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And they leave their personal car in the spot while their local truck is being driven
It’s not a particularly large one, I’m local around there. Compared to St Joe Love’s for example it’s pretty small. But it’s not tiny.
It's got 67 spots.
Me, living in the north east: you guys are getting spots?
I always wince when I see the truck stops along the mass pike. I think the amount of spaces is in the single digits for anywhere west of Charlton.
This
There's a loves on the south side of the OHIO/WV/PA line I forgot which # but MBI has like 8-10 trucks there with trailers taking up half the lot.
They treat it like their terminal, trailer in one stall, Bob tail in the other.
Everytime I've gone through there to fuel at least 5 of their trucks are there and it's a small loves so they basically take up 25% of the lot.
It's hard to feel sympathy after going through so many truck stops full of bobtails and dropped trailers
Or personal vehicles holding spaces
Those always make me wish I drove a forklift.
I have a crane on my truck, never been brave enough to use it for this, but I've wanted to really badly before.
seriously. a spot, through a 3 day period, can either assist one vacationer who is a trucker, or countless others who are actively trucking. I think any real OTR driver is familiar with a ton of places across he country where you can't find a spot because of an overabundance of guys using it not as a 'rest area' but as their off-time storage. OP just be happy you got free vacation parking as long as you did and get used to paying for it now, like many truckers have been doing for ages.
boo yah….this guy understood the assignment
and OP thinks local drivers using it as a storage lot is not equal to him using it as a storage lot lol
They never do. Many folks only think of themselves
That's what happened to the truck parking near JFK in NYC, full of trailers with boats and crap instead of people actually working.
Every free space that these guys take at lots with paid spaces means that someone else has to pay for parking.
The J outside of St Louis at 255/270 has it both ways. They turned all of their personal vehicle parking into paid bobtail parking. And probably about half of their full sized parking is paid only. Doesn't matter what day or time it is, that place is always packed to the gills.
Every time I see a dropped trailer I very much want to drop my trailer and hook up to it and just sit it in the middle of the parking lot. Very tempting.
i double dare you
SERIOUSLY. I don't fucking understand why bobtail don't park on the curb knowing damn well that it isn't as easy for trailers to do the same.
The worst part is when they park in a whole damn space and at the front of that space so no other bobtail can park with them
I’ve only had 2 trips where I bobtailed the shoot way home. I always tried to find a spot out I’d the way. One night on my way back from west Texas to PA, there was an ice storm rolling in and I parked at a Love’s between Dallas and Texarkana. There was nowhere to park except a regular spot. 20 minutes after I parked, another bobtail was driving around. I told him I was leaving early and he could park behind me.
THIS . I have told a few Love's GMs that they need to start issuing penalties like no point accumulation for a week or month.
At least put up a sign or something. They also need to start enforcing their towing policies. It seems like the only towing policies that get enforced are the worst ones
Some Love's (newer ones) have dedicated spots that are sized to Bobtail only, so that's nice, but you're right. They need to start enforcing this shit. One or two instances for mega carriers probably won't prevent them from continuing to do business with them, but it WILL get the word out and start to scare drivers. You have options. Don't wanna change your ways but accumulate points, then GTFO. Don't wanna change your ways and could care less about points then no points for you and pay fines. Want points and wanna stay, then change your ways. There are more than three instances where REALLY could have used a spot a Bobtailer was in, and the consensus shouldn't be, "If someone came up and knocked on my door, I would have moved". NO! You should not expect a truck stop won't need every spot just because there are still spaces, and it's 11PM or later.
Trust me, the employees are pissed about the homeless, the gypsies and the non professional drivers using it as a rest area just as much as you folks hate the other professional drivers doing the same type of shit.
Same...
If this was more universal the parking problem might be almost eliminated.
Get sometimes us bobtails need a place to park overnight too !
It’s states unoccupied. If you’re still working then by all means we get it. But if you’re just parking up overnight, going home, and leaving it there. It screws with overnight drivers who need their mandatory rest break if they can get a spot. Happens here all the time in Australia and it’s annoying AF
Oh I know. I hate it.
That’s not unreasonable. It’s not public property, it’s private. You can’t park your car in your neighbors driveway because it’s more convenient for you without repercussions or permission.
Sounds like this is directed specifically at you cause you pissed them off doing that. I know a couple places near my house that offer extended parking but you have to pay inside the gas station.
TLDR op thinks he’s entitled to parking on a private lot and doesn’t understand how taxes work 💀
You want to park your truck there and hold a spot for 1 to 3 days, give the Loves some money to not tow you.
This is a good policy they implemented I’d say.
