Best/Worst Truck Stops

[dVEC]

Both brands and individual ones, I guess (but try not to blow up any spots).

Personally, I'm a fan of Flying Js. TAs ain't terrible, either. Petro gets the most owner-operators but they're kinda dicks and often have a fence around the lot, not to mention the stupid separate fuel aisle building. And Pilot's got the best coffee, it's gotta be said. Love's just ain't got no love.

I was stuck at a FJ in Iowa with a friend for a full 24 hours a few months ago, morning through nightfall and then up in the morning again, and the manager came out and was real sweet in telling us we couldn't be there anymore, then had the maintenance guy give us a ride in the back of the company pickup to the other truck stop at the next exit. That one promptly kicked us out about 15 minutes later, and the ramp sucked, so we ended up walking the freeway back to the ramp where the FJ was, but stayed out of their hair. Pretty considerate.

Another time I was sick as hell and stuck at a TA in the middle of a particular city in the southwest for 3 1/2 days and they didn't say a thing to me, but let me get coffee on the house. Solid folks.

Then there was the Flying J somewhere (I can't even remember) when it was cold as all hell that told me and my 3 or 4 compadres that we could sleep in the booths just inside the diesel door (you know the ones I mean) AND that we could busk outside if we wanted. Word up.

But then there was the Love's in Tucumcari, NM a couple years ago... Got dropped off there with 5 kids and a dog and a couple of us went inside, got a few cups of coffee to spin and had just started sipping the coffee outside when they told us we couldn't loiter on their property. Never mind that we had bought the coffee and were paying customers, and never mind that it just happened to start raining right then and there and there wasn't any other shelter in sight. Fuckin' assholes. Started walkin' down the freeway and got a 1,000 mile ride within minutes. Fuck yeah that guy.

Plenty of buffet kickdowns, shower coupons, etc. etc. but those are the ones that stick out.

How bout ya'll?

 

[incrustwetrust]

i dropped a friend at a flying j on 80 in ohio and he was stuck there for three fucking days. ohio is not that great in my opinion, aside from a few of the college towns (yellow springs, oberlin)

as for specific ones i like best, im partial to pilots, but one of them, cant remember, has coffee with added caffeine and different herbal stimulants that if i drink a 24 oz i feel like i ate a little bit of speed. not bad.

 

[wokofshame]

yeah petro will call the cops often, it all depends on the managers, I crashed in a utiility shed w/ my buddy austin behind a J on i-80 in wyoming and hung out there,
davy crockett's in sac is alright, space age fuels, can't complain, don't mind the love's meself but hate TA coffee.
the cool thing about T-stops is if you look like a driver you can just loiter with no problem at all hours.

 

[nobo]

hotel pilot! Best accomodations around. good coffee, nice, well kept lawns. one thing though, about any truckstop, i fucking hate sprinklers! you know the ones that turn on at like 6 am and by the time you wake up youre fucking soaked. so lame.

 

[dVEC]

hotel pilot! Best accomodations around. good coffee, nice, well kept lawns. one thing though, about any truckstop, i fucking hate sprinklers! you know the ones that turn on at like 6 am and by the time you wake up youre fucking soaked. so lame.

If they're the pop-up kind, you can find something heavy like a sandbag or a cinderblock and put it on top. Best solution I've found.

 

[flashinglights]

Another Pilot vote, and yeah that "coffee-plus" is the ticket!

 

[RnJ]

There's one just I went to when trying to get out of Albany on the I90(?) West, that's truckers from the East stop in at. I don't know the name, but after the cop gave us junk for trying to hitch, we just receded to bum around at the station. We patronized the place by buying cokes, and the district manager that was visiting the place had told my buddy that we could stay there as long as we like, because his niece used to do our thing, and he understood our predicament. Awesome. We still didn't get any rides out of that hole.

 

[Angela]

I'm very partial to TA's but Pilot's a close runner up followed by FlyingJay.

