TA Country Prides, and truck stop prefrences.

Sad but true. Healthy food costs just as much if not more, than the junk.

 

Hello again, Navy! I feel it is a combination of Covid and not being able to operate in full capacity in all states yet. The larger, high-traffic locations like Ontario, California and Ashland, Virginia probably fear that an overflow of hungry truckers at noon or dinnertime would be too much of a money loss to operate at limited capacity and then they would have to turn some customers away. So they just choose to keep them closed for now. That's my feeling, anyway. But I agree, that IHOP deal is probably another major reason.

 

The restaurants were closing before covid-19 at like 10pm and did not open till 6am. Drivers stopped using them. Petro and TA even used to have 24 hour buffets. It probably combination of the ELD and 14 hour clock. You have to get the miles in by end of the day vs taking long lunch and you could make up the miles later in the day. Plus the food never seemed to improve and poor or long waiting time to get served. You can get better food at McDonald's and it warn when you get it. It just my opinion but closing the truck stop restaurants during covid-19 was horrible choice. The one time driver really needed them. They closed and drivers had to learn to do without them. Know driver don't need the truck stop restaurants for the most part.

 

That’s the problem in society as a whole
Eat and drink healthy costs more.
But #### that will kill you fast and heart attack is dirt cheap, something wrong with that equation. But keeps doctors peddling pills and the population in check.

 

when hours of service changed in 04
We saw the demise of sit down actual restaurants. Now we have this #### they expect us to buy and eat called heart attack in a bag. And .75 cents worth of fruit and veggies for $5.00 bucks. Yeah they can go pound sand. I buy my fuel at small independent stops. Big fuel stops with the overpriced fuel point cards can suck it

 

I agree with your post. I think simply times have evolved. Look at how Love's locations are popping up everywhere. It's a grab and go world, and you're right.....the evolution of elogs may have contributed to that. While I actually like the TA and Petro, their food and restaurants have not evolved either. Then most of TA/Petro is paid parking so I think that hurt them too. I stopped in Salina, KS last at the Beacon. The Petro was half capacity, even with the Iron Skillet and other choices there. I went over to the Pilot, and it was nearly full, with trucks creating parking spaces. The TA is expensive though...all the way around. Then they have the shop, which if I can avoid getting repairs there, I will. They are pricey too...I remember getting a service there, with a different company, which took all day to get in the bay, and they charged nearly 500 bucks for the service, and other places are cheaper than that. It feels to me like they are hanging on by a thread.

 

I think the also the reserved parking turned a lot of drivers away. Some companies won't pay for it and they went so crazy making some like 50% paid parking. The big parking lot advantage they had over other truck stop is now just the same problem. You have get their early to get free spot. I don't think drivers want to pay $18 to park then go in restaurant and pay another $16 for dinner. Just go to some truck stop with fast food jam into any open parking their is and pay $8 for fast food dinner and free parking.

 

i Hop would be a good choice. They need to do something.

 

It’s a lot cheaper and healthier and faster to get your food at a grocery store and use a fridge or electric cooler.