Not a trucker, just a trucking enthusiast but I’m surprised that was allowed for free to begin with! I never felt comfortable leaving a normal vehicle parked at a Walmart or similar large lot for more than a day for fear of it being towed…much less a full tractor trailer.
never heard of a trucker enthusiast
Why do you scream
Because that can’t hear.
Makes me feel some kinda way knowing that there’s people out there I may enthuse😏
Please stop yelling. I have a migraine.
"What the actual F?"
This is an AWESOME policy. Keeps parking open for drivers needing breaks, and not assholes who leave their equipment unattended, which not only reduces spots for drivers at night, but hurts the company by reducing revenue
It's funny, because they have a problem with this, but watch them pitch a bitch fit when they're on the road and can't find a spot because local drivers leave their trucks at the Love's or what have you.
I wish more would enforce this. Last time I went to Miami, the only truck stop in the area had no availability at 3 in the afternoon because all the local boys had parked their personal vehicles in their preferred spot.
It’s a good policy.
I agree. Kind of a dick move to expect free truck storage
I agree there’s a pilot by me that is full of local drivers it’s a mess trying to get in there. There’s tons of outside storage where I live but I guess they just don’t want to pay for parking wish my local pilot would do this.
Good! Wish more truckstops would do this
They own the parking lot.
Great policy. Wish more Love's would do this.
After a few weeks on this thread, I’ve seen that lots of truck drivers are entitled to
You should see the trucker FB group I'm in. This X10000
I only watch those groups anymore for weather updates.
Racism. Religious persecution. All kinds of hatrid and nastiness thrown around in there for absolutely no reason (to me there's no reason).
FB is full of idiots and boomers that do nothing but bitch and complain to one another
It's a giant circle jerk of idiots.
I swear it's an addiction to outrage. Every time they read something enraging, they get a boost of endorphins and it just makes them want more.
Great idea. I fully support this everywhere. Local guys need a local yard and otr needs the truck stops and rest stops.
That's pretty normal. They don't make money off of people leaving their trucks. Find paid parking and work out a deal for those few days.
There's 3 different places in my town off the top of my head where guys can pay to park their trucks. They look like nice places with plenty of space and locked gates and everything. Guess mfs think they own everything in sight.
GOOD! Stop being broke and pay for a lot in your home town!
The communist wing of the American trucker believes commercial real estate should be free.
It would've been great if OP had talked to management a long time ago to get friendly permission to use their lot as a drop yard. Perhaps no feathers would have been ruffled for everyone else. These are the consequences for being inconsiderate. Well done, sir.
It makes sense, here in West Texas the local drivers have trashed the pilots and loves. All the parking is taken, they leave trash tires and oil containers everywhere. Block the fuel islands and fuel drops. It's a mess.
I transport fuel that's why I know. I do most of the Kermit, Odessa/Midland all the way to orla and they are a freaking mess.
no such thing as a free lunch, bud
accountability is the word of the day
I think this is pretty fair. If you’re gonna store your vehicle. Pay for a spot. Short term parking should be free and for those hitting the road again after a short time.
Sounds like a good policy to me. There’s a small truck stop near my house that I would try to park at (to go home and do laundry) and there was always the local assholes leaving their shit parked there all the time
I'm not a trucker but it seems sensible that a truck stop isn't a truck storage location. This location isn't that big. Nothing is free.
This seems extremely reasonable. Are you a troll?
I'm so proud of the comments.
I was more astonished that people would be upset with that policy.
How do you justify not respecting that? Like seriously...
I have absolutely no problem with this.
This is a great policy. OP is dumd af
The entitlement of this thread is beyond my comprehension.
Sounds like common sense to me
So you want to store your truck for free? Driver this is America nothing is free. I drive otr and need a place to park overnight. I pay for storage when I’m off the road so you get no sympathy here
When I went home to Boston, I had to pay $20/day to park my rig at the one truck stop 50 miles in any direction. So I did. Eventually I got smart and went home and worked local. No more paying for company equipment.
Wait, you actually changed! Wow you didn’t just go on Reddit and bitch and complain about it! Wow
That’s correct lol.
makes sense to me….truck stops aren’t weekend parking for locals
Wish every truck stop had that rule.
Failing to see the problem
This is great. This needs to happen more places.
Definitely the whiniest trucker I’ve seen on this sub! Y’all do exist!
that is AWESOME. sorry but those spots are better used for truckers doing trucker things IE trucking goods around the country, not facilitating truckers' time-off. am literally about to shut-down for a vaca myself and could not even imagine trying to snag a free spot at a travel plaza, wouldn't even feel right :/
Personally i think that's reasonable....
This doesn't seem unreasonable at all.
