what do you do when truck stops are full

And if you do wind up at a Lowes, Walmart, TS, where have you, leave it as clean as it was before you got there. Granted, truck stops may be the exception, but with the rest of them that do us a favor by letting us park there, leaving a trash foot print that someone has to clean up is what makes finding a place to park all that much more difficult. Once management has had enough of those who don't care, and puts their establishment off limits to truck parking, it has a tendency to domino to other businesses around them.

 

Things just get worse and worse. Especially in a reefer driver because many times he's the last to get to a truck stop. My last year it wasn't uncommon to stop 2-4 places before you found a place to park.
You can circle a lot. Good chance someone would leave. I would look for a driver doing his logbook and either talk to him on the CB or use hand signals (the nice ones). Sometimes someone would yell back on the CB and they'll hold a spot until you get around.
One of my tricks was almost every town has an industrial park. You can almost find a place in the street or an abandoned warehouse for sale.

I didn't like ramps unless other drivers were there and it was legal. Walmart's were a last resort unless you knew that one. Then I would park around the side. Out of sight out of mind. You can forget pickle parks late at night.

Many nights I'd sleep at the customer.

It always works out. The more you drive the more you know where.

I have parked at warehouses full of trucks and me not even delivering there, lol. Just hide amongst the crowd.

Casino's are another option. Whenever I was in St Louis I would park at the Ameristar Casino. It has a nice landscaped shady lot with porta-potties. Sometimes I would just sleep. Sometimes I would eat the buffet. If I had time I'd might even play poker.

 

If I don't have the hours to leave a full truck stop, I just find a place to sit and wait. Trucking is a 24hour business, people are leaving all of the time, I just wait and grab their spot.

 

Me. Personally if I'm doing a 34 I am not doing it in NO truckstop lol
If possible I am going to find the nearest bar with a hotel or a casino.
Its my off time I am gonna sure enjoy it

 

If I'm leaving at night I'll usually get on the radio and ask if someone needs a spot. You'll soon figure out which truckstops will have a spot available at all hours and which ones are full before 6.

 

Best money I've spent was to buy "The ultimate truck parking guide". It lists all of the truck stops and rest areas of course but it also lists Walmarts, restaurants, malls, etc... that allow parking. It was expensive but well worth it. Especially if you're like me and try to avoid truck stops and rest areas.

 

What time was this and where?Normally its easy to find parking during the day.But if the northeast it can be difficult finding parking at truckstops and service plazas.What you do when you can't find parking is make sure you have the available hrs to keep looking.I mean what else can you do but keep searching and have a pocket truckstop book handy.

 

Many of the low end motels and hotels will let you pay to park in their empty areas. Just be respectful and DO NOT think about using their trash receptacles for cleaning out your truck.

Just park, do your time, give the desk clerk a tip for watching out for you, and then leave when you promised you would.

 

Creative Parking usually avl 99% of the time at trk stops....unless there is another wily-veteran of the same mind. Just make sure you are not the a-hole that parks in an area that causes air horns to go off due to other drivers cant get out.