Being a truck driver can be a difficult, lonely job, especially if you’re an over-the-road (OTR) driver traveling across the country who is away from your family for weeks at a time.
Sometimes after a long day on the road, all you want is a nice shower, a place to rest your feet and a hot meal. And you want to know that your truck is safely parked while you relax.
Unfortunately, not every truck stop you find out there is going to offer you all those amenities. A lot of those truck stops might not even have parking spots large enough to comfortably and safely park your truck. The last thing you want after a long day of driving is to either struggle to find a parking spot or struggle to maneuver through a small parking lot with even smaller spots.
I’ve been driving for well over two decades, so I could tell you the best truck stops to stop at from California to Maryland and everywhere in-between. I know some of you don’t have those same decades of experience under your belt, so I’m here to help.
Reading this article will provide you with helpful tips to navigate the truck stops out on the road so you can park safely and hopefully find that piece of home out on the road. Most importantly, you’ll understand how you can safely secure those spots out on the road.
Trip planning is absolutely crucial if you want to succeed out on the road. It’s also the best way to ensure you have a safe space to park when you’re done driving for the day.
Keep in mind that every state has rules and regulations about where you can park and so does the trucking company you’re running with. It might be illegal to park on the off ramps in some places and your trucking company may frown upon it because you’re more likely to be hit.
If you plan ahead, you’ll ensure you have a place to park.
First, look at your route and the total distance you’re traveling. If you’re under a permit load, you’ll have to pay special attention to your route because you cannot go on certain roads.
For example, let’s pretend you have a 1,500-mile trip. Pickup is Monday and they want it Thursday. It’ll take a minimum of two days to drive — probably close to three. Your first step should be to get in touch with the receiver to find out how close you can get to the site. Can you park onsite? Can you park there overnight? If you can, great. That means you can drive Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and park onsite overnight for the Thursday drop-off.
If not, you need to determine which truck stop you can fit into that’s closest to the receiver’s site and where you have to be by Wednesday night to make your delivery in time. For instance, many of my loads are around 78 feet long and 12 or 13 feet wide, so I need two spots no matter where I park. A general rule of thumb is that if you’re over 10 feet wide, you need two parking spots.
Look at your route and check out the truck stops on the way. Are you going past spots you like? What’s available and which stops have places you can park? Google Maps comes in handy for this task. Follow your route and zoom in on stops along the route. A satellite view can give you an idea of what’s nearby, if the turns look tight or if you can safely get into the spot.
Trucker Path is also a helpful app and it’ll give you details about the amenities at the truck stops.
Sometimes you won’t always be able to stop at your favorite truck stop. Maybe there isn’t one of those stops on your route. Maybe you’re in the middle of nowhere and your best chance of stopping is at a rest stop. That’s why it’s best practice to always carry food and supplies in your truck as a just-in-case option.
Figure out how far you’ll need to drive to get to one of the spots you noticed on your route. Maybe at 500 miles, there’s nothing around, but at 570 miles there’s a nice truck stop.
Choose two potential spots you can park at once you’re done driving for the day. One stop should be the outermost limit of how far you can drive in a day. The other should be two or three hours closer. Things don’t always go as planned on the road. You might blow a tire, you might get stuck in bad traffic from an accident and so on. Having an option to park at a closer truck stop will come in handy if this happens.
Be aware of every place you can stop along your route in a worst-case scenario. Best case you get to that farthest truck stop, worst case you stop a few hundred miles early because you had an issue.
Once you’ve been on the road for a while like I have, you’ll come to discover your favorite truck stops. For me, it’s TA and Petro. I prefer those stops over the Pilots, Love’s and Flying Js of the world. You might have a different preference.
Some truck stops feel welcoming and you feel more like your business is appreciated. Others feel more like they want you to get in and get out. The amenities are designed that way. They’re more like convenience store truck stops.
The best truck stops are the ones with a real sit-down restaurant, not just fast food joints. They have upwards of 10 washers and dryers and sometimes up to 30 showers. They might even have a driver’s lounge for you to sit and relax, and you really feel as if it’s a little bit of a home away from home atmosphere and there’s some respite from the tough hours on the road.
Not only that, but the lots and parking spots are bigger at some truck stops. The best parking spots are usually about 11 feet wide and 75 to 80 feet long. There are generally around 70 feet or so between the rows of parking as well. Other truck stops may only have 9.5 to 10-foot wide spots that are maybe 70 feet long. The distance between rows is 55 to 60 feet maximum.
That makes for tight quarters, which makes turning and maneuvering difficult. You’re more susceptible to getting hit while you’re parked and it can be more difficult for you to avoid hitting someone yourself.
Now, as I said before, you might find a spot that you love once you have a few years under your belt and you’ve traveled the same routes a few times. But if you’re unfamiliar, be sure to research the truck stops you’ll come across on the road.
Do you need to do laundry? Make sure you stop at a spot with plenty of washers and dryers. Do you want to sit down for a hot meal? Make sure there’s more than just a fast food restaurant where you’ll be stopping.
And it’s absolutely crucial that you ensure they have parking spots large enough for the load you’re hauling. If you’re a flatbed driver and you’re switching trailers frequently, make sure you know how long and wide your truck and trailer are. Then, choose a truck stop that has large enough parking spots to accommodate you.
Every truck stop is going to be a different size depending on what type of truck stop it is and what area it’s located in. Again, I am partial to the TA stops and the Petro stops because, in my experience, they usually have the most available parking.
Depending on where you’re going, you may or may not need to reserve a parking spot for the night. But if you’re going into a busy area that you know fills up quickly, I like to reserve my spot ahead of time. There’s sometimes a fee associated with reserving a spot and reserved spots are usually up front and closest to the facilities.
You’ll notice some spots around the country have limited truck parking in general, so I always reserve ahead there. In some cases, I’ve reserved a spot and I don’t make it there so I lose out on that money. However, that peace of mind that you have a spot waiting for you can be really nice.
Some truck stops have apps that will show you how full their lot is. It’ll show the total number of spots and reserved spots and how many of each are left. If the lot looks like it’s filling up fast, it’s best to reserve. Otherwise, you’re taking a gamble.
If you can’t reserve a spot in the parking lot or you don’t want to, I always advise that you try to park early and try to get a spot before the lot typically starts filling up in the late afternoon. That might mean that you start your day earlier in the morning and park in the late afternoon.
However, you can’t always arrive early. If you can’t, try to reserve a spot. Some companies don’t want you parking on the ramps or in places like Walmart parking lots and it’s best to have a safe option.
Truck tops tend to fill up early in the evening, but it depends on the region and the type of truck stop. Chain truck stops usually fill up first, as opposed to independent mom-and-pop truck stops.
Truck stops on the east coast usually fill up earlier than stops on the west coast. You can generally expect truck stops on the east coast and the midwest to be full by 7 or 8 p.m., whereas west coast truck stops are usually full by 10 p.m.
I know as well as anyone that time spent on the road can be difficult. If you can find a little respite from the road with your favorite meal from your go-to truck stop, it can make all the difference for your mental health and overall well-being.
I’ve already mentioned how helpful trip planning is on the road, but that’s only one way you can boost your income.
If you want to succeed out on the road, make sure you’re also moving more loads, maximizing your Hours of Service and running as fuel efficient as possible.