Favorite Truck Stop

[Ton]

Does anyone have a favorite truck stop? I know one that is not my favorite- Pilot Flying J in Tom's Brook,VA.

 

[ToBiN]

Don't drive enough truck to have a favorite but know the Love's gives truckers a lot of perks but their gas prices are normally higher than other companys. Other that that, Pilots are about the only other one I've come across.

 

[Jetta_Pilot]

I avoid truckstops, most times Diesel is more expensive, but I do buy my DEF fluid at truck stops @ $ 2.79 gal.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I don't love truck stops, but I do have some favorite service areas. Bar none the Ohio Turnpike has the best, in my opinion. I also like the Maryland and Chesapeake Houses on Route 95. NY State Thruway areas aren't bad, especially the ones with Starbucks. I tend to plan my road trips around Starbucks locations.

 

[Jetta SS]

I used to regularly stop at Pilot or Loves, but had 3 incidents in a row of people hitting me up for money, I must look rich rollin in this '98 VW - the last one a middle age lady offering to work for it if I pulled around back, not sure if she wanted to wash my windows or what. So I avoid them.

 

[ToBiN]

I used to regularly stop at Pilot or Loves, but had 3 incidents in a row of people hitting me up for money, I must look rich rollin in this '98 VW - the last one a middle age lady offering to work for it if I pulled around back, not sure if she wanted to wash my windows or what. So I avoid them.

Man, I would've taken her home. Guess who would've got their deck and fence painted, lawn mowed, car washed, and trees trimmed for $50!!


<---This guy.

 

[Jetta SS]

Man, I would've taken her home. Guess who would've got their deck and fence painted, lawn mowed, car washed, and trees trimmed for $50!!


<---This guy.

LOL! Thats thinking outside the box.

 

[Jetta_Pilot]

I used to regularly stop at Pilot or Loves, but had 3 incidents in a row of people hitting me up for money, I must look rich rollin in this '98 VW - the last one a middle age lady offering to work for it if I pulled around back, not sure if she wanted to wash my windows or what. So I avoid them.

I think it was an oil change being offered!

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I've actually gotten some great FE on Sheetz fuel. Maybe it varies.

 

[alcook59]

I think it was an oil change being offered!

I get asked for money all the time, not just in SoCal. I travel a lot and I think people see me and think aw look at that nice young man I can punk out for a few bucks. After they ask and I go bezerk they look shocked. Had a guy in a new Passat ask me for money in some small town in New Mexico when I was driving a beat up Nissan Versa rental car with hand roll up windows. I was like you should be giving me money, you see the POS I’m in?

 

[Jetta SS]

I get asked for money all the time, not just in SoCal. I travel a lot and I think people see me and think aw look at that nice young man I can punk out for a few bucks. After they ask and I go bezerk they look shocked. Had a guy in a new Passat ask me for money in some small town in New Mexico when I was driving a beat up Nissan Versa rental car with hand roll up windows. I was like you should be giving me money, you see the POS I’m in?

These truck stops in particular late at night are where they hit me up. I am a charitable guy, willing to help my fellow man and think these type of people can spot me. So I try to avoid their hangouts. I put $20 in a woman's tank recently. She had kids in the uhaul and gave me a touching story about trying to get home and showed me the needle close to E, but who knows - she could have put one over on me.

 

[piotrsko]

I wont give them $$, but in the case of the u haul person will add fuel or buy food. Sometimes they get pissed at me for that. Seems to be a big scam anymore

 

[Jetta_Pilot]

These truck stops in particular late at night are where they hit me up. I am a charitable guy, willing to help my fellow man and think these type of people can spot me. So I try to avoid their hangouts. I put $20 in a woman's tank recently. She had kids in the uhaul and gave me a touching story about trying to get home and showed me the needle close to E, but who knows - she could have put one over on me.

I won't disclose the location, but a woman several years ago was supposedly diagnosed to have cancer. A fundraiser was arranged for her and a good amount of money raised.
Up until that point she was driving an old POS Buick. By the way she's still around and right after the fundraiser she started driving around in a very nice almost new GMC 4x4.
I'm quite cynical and there are too many scams around!

No it wasn't where I live!

 

[Lightflyer1]

I open carry a lot. Almost no panhandlers and such approach me. I try and avoid truck stops anyway. I just want fuel and nothing else.

 

[iamatt]

Not a truck stop but can't beat our bucc-ees here in Texas. https://tinyurl.com/y27cvfjb . Hogtraps, deer stands, deer corn, beef jerky, 5% biodiesel, coffee , breakfast tacos, shark bait (whole bonita and stingray), fishing junk pretty much anything.

 

[Lightflyer1]

They are all kind of like the "WalMart" in nowhere gas station.

 

[Jetta SS]

Not a truck stop but can't beat our bucc-ees here in Texas. https://tinyurl.com/y27cvfjb . Hogtraps, deer stands, deer corn, beef jerky, 5% biodiesel, coffee , breakfast tacos, shark bait (whole bonita and stingray), fishing junk pretty much anything.

I like the one we have in Alabama also. Thats a big ass gas station. Weird thing is they sell food, but nowhere to eat it. I saw a bunch of folks tailgating it in the parking lot.

 

[iamatt]

They are all kind of like the "WalMart" in nowhere gas station.

Getting big for sure. Used to live right by their HQ in LJ. Rather go there than some dumpy raghead station with sketchy pumps and bathroom. Seem like we spend 100 bucks everytime we stop at one.

