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Review a Truck Stop
for Best Value and
Money Saving Opportunities


A truck stop may be defined as a business that caters to travelers -- most often professional truck drivers -- by selling products and services that they or their vehicles need. 

There are chain operations including AMBEST, Bosselman, Flying J, Giant, Love's, Petro, Pilot, QuikTrip (QT), Rip Griffin, Sadler, Sapp Brothers, Sinclair, Speedway, TA (TravelCenters of America), and WilcoHess Travel Centers. There are also independent operations.


Trucks fueling at a truck stop.


Some convenience stores may be thought of as truck stops because they have a parking area for one or more large trucks nearby. However, they may not necessarily sell products or services that truckers need or want.
Click here to review your favorite truck stop!

Chain locations may refer to themselves more as "travel centers" instead of "truck stops" because they are able to meet the needs of more travelers than just truck drivers.





Products and Services for Sale

Not all locations sell the same products or services.

Some of the common products that we have seen sold at a truckstop are fuel, fuel additives, truck parts and accessories, security devices, maps and atlases, office supplies, electronics (particularly CB radios and GPS systems), clothing, food, snacks and candy, drinks, cleaning products, tools, appliances, coolers, cooling and heating products, cell phone equipment and accessories, tobacco-related and smoking-alternative products, books, CDs and DVDs, magazines, cards, gifts and toys.

We are seeking product reviews on these and other items that drivers find at these locations.

 A display of products for sale at a truck stop.

Professional driver Mike Simons transmitting the paperwork from a load he has delivered to his trucking company by TransFlo. Among the services we have seen sold at a truckstop are truck washes, truck repair, gift cards, cell phone services, fax, permits, showers, certified truck scales, ATMs, audio book rental, CB radio tuning and repair, load boards, haircuts and shoe shines.

Some locations also have self-serve laundry facilities where drivers can wash and dry clothing.

We are seeking service reviews on these and other services that drivers find at these locations.

Among the trip-related services that may be available at travel centers are TripPak Express and TransFlo. Some locations may also make employment information available.



Fuel

Big rigs require fuel to operate. We list on our site the links to chain truck stop diesel fuel prices.

But there's usually more to do when stopping for fuel than just getting the fuel.

What about the cleanliness of the fuel bay, the availability of paper towels in working dispensers when you check your oil, sufficient soapy water and a working water hose for you to clean your windshield and windows, and non-overflowing trash barrels?
 A professional driver prepares to put fuel in his commercial motor vehicle at a truckstop.

Below, we have listed the fuel island reviews we have done to date.



Showers

A typical shower at a truck stop, complete with shower stall, toilet, sink, mirror, electrical outlet, separate seat, towel and washcloth. This particular truckstop provided a towel rack, a shelf, a soap dispenser near the sink and a paper bath mat. Shown under the sink is our shower bag. We have found it generally true that a driver may obtain a free shower with a minimum purchase of 50 gallons of fuel.

While there is great variety in commercial shower layouts and accents, we have found that they all provide a shower stall, a sink, a toilet, a mirror, and an electrical outlet. Each driver is issued a towel and washcloth. Some chains provide a paper bath mat and a bar of soap.

We particularly like one chain's automated queuing system. A driver swipes his truckstop chain-issued card through the kiosk and may "sign up" to be on the shower list.

Some truck stops have an automated service that announces when "shower customer number [whatever the next number is]" is assigned to a particular shower number. We wish all travel centers would use this automated shower service because it reduces the work load on the cashiers and makes getting a shower faster.

Below, we have listed the shower reviews we have done to date.



Restaurants

Truck stop restaurants have a blend of products and services. The product part is the food; the service part comes from the server.

In chain locations, a buffet is often available. These self-serve counters generally feature a variety of meats, vegetables, soups, breads and desserts. The vegetable section may contain a salad bar.

Many sit-down restaurants also offer menu items in case you don't want the buffet.

 A meal Vicki enjoyed at a truck stop restaurant in 2009.

In recent years, numerous truckstops have brought in fast food offerings such as Arby's, Chester's, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell and Wendy's. Depending on the location, drivers may be able to use their rewards points to buy this kind of food.

Below, we have a list of the truck stop restaurants we have reviewed to date.





Driver Rewards Programs

Professional driver Mike Simons enters the information into the card reader so that he can get fuel for the truck he drives. At this participating location, he receives one point for each gallon of fuel he gets as a driver reward. Chain locations usually have their own branded version of a driver reward program.

These programs usually work this way: for every gallon of fuel purchased, the driver receives on his personally issued card one point, which may then be used like cash for selected products or services.

The rewards card must be presented prior to the purchase of fuel in order to be issued the rewards points and a shower credit. One point is equivalent to one cent. So a 100-gallon fill-up would be 100 points or $1.00.

Depending on the location, points will be issued for other types of products or services, such as restaurant meals and truck services. You will need to review the terms and conditions for each location separately.

Some locations have incentives for a limited time, such as "double points," so be on the lookout for this for even more savings.



Parking

Professional drivers often seek out a large place in which to park during their mandated rest breaks.

Parking lot layouts vary, as do some parking space sizes. If you would care to review a travel center on this basis, please do so.

 Trucks are parked at a truck stop.

What about the ease of maneuvering your truck around the facility for parking purposes? What about a well-lit parking lot if you have to come in at night?





Savings Opportunities

We have found that, in general, the garments in most truck stop travel stores have high price tags.
Mike and Vicki Simons stand beside the truck Mike drives for Epes Transport. One can generally find good quality clothing in retail stores for less. (Additionally, truckers' home support teams can find bargains at consignment stores, thrift shops, and resale or second hand establishments.)

However, in mid-summer 2009, we found one Virginia truck stop was selling the polo-type shirts that we are wearing in this photo (even the large shirt Mike is wearing) for just $5 apiece. 

They also had t-shirts on sale for $3 each. Granted, it was a clearance sale, but we saved money nonetheless.

When we were looking to buy a laptop workstation, we looked around at a number of truck stops and found one chain in November 2009 that was selling a specific brand for $30 less than the others.



Where to Find a Truck Stop

We strongly recommend that drivers obtain the 2010 National Truck Stop Directory or The Trucker's FriendThe Truckers Friend, because it has a comprehensive overview of all truckstops in the USA. We find ourselves referring to our copy of this publication often. The Truckers Friend







Write your own truck stop review:



Truck stop shower reviews we have done (in order by date reviewed):



Truck stop restaurant reviews we have done (in order by date reviewed):



Truck stop fuel island reviews we have done (in order by date reviewed):





money saving tip Money saving tip: If you have ever pulled up product reviews or customer ratings on a website to see what the editors, experts or users have written, you know that people sometimes take great pains to give the pros and cons of using various items to encourage or warn future buyers, as the case may warrant.

The magazine Consumer Reports contains "reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory."*

In this case, you are the consumer; you do your own testing. Just because a truck stop has room for trucks to park does not mean that it provides a good value for drivers. If you find something particularly appealing or disturbing, your review can mean the difference between a fellow driver frequenting that location or not. Think of it as either a personal recommendation (like a money saving tip) or a personal warning like you would give face-to-face.

Good truck stops deserve business. Even the ones that aren't so good deserve to receive positive criticism so that improvement opportunities can be implemented. You decide which is which.


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Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports


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It neither substitutes for professional advice nor negates user responsibility to do due diligence.