers parked there. Oops. Now I have little idea where I am, no room to turn around, and no idea of which way to go, and the light is green.

Today, I'd pop the brakes right there, but I was a rookie, so I went straight and ended up on one of those peninsular roads, water on both sides, no cross roads for miles. Apparently I was so traumatized I can't remember how I got out of that one, but I do remember what I did with that "truck stop guide".

 

I seem to luck into those spots every once in a while at the T/A in Dundalk where everyone is looooooong. My little 233" + 53' can slide right in there.

There was a story a while ago about one spot at a Flyin J that was always empty. Apparently there was a couple of cabover drivers that took turns backing in form different angles just because they could LOL.

 

Walmart's changed, then, I guess. I never did anything but D&H there. I got the impression they wanted contractors on/off the property ASAP.

I imagine there's a certain reluctance on their part to suffer the consequences of unprofessional drivers acting out on their frustration of being jerked around for 3-5 hours...

 

Don't ever let it get to where you have to park on a ramp for the night.You may get a rude awakening from an officer.You start looking for a place to park an hr or so before your drive time is up.In Wisconsin its illegal to park on ramps unless its an emergency and running out of hrs is not an emergency that's drivers error.It to get out in the east coast like Balitimore ,you need to find a place early or really any major city.But parts of the Midwest and west coast its pretty easy to find a spot no matter what the time is.

 

Don't start looking for a place an hour before you park. Know where your going to park before your day starts. Remember big name truck stops are not the only legal options for parking there is plenty of parking if your smart and plan ahead.

 

dont ever let the naysayers dissuade you from the ability to do your job properly
anyone doesnt find a legal spot to park in by the end of the day
isnt doing his job by definition
it of course is harder when you first start out to become a driver

 

yes, also when you find a truckstop, rest area, or even open lot somewhere with plenty of room try to remember it or make a note. What you don't want to do is pull into a Pilot with 30 spaces at 8 pm and expect to get a spot.