 

[Lightflyer1]

I don't go to either of those kinds of stations. I am only there for fuel. I can understand why a trucker might like some of the things offered there, not necessarily a regular motorist though. It is nice that they have 100 pumps or more but the ones I have been to are always crowded regardless and jockeying to find an open pump. Their prices for things there are pretty expensive I thought as well. My brother had me stop at one on our way back from Kansas to Texas. It was very nice and clean, offered a lot, and the food choices were very good and quality seemed excellent. Getting any fuel though was a huge exercise as it seemed almost every pump was being used and/or blocked by people shopping in the warehouse sized building. I much prefer a smaller, regular sized, quality station. When I am traveling I have no need for 99.9% of the other stuff they are selling. I might use the restroom and buy a drink when stopping. For meals I would rather a nice sit down restaurant to take a break and have a nice meal. Who buys a smoker or hog trap when traveling?

 

[Jetta SS]

They're catering to family travelers. Just like stuckey's back when I was young. Was in one in FL recently minus the grill but still the same, they have more interesting stuff than Bucee's. Aisles of knives and collectables, then when you checkout theres a bin with plastic brass knuckles for cheap.

I'll never forget "The Thing" in NM. As a 10 yr old, I was riding in the back seat seeing billboards for at least 100 miles - so you know they had to stop for me .

BTW, whatever happened to TITS? (Texas Interstate Truck Stops)

 

[Jetta_Pilot]

They're catering to family travelers. Just like stuckey's back when I was young. Was in one in FL recently minus the grill but still the same, they have more interesting stuff than Bucee's. Aisles of knives and collectables, then when you checkout theres a bin with plastic brass knuckles for cheap.
I'll never forget "The Thing" in NM. As a 10 yr old, I was riding in the back seat seeing billboards for at least 100 miles - so you know they had to stop for me .

BTW, whatever happened to TITS? (Texas Interstate Truck Stops)

Didn't know Stuckeys is/are still around. I seem to remember driving to Florida in the 70's and they were selling 5 hamburgers for $ 1.00

 

[Lightflyer1]

There is one between Houston and Beaumont on IH10. We have stopped at it a few times to get a pecan log roll my wife and her family likes. Brings back memories of their past younger days when traveling. They also have a web site as well.

 

[turbobrick240]

I'll never forget "The Thing" in NM. As a 10 yr old, I was riding in the back seat seeing billboards for at least 100 miles - so you know they had to stop for me .

BTW, whatever happened to TITS? (Texas Interstate Truck Stops)

Sounds a bit like South of the border in SC. They must have 50 billboards up around that place. Maybe I'll stop in one of these days. I only ever get people coming up asking for money when I travel. I think the out of state plates make you a target for these folks. I've bought some food for a few of them , but generally don't give them cash.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

You guys must be sending out some kind of a signal. I've driven all over the country and stopped at many, many truck stops and service areas. Never been solicited for money. Not once.

 

[turbobrick240]

It mostly happens to me down south in poorer areas. I also get approached more often in those areas by people who just want talk about my car and travelling/road trips in general. I remember sort of ignoring a guy who was approaching once thinking he wanted to bum some money, but he was a really cool guy. He just liked my car and wanted to talk about it and road trips. He had a bug in his youth and had travelled up the Al-can highway and all over the country with it.

 

[Ton]

Any care to share some truck stop stories?

 

[Sayyess]

When you're always on the road, it's critical to know where the best truck stops are located along your route. You're looking for the greatest locations to dine, shower, do laundry, and use the restroom. This makes you feel, just a bit, maybe, but like home, because everyone around you is doing the same work. I just got a new truck recently, which I found on trucks for sale UK, and most of the drivers can't recognize me from the start when I enter the station. They like it a lot, I even got an offer to sell it.

 

[Tdijarhead]

The only place I have had panhandlers approach me is downtown Washington DC and at the greyhound bus terminal in downtown San Diego, I’m not even sure that’s there anymore. I prefer the smaller stations also but when you’re traveling sometimes those big stations have good fuel prices and sometimes I’ve noticed they don’t. There’s a pilot down in VA on I 81 that always surprises me with how expensive their fuel is compared to surrounding stations, so I’ve never stopped.

 

[Mozambiquer]

Worst I had was driving in Oklahoma at around 1:30 am with the neighbor's jacked up chromed out Duramax pulling a trailer. The neighbor had warned us that the fuel runs out at 1/4 tank, but my mom was driving and didn't notice it until it was below a quarter... We were near Tulsa at the time, and I began to drive, as she didn't want to drive in Tulsa with the truck pulling a trailer... Finally I saw a sign for a fuel station with diesel, so I swung in and there was a car parked "fueling up". I noticed some people back in the darkness slinking behind the station, but didn't think much of that. But, I put the "fueling up" in quotes, because when I tried to fuel up, I realized that this station was closed... Then the hick kid on the other side of the pump, who was eyeing me strange by this time, broke out with his Oklahoma drawl "Nice truuck. Y'all ain't from 'round here, are ya?" I admitted I wasn't, and he informed me the station was closed. I took off as fast as possible and continued to try to find an open station with diesel. Next one I found was the east side of Tulsa, several blocks off the highway and they had diesel. I had cash with me to pay for the fuel, so I went in first and put money down, as I came back out, an old man who looked like he must have had AIDS, by the sores on his face, who was dressed in a hoodie, even though it was summer time approached me and asked if I was going towards tenth street. I wasn't, and quickly went back to the truck and pumped the fuel. This was while I was 17 so I wasn't carrying, but I had a flashlight and cell phone, which I discovered when my shirt was over them, it looked like a handgun. So when I went back in to get my change, I made sure my hand was over that "gun" when I came back out, the old man with the raspy voice and many sores was gone.
The next day, our friends in Bartlesville informed us that Tulsa has the most carjackings of any city in the USA... I think someone was looking out for us!

 

[Volkswagen hippie]

Wow that's quite a crazy story. I wonder what that guy with AIDS thought. LOL