 

[drun_ken]

once again...what was poasted....hold on ill look right after i tell ya.....FUKIN luvs yo....they won't run ya off...weather yer sittin there findin a ride or trying ta make some quick booze money...TA fuk em...alllways ran me off...called the cops a few times too...god i hate TA's....

 

[drun_ken]

Both brands and individual ones, I guess (but try not to blow up any spots).


But then there was the Love's in Tucumcari, NM a couple years ago... Got dropped off there with 5 kids and a dog and a couple of us went inside, got a few cups of coffee to spin and had just started sipping the coffee outside when they told us we couldn't loiter on their property. Never mind that we had bought the coffee and were paying customers, and never mind that it just happened to start raining right then and there and there wasn't any other shelter in sight. Fuckin' assholes. Started walkin' down the freeway and got a 1,000 mile ride within minutes. Fuck yeah that guy.?

never once...and i would hunt luves down yo...was i ever kicked out of one...all the others hell yeah.....told me ta get out or ill call the cops...not luves tho...to this day...i tell kids ta look for em...and will depending on where and whats going on find one myself...i find it hard ta believe you got ran off from one......in 7 years it never happened on a luvs truck stop property....would wake up the next day and go back ta the same one and fly a travleing thru need a ride and money sgin...and would get rides and money...seriously...they ran ya off eh? nm hell thats new mexico right....really...must of been some bad karma i guess?

 

[Atilla the Hun]

TA has been very good to me. I dunno about Loves, Pilot, or Flying J because I've never had to hitch from one, but PETRO SUCKS. I was at a Petro station in Dallas, trying to go east on I-20, it was cold and wet outside, and some dude with a lazy eye and a lisp told me to leave or he would call the cops. God, that sucked. Luckily, a nice old trucker couple saved me and got me out of there.

 

[Livingpastense]

I personally hate hitching but on that common occasion your stuck with out a train truck stops are the shit. I like pilots the most great spange and tobacco kick downs. My fav one would have to be beaverdam OH. Awesome people i met there including the punk rock manager who discounted everything i bought.

 

[bote]

The Irving big stops are pretty dope.

My vote for individual truck stop, both best and worst goes to the madness that is just north of Laredo Texas. There´s a flying J, a Love´s and a couple others, all huge, plus a xxx strip joint and way too many illegals and sketchy locals. Did I mention the train line goes through the middle of it all? It´s like planet truck stop.

 

[Monkeywrench]

In West VA there is a godawful chain of GoMarts that serve as truckstops. The staff will spot dirty kids from a mile and wont hesitate to call the police. I was stuck in Charleston once and not but 2 minutes after buying a coffee was a State Trooper waiting for me and my buddy outside.

 

[lice]

i avoid all truckstops i always get the cops called on me and truckers are very hostile towards me walking up to them. they usually get in the truck once they see me walkin their way. decent people

 

[Gypsybones]

yeah I'm gonna have to say Pilot on this one, I'm a mover so I'm at truck stops all the time and over all I only like TA's when they have a popeyes. and your right on it with the loves comment

 

[bfalk420]

TA sucks. Pilots have done me good and in Barstow Ca. I was stuck behind a Pilot for two days and the guy that worked at night actually bought us a twelve pack. Spriklers suck.

 

[xRastaxRuggzx]

the worst ever in terms of busking potential and chances of getting a ride ive been to is TA off I4 in tampa, its right across from a Flyin' J's which even sells cheaper gas. Flyin J's are the shit...

 

[Beegod Santana]

The best truck stops I've ever hit up are the ones around the midwest that are truck stops / hotels / indian casinos. I've never had good luck getting outta any truck stop quickly, but those are the one's where I've always been kicked down the most food /cash / booze. All the gambling folk tend to think that kicking me something will give them good luck.

Flying J's have been more hostile than friendly to me, although the ones that have been friendly hooked it up like whoa.

fuck petro
fuck love's

 

[GutterGrayse]

There's a pretty good truck stop just south of roseburg, OR. I always get good rides from there.