Questions to Help Improve a Small Truck Stop

Alot of room in the parking lot. Some basic drugs like sleep aids, laxatives, immodials, First aid stuff, Beano, etc. Free shower privleges with a fill up. (Car wash is much cheaper, just spray on soap, and rinse for 3.00). Free towels, and shower shoes. Locking door on shower.
Deli for sandwich making stuff. Good cigar selection.
Safe area, Concealed carry allowed.
Just off the top of my head.

 

I agree with just about everything said here. And not many have mentioned...ALLOW CONCEAL CARRY. Also, what was one of my biggest things when I drove a truck (I quit 01/04/16) was not so much how big the parking lot was...more so how it was laid out. The TA in Morris Illinois is a perfect example. Very well laid out, and a lot of parking.

 

Great food with a Large salad bar. And plenty of fresh fruit.

 

Tamera, I use the CAT scale location brochure when I'm looking for a truckstop in a new area.

As far as what I'm looking for, the following make a big difference, especially the first two:
A good sit-down restaurant that isn't expensive (we drivers know that TS operators charge a higher markup in their restaurants and stores than are found in facilities that aren't geared towards trucks);
Fresh windshield water and long-handled squeegees *that are in good repair* at the fuel islands;
A paved parking lot free of potholes;
The entrance and exit (from the public roadway) that are wide enough to allow easy entry & exit;
Trash cans (or dumpsters) that are available throughout the facility and emptied often;
Restrooms that are cleaned often;
A free fountain drink or coffee with the purchase of fuel.

I wish your client prosperity.

 

On the wish list here but it would be nice if someone made a drive through fast food for trucks.

The did used to have them in CT but they tore them out on the latest refresh.

I figure a post gate like a cat scale then run a route past the building where a Micky Burger employee could run out to you.

Or Sonic, it fits with their MO and you can have a card reader at the gate.

 

Make sure the female employees don't call you by terms of endearment. Nothing worse than having some ugly woman call me sweetheart or honey buns.

I went into a truck stop on I-81, Virginia, the very loud waitress called me a different name each time she spoke. She must have used 7 names, sweetheart, honey, darling, etc.. I thought I was in a Korean Whorehouse.

-No fee ATM's
-hot food all night.
-Don't do 2 for 1's. If 2 soda's are $3, then make 1 soda $1.50 not $1.79
-Train the employees not to get pissed if we don't wanna talk.
-There are free magazines for convenience stores that have ideas.
-go to other truck stops and convenience stores to see what they do.
-Make truckers pay for fuel at the pump. Nothing worse than seeing sometrucker tying up the cashier.
-Make trucksers use trans-flo themselves, so they don't tie the cashiers up.
-Don't over charge drivers just because they have no place else to go.
-If they have a sit down restaurant, don't shut 1/2 of the seating down at night. Nothing worse than being forced to sit at the counter huddled around the waitress.
-If you hire a ###, don't hire one with a high pitched voice. They're annoying. They had one years ago at Pilot in Cartersville, GA. He started rubbing his nose all over the bottle of Tide I was trying to buy. He told me In (his gay voice), that's his favorite smell of all time. When I got done with him he started talking normal again and was fired. They only speak gay-tone to piss ppl off.
-Consider running it as a dollar store as well as a truck stop.
-Note: company drivers (99% of all truckers) can only get fuel where our co. allows. That usually means being affiliated as a franchisee or authorized dealer for a larhe chain such as pilot or AMBest or others.
-Notify all companies that publish truck stop directories of his truck stop. If He's a member of NATSO (Nat'l Assoc of Truck Stops) most truck stop directory publishers probably already list his T/S.

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I don't know, either a large percentage of kids under 30 have suddenly become gay, or they get preferential hiring (and if you need the job, wouldn't you fake it too?)

Because overnight it's everywhere!

I'm not offended it's just shocking how quickly it's become mainstream, and I say this as one of the first white kid to ever listen to rap music. When Run DMC came out with Walk This Way it was still odd to be a white boy in an Addias tracksuit, but when Vanilla Ice came out (blech!) all the sudden the backwards cap Bro's were stoked they could rhyme a 4-4. *faceplam*