I don't see anything wrong with this at all. Can't bring your truck home, pay to park it somewhere. Why fuck the rest of us drivers out of a spot. Stop being selfish pricks
Space = income. They could lose hundreds of dollars for each guy taking up space while away.
I don't feel sorry for someone going home every night or weekend. Figure it out.
this actually makes complete sense and is a good rule. Beneficial for drivers actually on the road and the business itself.
I see nothing wrong with this
Are you a professional driver or a professional Karen?
What a great idea...
However you can stay there for several days as long as you stay with the truck.
Yeah, if you're there for several days you're buying food there. Especially when the truck stop isn't near anything else.
It’s better to stock up on healthier food at a grocery store before going out vs paying truck stop prices for food. I stayed at the road ranger in Sealy Texas last weekend waiting for my pickup on Monday. Didn’t spend a dime in the store. If I lived nearby I definitely would have gone home and anyone else in my situation would do the same.
I think that is very reasonable.
Hooray! There are several locations that have limited spaces for drivers taking a 10. Savannah GA, I'm looking at you. You can go on that lot and many times the same trucks are on the same spaces. I was just in one in southern Wisconsin, and there is a wrecked Ram 3500 with @30' gooseneck that has been on the same spot for at least 6 weeks. ( It has what appears to be a bullet hole in the driver's window and the front is smashed). We see it all the time, drivers coming in to put laundry and groceries in the truck and going home.
I love this sign, they won't enforce it probably...
Savannah loves just started enforcing a similar policy. They claim they'll tow you if your truck is there for over two hours without you in it. Suddenly there's all kinds of parking available!
Yeah, find your own place to put your truck on your home time, let guys trying to find a spot before their clock runs down have a Love's spot.
Don't blame them. Parking space is money.
I mean, they’re in the business of selling fuel/food/showers/etc not to store trucks for local drivers. Which is a chronic problem in some spots. Sucks but it is what it is.
Honestly it’s kind of bullshit that it’s not an industry expectation for companies to arrange secure parking for their trucks when drivers are on hometime.
Not sure this post is going according to OP's plan..
This is a good thing. Sick of local guys in day cabs leaving their shit at truck stops while they go home.
Uh oh op’s not going to be able to be a shithead anymore
About time there is some accountability in this industry. Morons are ripping off fuel hoses at brand new loves all across the country. If anyone has a problem with this memo then you’re part of the problem.
I read it as... you want to sleep here and buy some coffee in the morning... great. If you want to use us as your personal yard then pay up. Seems logical to me.
Only issue for me is resets.
Tbh I don’t blame them. Valley is home to one of the biggest Menards DCs in the country. There’s bound to be some local guys parking not even a half mile away. Not to mention, there’s a place that makes light poles too in Valley as well.
TA Cincinnati and TA Harrisburg is doing this lol
Continue to park there just pay them that’s what they want
And that's what they deserve. They can't seem to understand it is not a right to park your shit there for days and not have to pay for it. This is entitlement at its finest.
I mean… they dont want people bailing just people using the stop for what its for i see nothing wrong with it. At the end of the day it is private property not a logistics yard.
Good to see. There is a way around this, though.
This is for those pesky locals who drop anywhere, sometimes for days at a time. Also road drivers who drop trailers to go home. All ya gotta do is get clearance from the GM. Maybe they’ll charge you, maybe they won’t.
Getting permission EVERY TIME will save you.
Companies try to use truck stops as a terminal. If you want to park at a truck stop for occasional home time it’s best to ask the manager. If you want to use a truck stop to go home every single night you can expect to pay. If you’re looking for a dedicated parking spot it’s best to ask truck repair shops, towing companies, or any local business with a big parking lot because if you park at a truck stop every day you will lose your hood.
Ok, here is how a lawyer explained it to me while i was a walmart manager. If we knowingly allowed unattended vehicles or items to be left on the facility grounds, we assumed liability for said vehicle/item be it theft or damage or whatever you can imagine. I have seem that same sign at other love's, I think it was the st. Joeseph, MO location. Possibly this is a district or regiinal decision. Someone probably successfully sued for said loss/damage.
Perhaps love's had lot maintenance scheduled and trucks were unable to be moved?
Perhaps there is a need to move trucks in emergency situations? (No idea if they would, just thinking of possibility)
Or possibly as others have said, love's owns the lot and wants it for PAYING customers.
For those saying taxes paid for the lots... look at the grant payout sizes and tax breaks, tget do not come anywhere close to the amount needed to even maintain an existing large lot, to put one in? Shit...
That location shos 67 truck spots, that is approx 75x14 per spot, 1050 sqft, x $7(low side of cost for pavemont), =$7350 per spot, x67 = $492,450. That IS JUST THE PARKING NOT THE ACCESS, factor that in and it is well over a million to build that lot.
