It makes me sad

All the good times and good food is few and far between.Now it's all about fake and corporate greed.

 

I have seen many, dozens of independants go away. Got replaced by big box stores.

That life time and it's history and memories will also eventually go away when those of us who lived it die off.

I remember one near Knoxville in TN, lady asked how I would like that dinner (Steak) cooked? I said well done please. She smiled and said that she will try, the wood stove in the corner combined with the mountain altitude might not quite get it well done. She got close with that dinner.

I never forgot that.

 

Independents can't make it
They can't possibly get fuel at the price the big 5 get it at.
And the big boys sell so much they can afford to sell it at not much more than cost.
Then they offer specials to the bigger companies who never pay the posted price so drivers are forced to fuel there and eat toronados.
An independent just can no longer make it against the leviathans.
I remember when it was 76 truckstops and all we did was gripe about them.
I even miss them now.
Back when Chevy, GMC, and Ford still made semis.
Southfork ts in Arkansas is still pretty good for eating
JJ's up the road ain't bad either.
But mostly truckers don't support them
They just park there and fart cheap hot dogs cuz the places they spent all their money at didn't buy enough land for parking cuz they don't make money by providing decent parking for truckers.
Sad indeed

 

Wow how long you been on the road?

I started this venture in the 70's and if you were there then, you will get the idea that it started long before that.

 

Anyone remember when showers were communal, locker room style?

There were no "take a number, for a fee private stalls".

Guys used to shower in their cloths, kill two birds @ once (then change into previously "showered", dry cloths)

 

You would pull up to the fuel island, get out shower and eat. You tanks were filled and your windows cleaned, oil added if needed.. anyone remember " Bingo" truck stops?

 

Some of us still do this.

 

It is guaranteed -- In 50 years, there will be 75 year drivers longing for the days of the early 2,000's (today). They will remember fondly the Pilots and Loves and Cascadias that served so many. Today we're seeing the rise of a few others such as Quicktrip ... kind of different in terms of food offerings, but still much of the same.

I don't know what's coming but I promise it will be both better and worse then what we have today. So either enjoy what you have today or dread what is coming, or look forward to the future. Either way, you'll be fine.

Yes, I miss some of the old truck stops but they worked then because things were much different. No way they could exist in today's trucking world and this has nothing to do with the "corporate trucks stop" world we live with today, it's about changes in sheer volume, vehicle sizes, people and culture, schedules, logistics, etc, etc, etc. TA and Petro have done all they could to maintain the pre '1990's trucking world into the 2000's but they are struggling and having to change to try and keep up.

But there will always be a few "country cafes and diners" but they will always be far and few between.