I've always wondered this. Should a bobtail park even with the regular trucks in these truck stop spots? I always thought they shouldn't take a full spot and should go somewhere else but I digress. I just now almost backed into a bobtail that was way in the back of a spot and the truck was the color of dirt so when I began backing into the gap between the two rigs, all of a sudden all kinds of air horns went off. I didn't think my angle was that bad. Turns out it had nothing to do with my backing angle at all. Turns out the gap I saw in my mirror was not the totally open spot I had seen a moment earlier, it was a couple of trucks down.
I understand bobtails want to get away from the noise of the engines idling and such but parking in the back of a spot making it look open, in my opinion, is the recipe for disaster. If you want to get away from the noise go park somewhere else, like near the front where the 4 wheelers park. No noise up there. Most truck stops have spots where bobtails can park and they don't take spots especially over here right near Chicago where every spot is worth it's weight in gold. You're taking up one of the coveted spots that a tractor trailer could use, why not think about others?. Bobtails can park anywhere they fit.
I'm not faulting him for me almost backing into him but I think had he been where a normal truck would have been that would not have happened. In my years of trucking I have never done anything like that. Now I have been up 37 hours straight as I was unable to sleep last night due to taking a 10 hr break in the middle of the day and driving all night, so that might have had something to do with it, but I really don't think so. I made a mental note the gap was between the red truck and the dually and proceeded to back between the white truck and green truck. My head must have been quite far up my ### to do that.
Those #### bobtails...
Discussion in 'Truck Stops' started by drivingmissdaisy, Oct 16, 2019.
Page 1 of 12
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
Where else can they legally go to park? Remember just because the truck fits doesn't mean it's not trespassing....
Some truck stops have bobtail parking, and the car side of most rest areas are good, but otherwise there is no good place for them.
I will say the few times I was bobtail I always managed to either find a place or park two bobtails in one spot.Just passing by Thanks this. -
I've seen bobtails tucked into nooks and crannies in truck stop parking lots so as not to take a full spot. Had their curtains not been closed at the time I'd have thanked him. That's going out of your way to not take a full spot.
When I've been bobtail I will NEVER park in a full spot, at least not alone. I've doubled with another bobtail and that's fine. But never have I parked my bobtail in a full spot all by itself. I'd feel too guilty doing that to even be able to sleep. Heck a bobtail can park unmolested at most Wal Marts. It's the trailers that piss them off.86scotty, Trucker61016, bzinger and 2 others Thank this. -
Blowcanner1975 and starmac Thank this.
-
I've parked my bobtail in a Cricket wireless parking lot that was 2 car lengths long with about 6 feet between the parking spots. I'd never seen one that tight and I managed in there. I didn't do my 10 there I got some issues with my phone resolved but the point is that you can park a bobtail in a tight spot if you're a decent driver. -
FlaSwampRat and stwik Thank this.
-
I have always managed to fit a tractor into any marked 4 wheeler parking spot. The painted lines are maybe two inches or less all around.
It really pisses off the cars when I am at a mall and take a spot with them. Since it's lawfully parked, there isnt anything anyone can do.Trucker61016 Thanks this. -
Even truck stops the car areas tend to not be legal parking spots.D.Tibbitt, FlaSwampRat and starmac Thank this. -
And anyway, you're just upset because you seen a spot you thought you could use. Here's a revelation for you, if the bobtail wasn't there it would not have been an empty spot. One of the 50 other trucks looking to park before you would have taken it anyway.
Would it be better if truck stops would put in a row of bobtail parking? Of course. Until it happens though I'm not going to knock anyone parking legally.Studebaker Hawk, brysol01, Coffey and 7 others Thank this. -
It's not the trailer or bobtail who need rest. It's the driver. So it doesn't matter what combination or lack thereof we are talking about. Driver parks, driver rests.
Last edited: Oct 17, 2019
Studebaker Hawk, brysol01, FearTheCorn and 5 others Thank this.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 12