Extreme Truck Stops


White Rose

aka. Whip Cream
OK, I was board and flipping through the channels when I saw on the Travel Channel "Extreme Truck Stops" Course being a truck driver I had to stop and watch to see what they called an "EXTREME" Truck Stop. Now I have to say that these truck stops are a bit "extreme" in the world of truck stops, but are they really what a truck driver would call a good truck stop? And why did they include the Mid-America Truck Show, in this list? It is only a week long show and NOT a truck stop.

In this day and age REAL truck stops are hard to find. It seems that what once use to be a Truck Stop is now a Travel Center and they only want you to get your fuel and get out! They have cut down on the parking and with the log book rules being as they are now, every driver has to find a place to park their rig for 10 hours out of every 24 hours. How do ya do that when the so-called truck stops have limited parking, and the rest areas are being closed or you are limited to only 2 to 8 hours of parking in them?

Also many have gotten rid of their real resturaunts and put in fast food joints. How can a driver stay healthy when most of the places they stop to fuel, shower and eat, don't have a real resturaunt? Drivers are not very active people. We do what we can when we can, but eating healthy without a real resturant is almost impossible....unles you want to put a kitchen in you truck. And that is what many drivers are doing now days. A real fridge and little cook stoves or grills is what it takes to even think about eating half way healthy on the road now days.

I agree that some one these Truck Stops are really good, but I think they left one out that is my favorite. Bosie Stage Stop just outside of Bosie, ID is in my opinion one of the few REAL Truck Stops left in America. Why do I say this, becasue they do cater to the truck driver. The are signs in the resturaunt that tell the patrons that the cater to the driver because they are on a time schedule and will be waited on first. The shower not only are showers, they also have big bath tubs. There is pleanty of room to lay out you clothers and do what ever ya need to do without getting you stuff wet or wrinkled.

Ok drivers, you know what is one of my favorite Truck Stops so now, tell me what you think and what is your favorite "Truck Stop" in the country?





Extreme Truck Stops

Rev your engines, because we're hammering on the gas and taking you to the biggest, best and wildest truck stops in the U.S. From the best grub to the only truck stop with parking spaces for your horse, "Extreme Truck Stops" is going to blow your doors off!

Iowa 80 Truck Stop
Walcott, Iowa
Dubbed "The World's Biggest Truck Stop," Iowa 80 parks 800 trucks and has 15 fuel stations and 450 employees to manage the 5,000 visitors that come through the truck stop each day. Iowa 80 is the home away from home for the truckers, boasting a 50-foot salad bar, 24 private showers, two game rooms at the Driver's Den Lounge, a business center, a 60-seat movie theater and a barbershop. What's not to love?

Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center
Canyonville, Oregon
Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center houses a 22,000-square-foot convention center and the adjacent 147-room Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort, featuring 1,300 slot machines, table games, poker and bingo. For truckers with a late check-in, the 24-hour Cow Creek Restaurant is ready to serve.

Mid-America Truck ShowLouisville, Kentucky
Truck stops from around the nation set up booths at this national convention, which features truck beauty contests, technology innovations and live entertainment.

75 Chrome ShopWildwood, Florida
A family-owned business for more than 13 years, 75 Chrome Shop is a wonderland for trucking "toys." Where else can truckers relax, take a shower, do their laundry and trick-out their trucks? Open 8 a.m. to midnight, shoppers can collect colorful truck grilles, horns, light, CB radios and more.

Billy Bob's TexasFort Worth, Texas
Also known as "honky-tonk" heaven, Billy Bob's Texas truck stop has been serving truckers for 27 years. Customers come from all over the U.S. to relax and have a few cold ones. Since its opening, Billy Bob's has served over 29.7 million beers!

Lee Hi Travel PlazaLexington, Virginia
Said to be the place truckers will rearrange their schedules for, Lee Hi Travel Plaza boasts 4,000 square feet, dedicated to its three restaurants -- Tin Toy Café, Pedal Car Diner and the Railroad Dining Room.

South of the Border Truck StopBorder of North and South Carolina
Spreading over 350 acres of land, "South of The Border" is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It's a combination truck stop, rest stop, Mexican-themed amusement park and boutique mall. If a full day at this rest stop has you wishing you could stay longer, check into the 300-room, South of the Border Inn.

Trapper's KettleBelfield, North Dakota
This rustic-themed truck stop has a variety of bow-hunted animals for sale, motel rooms for rent and stables where you can house your horse for the night.

Little America
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Located in the heart of the Wyoming prairie, this truck stop has all of the amenities of a resort -- Olympic-sized pool, nine-hole golf course and more.

 

south of the border truck stop is so overrated. if anyone has actually stopped there and not just seen it on tv, the place is overhyped. It is a waste of money and time and very expensive too say the least. The best part of this truckstop is leaving and seeing all the comedic signs along 95.


On a side note i saw that was on but forgot about it. Started watching something else.
 
I can't help but laugh at the "Mid America Truck Show" being mentioned as a truck stop, that just goes to show how out of touch society is with our industry.

I am not overly impressed with the big truck stops, never have been.

Years ago, I had a couple favorites on I-20 in Texas.

  • Bar B in Gordon
    Loved stopping in there to fuel up and get a nice meal in the cafe, and it was a regular shower stop for me when returning home from California. The more modern truck stop chains have sucked the life out of this place though.
  • Warfield - Odessa, TX
    Another nice option for me on my California runs back in the day. As I got closed to this stop, there was often a decision on whether to go another 300 miles to the house, or lay down and sleep for a few hours.
  • Stanton, TX
    Little fuel stop here, not a full service truck stop, but the coffee was always fresh.
Can't remember many of the others I used to like. There is one on Interstate 10, which may or may not still be there (haven't been in that area for quite some time), but the food was great, and it was a nice place to actually stop and associate with other drivers.

And can't forget the little fuel stop on highway 101 in California, an hour or so south of San Jose. Even in the Summer, it was generally cool enough because of the ocean breeze that you could sleep with the truck turned off (and they had beer store right beside it :) )

There were lots of small truck stops that I visited back in the 90's when I had my own truck. Very rarely would you catch me at any major chain. Even today, in a company truck, I make a point of fueling up at the little Magnolia Travel Center in Magnolia, Arkansas because I hate doing business with the big boys. I will also seek out other independents when I can, though I am limited to the folks that take comdata. Glad to work for a company that doesn't tell me which locations I can or can't fuel at.
 

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