New TA parking policies being put in place...

I've always had unpleasant experiences at TA's. Terrible parking lots, dirty showers, not so great food, un-welcoming employees...PFJ's are a lot nicer but probably 90% of them are understaffed. Loves seems to be the nicest of the 3, just a lot smaller all around. If all service plazas were like the ones on the Ohio turnpike with free showers and giant parking lots I think truck stops would vanish

 

I think I could have written this post word for word, as they've all been my experiences as well.

 

I love turbo chicken.

 

I wonder how full those lots would be on the weekends with abandoned trucks while their drivers were on home time?

It would be a giant storage facility were it not for the fees.

 

Just try to trip plan all the more to avoid the place. Everything in the store is overpriced and not even desirable for a lot of drivers. The only thing I like is the hard boiled eggs, everything else is either garbage food or way too pricey. No point in throwing away money with what a driver makes.

 

Agreed. It's pretty hard to screw up hard-boiled eggs.

 

Those showers on the turnpike aren't free if your paying to drive on those roads though?

 

Good point lol but if you get off the turnpike to go to a truck stop then you have to pay for the shower and the toll

 

Well they would have to pay a person to walk up and down the fuel island kicking people out of it. I mean how many people do you see taking their 30, or walking out from the shower, all while being parked in the fuel island?

 

You can thank NATSO (National Association of Truck Stop Operators) from making sure that will never happen. For as long as I have been in the trucking business, 40+ years, many states have petitioned the DOT to allow the development of travel centers right on the interstate right of way, exactly like places like the OH Tpk, NY Thruway, PA Tpk, etc have since they were built. NATSO, fearing competition to their members have spread enough money around Congress every time this legislation is proposed to stop it dead in it's tracks.

Many companies like Marriott, Marathon Oil, that provide those locations are willing to build and maintain them at their expense, and pay a hefty franchise fee(taxes) to the state for the chance. It would be a win/win for all motorists, especially truckers who desperately need the facilities, and the state gets needed tax revenue.
But Nooooooo...
Don't get me started.