This country desperately needs more truckstops in several locations. There is simply not enough parking area for the amount of trucks out here.
Well, I still dont understand why there aren't more truck stops. We are in major need of them regardless of the "lowlifes". I think if the communities want the products that the trucks bring then they should open a truck stop.
We do need more truck stops, but I can understand why some communites don't want them in the area. They often tend to attract lowlifes (drug dealers and prostitution). Of course, most of this could be eliminated with proper police patrols, not that it will ever happen.
Thats how I feel, these places don't mind making you sit for hours waiting to load and unload. Then heaven forbid you sleep a couple of hours on the lot.
I agree with the walbash dude/dudete... We have a terminal in lafayette, but it closes at 5 pm. They did have us in mind though... they provided us a porta pottie. Guess that was our driver appreciation gift for the year. I don't think there is anything in that town that stays open all night except Wal-mart. But we're probably not allowed to park there long enough to get our groceries. It's no wonder that this industry is going down hill. All the good drivers are getting fed up w/it, and they are pumping drivers thru the cdl schools as fast as they can. Sometimes a good driver gets thru with some good training, but only sometimes. If they do build a truckstop anywhere around there, with a walbash plant there, they better have plenty of bobtail parking... That means most of the traffic will be coming in bobtail, no telling how many miles these companies sent drivers in to get a trailer, no doubt they will be tight on hours, then all the spots will be full of bobtails.
Here at wabash national. In Lafayette Indiana. We have no close truck stop. Hundreds of driver go through our plant alone and it is around 30 miles either way to the nearest stop.
Someone could make a killing here.
I realize this is slightly sideways to the main point of the topic, but the mention of the EPA and other organizations brought to mind my situation.
I am a driver that moved indoors to be a fleet manager and then after loosing too much hair from stress decided the shop was the best place to hide.
I started a mobile oil and lube service here in the Denver area. Primary market is owner-ops that dont want to go over to the T/A or Speedco on their weekends. I show up, do the service and they get to hang out in the house with momma the whole time.
Waste oil, EPA regs about hazards, municipal water boards worried about accidental discharges, and a litany of other issues was the hardest part of putting this business together.
I can only imagine how much more difficult a full blown truckstop would be!
I can sympathize with you drivers though, having been there myself. Parking spots are premium and sleep is not just a luxury, contrary to the thoughts of those whose goods we ship.
in many parts of the country, waste water from a simple car wash business has to be "caught" in a catch basin type of area, then cleaned, and either recycled or then moved to the sewer systems......
many truckstops have "catch basins" out back someplace where the run-off water from the parking lot goes. so here, again, the EPA, DEM (department of enviroment management=nearly same as EPA, but at state levels), and other issues must be addressed first as i stated.
those "catch basins" are breeding grounds for mosquito's and given the disease mosquito's spread, this becomes a BIG ISSUE.........
every year (in my area) mosquito spraying of the state takes place, as well as many other states. i don't think anyone wants to provide the disease spreading mosquito's a home, anytime too soon.............