TA changing to all paid parking??

Discussion in 'Truck Stops' started by Brucesmith, Aug 26, 2018.

  1. Studebaker Hawk

    Studebaker Hawk Road Train Member

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    The thread name should be changed to "TA changing to customer exclusive parking". I think that is their intention. They want to do business with a closed loop set of customers eventually. They want to provide parking, fuel, service, store and restaurant to customers that use most if not all of the services they provide.. T/A would rather not even do business with an "occasional" customer, and certainly wants to restrict use of their facilities to entities that purchase practically nothing.
    And it makes perfect sense. It would be an exclusive "club " of sorts, your membership would be tracked by how much you spend at T/A locations. No longer would I spend $300 on fuel and still have no where to park when the lot is filled with trucks whose drivers have not spent a dime in any T/A. Regular repeat customers are welcome, non-customers just keep on going. The current parking reservation system would give priority to customers with high point totals, not just anyone who fires up the app as it is now.
    There are several other advantages for both T/A and whatever companies choose this business model. If you are a regular customer you are far less likely to trash the joint or act in an inappropriate manner, lest you get your and your companies "privileges" revoked. It would no longer be Mr AnyTrucker who rolls onto your lot, it would be a business "partner"
    They have a valuable commodity, they realize it, and are going to exploit it any possible way. The basic truck stop model of yore is not sustainable, this is among many changes that will occur.
     
    wire, MEscobar48, TIMPTE 527 and 2 others Thank this.
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  3. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    I've always heard they figure you break even or a little better for all your expenses on fuel and then make money selling candy bars and pop. I've also been told the most expensive part of fountain pop is the ice, don't know if that's still true today this was in the early 90s I think dad said.
     
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  4. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Im not familiar with ice. If you made your own with a powerful ice chest as we did in our Tavern for the bar purposes upstairs you would think we go through a awful lot of it. (5 buckets three times daily business hours. Pretty much emties the large icemaker twice daily) The water bill is probably the smallest expense. I wont pretend to know what it costs to ice a fountain drink machine at the TA.

    If that is what your father says then I will believe him and let it go at that.

    Im pretty sure the TA like most truckstops will have a markup on the stuff sold be it food, drinks or baubles inside the gift shop.
     
  5. Rubber duck kw

    Rubber duck kw Road Train Member

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    You don't stop for an hour and log it as ten, you don't cheat anymore than you could actually plausibly make up by pushing the speed limit, they WILL catch that. What works is when you can drive an extra couple hours today, get where you have to go by 7 or 8, and they don't open till 8 so it all evens out just nice perfectly, this all just theoretical and hypothetical of course.
     
  6. prosidius

    prosidius Light Load Member

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    Keep in mind that TA is the only public company of the big 3 chains. Loves and P/FJ are family owned. That said I absolutely despise what TA is doing with parking. I stayed at the TA in downtown Nashville the other day and they had a big section of the free spots blocked off with jersey walls to force drivers to pay for parking. (There was no event in downtown Nashville that day , but I know they also sell spots to 4 wheelers for titans games).
     
  7. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    The daily revenue from reserved parking (some of you call it “paid parking”) probably just barely covers their daily refuse collection and hauling expenses. Have you noticed the ridiculous amounts of trash they collect, numerous times each and every day?
     
    06driver Thanks this.
  8. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    PFJ is owned by the Haslam family. But Warren Buffet and his Berkshire Hathaway company recently bought 35% of the company and will control the whole thing in a few years.
     
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  9. 06driver

    06driver Road Train Member

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    And the original owners of Flying J still have a small stake.
     
  10. TIMPTE 527

    TIMPTE 527 Medium Load Member

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    I agree with this man 100%. The people that buy fuel and other retail, or shop related purchases should have priority. There's nothing more to add to the above post. Very well stated.
     
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  11. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    Wait.
    You mean they think i should have to buy anything to get FREE parking.
    I am an American Trucker. It is in the constitution that says "All truckers get FREE parking". I think it was Thomas Jefferson who put that in there. And all parking spots are to be within 10 feet of the front door.
     
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