Mike
Well-Known Member
I feel lucky that I really don't depend on truck stops much as far as sleeping is concerned, and at my normal break areas, truck stops are easy to get into at any time of the night.
This week though, I got stuck making deliveries around the Atlanta area, and found myself quickly annoyed.
My first delivery was going to be in Monroe, GA on Sunday evening. I wanted to watch football, so I cruised around the Atlanta loop to the Pilot. I figure at noon, I should find a parking spot without a problem. WRONG! The Pilot is located right by an industrial park and not only was the truck stop full, there were trucks for as far as I could see parked along the side street.
So, I check the truck stop book, and go back a couple exits to the T/A. I start looking around, only to find that the T/A has been closed friggin down! I am pissed off beyond belief at this point. I park on the ramp check for other options. There are none, other than going all the way back around to the Petro (pay to park), but that is too far back, so I go on to Monroe and park at the little truck stop beside the Walmart until time to deliver.
I leave there about 8:30 p.m. and head to Fairburn for a 4:30 am delivery (just south of the atlanta loop on 85). There is a truck stop there at my exit, that is, you guessed it, packed full. And trust me, I am not one of those guys that circles the truck stop for 30 minutes looking for 4 open spots to back into. If there is a spot, I am taking it. It is 6 1/2 hours until I deliver, so I go on down the road to US Foods, only to find that they won't let me park there. (Note to self, US Foods in Atlanta sucks, and the bastard guard needs to be slapped upside the head).
I end up driving 20 miles south, checking every ramp for parking, and thanks to construction and "no parking" signs, I had no luck. on my way back toward US Foods, I exit and low and behold, the ramp doesn't have any signs, so I laid listening to cars and trucks go by until I could go in an deliver my 2 friggin pallets of sour cream.
The disadvantages of pulling a reefer, nighttime deliveries.
This week though, I got stuck making deliveries around the Atlanta area, and found myself quickly annoyed.
My first delivery was going to be in Monroe, GA on Sunday evening. I wanted to watch football, so I cruised around the Atlanta loop to the Pilot. I figure at noon, I should find a parking spot without a problem. WRONG! The Pilot is located right by an industrial park and not only was the truck stop full, there were trucks for as far as I could see parked along the side street.
So, I check the truck stop book, and go back a couple exits to the T/A. I start looking around, only to find that the T/A has been closed friggin down! I am pissed off beyond belief at this point. I park on the ramp check for other options. There are none, other than going all the way back around to the Petro (pay to park), but that is too far back, so I go on to Monroe and park at the little truck stop beside the Walmart until time to deliver.
I leave there about 8:30 p.m. and head to Fairburn for a 4:30 am delivery (just south of the atlanta loop on 85). There is a truck stop there at my exit, that is, you guessed it, packed full. And trust me, I am not one of those guys that circles the truck stop for 30 minutes looking for 4 open spots to back into. If there is a spot, I am taking it. It is 6 1/2 hours until I deliver, so I go on down the road to US Foods, only to find that they won't let me park there. (Note to self, US Foods in Atlanta sucks, and the bastard guard needs to be slapped upside the head).
I end up driving 20 miles south, checking every ramp for parking, and thanks to construction and "no parking" signs, I had no luck. on my way back toward US Foods, I exit and low and behold, the ramp doesn't have any signs, so I laid listening to cars and trucks go by until I could go in an deliver my 2 friggin pallets of sour cream.
The disadvantages of pulling a reefer, nighttime deliveries.
