Stripes Truck Stops Going Downhill?What's Up?

What do you spend there? $10 per month?
How much do you spend at Pilot? Thousands in fuel alone?

Pilot is killing these smaller truck stops and I hate to see it. I do not want the only option to be a mega fuel chain. "but they give points" or "they have nice showers" blah blah blah. They are killing what were once profitable family run businesses. And the average driver eats up the crap about Pilot's nice showers or how Loves gives 5 points a gallon whatever it is. Bunch of nonsense.

The same fuel discounts can be found through all these small chains, but big companies know their drivers are mostly too dumb/ignorant to seek them out and plan a fuel route along their way, so they do the deal with the devil. I can't blame the big companies for doing it, easier on their part. Just sad how it is all going down.

 

It's about time people realize that most small truckstops are #### holes.
Sure they always have parking at any hour, because their food sucks, their showers look like they're from a 1970 horror movie, and their coffee taste like an old dish cloth.
That's why they always have parking there.
#they'retheirthere

 

You make it sound like you are going to contract some yet tonne discovered disease if you even let up on the throttle of your governed 65 mph freightliner.

Perhaps if you or someone you know ever get the courage to fire up their own business people will say "small places suck" or "wal mart will sell it to me for less". You really think pilot or wal mart is ever going to give you a few bucks for your kids little league jerseys? Ya right. I guess it's all good though; you saved a few bucks. Cut off the nose to spite the face is how I see it. We live in a society where everyone knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.

 

Some of you might not have been alive long enough to get into some of the nicer smaller places that are now paved over with a parasitic big box store or something.

They got buried properly in many good places. Unfortunately.

If a truckstop is going bad, and you notice, generally it is going bad. Find another one if possible. Pilot is not the king in my book. Some of my best times Ive had in smaller stops. Most of which are gone now.

I did however notice many changes when cell phones got cheaper in the late 90's truckstops no longer were able to make any kind of business on a room full of pay phones, then ripped out the table phones then the booths then self fast food then then then.

If a truckstop cuts themselves down then they should sell and get out while they can.

I hate to be difficult but there will be a time coming when the entire concept of a truckstop means nothing at all.

 

Yep thanks to loves and pfj the little guy is on the way out sad to say , Sapp bros. Based in Omaha is about the last holdout among small chains and even they are getting greedy at 15.00 for a shower .
Its dog eat dog anymore .

 

The truck stop dies as the mega carrier grows.

More and more drivers eating ramen out of the truck cause they can't afford a sit down meal at the end of their day (or of the belief that a good, juicy, greasy hamburger will be the death of them) means more and more truck stops gotta either cheap out on the food or get rid of it completely.

More drivers parking at the shipper or receiver to "maximize their clock" (cause running yourself into an early grave is CLEARLY worth $40-50,000 per year maximum) means less money spent at the truck stop.

More idiot private citizens screaming about trucks and squeezing truck stops means less space for those of us who actually spend money at truck stops to park.

Truck stops are dying. Soon it will be "get fuel and get out!" like many small Pilots and Loves today. And guys like me will be well and truly screwed.

 

Of all the stops, the small ones, there is or was (Most likely was...) a little one on a ridge north of 40 somewhere in the cumberland plateau west of Knoxville. Pulled in fixing to get a full meal and a rest until I got the bad road off me.

Put in for a full steak dinner well done please. The grandma behind the counter pointed at the wood stove and said she will do her best but in the mountains you gets what you gets which is plenty good.

Ive only been in there once. But I will never forget that meal. She did good.

Another tiny stop is summit my name for US 15 south of near Williamsport PA, you literally come over the top of a pull and swing left then park and walk across to the lunch counter 24/7 meals. I generally enjoyed the roastbeef and taters etc there. Quiet place maybe 3 or 5 people total at all times. That was probably what made it so good.

It's probably gone.

I did a survey of US 6 or similar near Troy in PA in the hills east of US 15 towards Horseheads NY on google earth and discovered quite possibly not only the three bridges valley is gone rerouted or built new concrete bridges and also the midway on a curve is also probably gone. That one was about the size of a house but had everything a trucker needed 24/7.

I better shut up, the more I think on these places and the people that were there plus the food etc. It's almost like a historical memory now, what with the social media, facebook and so forth etc. Im glad I was a part of it. Even if I was a quiet one listening to everyone.

 

Yep ...like the road ranger at encinal tx .
I got off that Laredo run a little less than a year ago and haven't missed it yet .
Nothing against oil field truckers but they do tend to ruin things for the OTR people .