Indian casinos have lots of room. It'll only cost ya couple hundred too! :lol: :lol:

 

I prefer rest areas. They're usually quieter and cleaner. Less hassles than truck stops. Only problem is you don't have much of anything for food there except some vending machines and they aren't usually up to much. I never pull over on the side of the road or along on or off ramps. I don't care what my hours are at. I try to plan my daily route accordingly so I'm at a place where I can stop. Not always easy to do though. I've found over time the southeastern states are the worse for finding parking at any time of the day. Drive safe everyone.

 

Lately, Ive been bathing in the truck with soap, water, and a rag but thats because I cant find a truck stop with a fluoride/chlorine water filter. :/

As for truck stops; Ive been regional for a while so Im home every weekend, so I do my best to stop at the receiver for the nite to maximize my time the next day. Whichever is more convenient is where I stop, whether it be a truckstop, rest area, or an offramp.

My favs are the rest areas though, especially the ones in FL, GA, and some in AL.

 

Don't plan on stopping anywhere near West Memphis! I thought I'd shut down there one night. There were no parking spots at ANY of the truck stops.

I continued west. No space at the rest areas.

I finally shut down on an onramp an hour later. I use onramps as a last resort.

 

[quote="Rob_0126"]Lately, Ive been bathing in the truck with soap, water, and a rag but thats because I cant find a truck stop with a fluoride/chlorine water filter. :/

You can buy a 5 gallon shower bag at Wal-Mart that's solar heated for about $5.
I got mine for Civil War reenactments (did use a bucket of hot water in the tent) but plan on using it for the road.I figure I can hang it on the back of the cab and at night take into the truck and with a bucket to clean up or if it's nice out and secluded shower on the side of the rig.

 

I once had a drop in New Jersey that I was advised to park in the mall parking lot across the street (it was legal) and park towards the street. In the early AM I'd see why. I got there around 6pm and shut down for the night. About 4AM somebody came banging at the door. It was the reciever collecting paperwork and assigning door numbers. Sure enough, the whole parking lot was filled with trucks! Since I was at the front, I got assigned a door the first round. 8)

 

When I commit to a load, I plan my trip. I try to estimate how far I will be able to go before needing to stop for the night. It helps me to set a goal. For instance, I pick up a load and set a goal to reach a certain point before stopping for the night. Once I start driving, I know about how long it should take to reach my goal. Since I know where I will be stopping, I also know about parking facilities in that area. I keep a truck stop directory in my trucks. Before I get to a location, I can check to see what is available in that area. I don't like to sleep on entrance ramps. Planning helps.

 

When I commit to a load, I plan my trip. I try to estimate....Planning helps.

I agree. I TRIED to do that. Most of the time it works out. I planned on stopping in West Memphis. Who'da thunk it was so packed!!

 

I spent yesterday at the T/A at exit 10 off of I-4 in Tampa. I arrived around 11am and the place was already full, and stayed that way all through the night. Around 5am it started emptying again.

After I picked up my load, I had to return to the same T/A to scale my load. Again, it was around 11-11:30am. Guess what - full again.

At least on *most* occasions, even in the cities, you can pretty much plan that if you're in the truckstop by 4-5pm, there'll be parking available.

 

Some of the "untraditional" places I've stopped to turn in for the night have been unexpectantly great. Such as an entirely vacant dirt parking lot outside a small restaurant near Rumford, Maine, or the equally vacant truckstop in Jasper, Missouri. You sometimes forget what it's like not to park and sleep next to a reefer unit or an idling truck.

Some of these places have turned god-awful. Particularly the mom and pop truckstops that have gone out of business several years prior and yet continue to be listed in exit / truckstop guides, such as the Citgo truckstop in Blythesville, Arkansas. Sometimes trying to avoid West Memphis can only make matters worse.

At least with the big chain T/S's I know what to expect, and my expectations are typically low for such places.