In some truck stops, especially ones near a port, those container haulers will take up almost the entire lot on the weekends
I have saw these signs way more than once
“A few local truckers were doing exactly what I was doing”
I get being upset about it. But then I also get it being a rule. Hard to argue with them enforcing it though after seeing all the drop trailers and bobtail or cars taking up full spots. Especially the fucking hippie busses that smell like hot week old piss.
Get a manikin and put it shotgun pretending to sleep. They wont bother you hahahah
I think the sign explains it pretty well.
Veryy reasonable.
If this upsets you, find some place that’s actually meant for trucks to park in for multiple days, even if you have to pay them. A truck stop ain’t it.
Bro you taking a parking spot to go home while we out here trying to find a spot to take our 10h break that ain’t on a ramp
Seems fair. What's the problem?
Sounds reasonable to me. They're trying to be nice, then people like you abuse their kindness, and now you're complaining?
I wish every truck stop would do this. And I wish they would immediately tow the four-wheelers left by local drivers.
That sounds reasonable to me. Your sense of entitlement is puzzling. Why should you be able to take up a spot on private property for 1-3 days while denying them potential revenue from said spot?
Makes sense to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just so I got this correct... It's their lot, and they're letting you park there, for free, for up to 12 hours unattended or indefinitely if attended, but that's not good enough? You want to use 100' of the lot, for free, to go visit your family for days on end and they should just suck it up and deal with it?
Thank goodness to something like this happening.
I can think of one Loves truck stop that has this issue.... The one near Odessa TX off i10.
Everytime I've gone there at least 85% of the parking spots are taken up by oil field jack offs who have gone home for the weekend.
Some I've seen in there literally have a terminal right up the damn road with TONS of parking in it.
I don't know how oil field works, but you should, by industry standards, be able to park your rig while you're on home time or break instead of taking up much needed spaces in a truck stop.
And those arguing that this is bullshit.... There's plenty of reasons already stated in here as to WHY this is a GOOD policy.
Plenty of provisions in the regs for them not to need to do this
Pilot and Loves tend to have the fewest parking spaces, I'm out west with places that don't like trucks so parking is at a premium. Seeing guys get picked up.in POVs going home really kisses me off, I have to follow the same federal laws for breaks and when the lots are full of stored trucks, trailers, I risk violations, parking tickets and hassles from the company. Tow these assholes, no warning
It’s shouldn’t piss you off anymore than a guy stuck in his truck all weekend waiting to pick up on Monday. Basically every shipper or receiver I’ve been to is closed weekends and I’ve spent countless weekends at a truck stop for 3 nights. If I was near home you guarantee I’d leave the truck there for the weekend and go home.
I live in a small mountain town. We have one "truck stop" (really just a gas station with 3 semi pumps) that has about 20 spaces. They are usually wide open during the day and typically about 3 or 4 still available at night. You know what I do when I go on home time? I pay for parking at a storage unit lot. One, it's gated and has cameras. Two, most importantly, I'm not a big enough douchebag to keep drivers actively banging miles from being able to park while I'm at the house with my feet up. This move just makes me like Love's even more.
It's because the market sucks and people are just parking trucks and walking away. They leave them there for weeks and it causes revenue loss. 12 hours seems extreme. Should be minimum 34 hours for a reset.
One of the first reasonable takes I’ve seen in the comments. I have no problems with a dude going home for the weekend. 4 days or more you should find somewhere else to park tho. But if a guys parking for the weekend regardless I don’t care if he stays at the truck or goes home. Can’t believe so many in here think you should have to stay with your truck instead of going home. It doesn’t make a difference to them if the trucks gonna be there either way why not let a driver go home and enjoy some home time.
"I usually park here for 1-3 days visiting family"
"GM instituted the policy because a few local drivers were leaving their trucks over a weekend"
Case closed.
Sounds like you are part of the problem
Op just reeks of self entitlement. They didn't build that truck stop to be your personal trucking terminal.
I can understand this policy and I support it. Unfortunately, I park my truck at a truck stop when out of the truck. It’s free and a huge lot, it doesn’t really fill up. If that truck stop made that policy, I’d end up having to pay to park which isn’t ideal.
You're storing your property on somebody else's property. Normally that's not free. If you're with your truck, you're probably more likely to spend money inside the shop.
This is not the only love that is doing this. I pulled into one loves at 10 AM on a Friday because I was done for the day drove all night. There was no parking spaces. There was hardly anybody in the store when I talked to the lady upfront, she told me, these were all the people that live locally and instead of going back to their depot they’re there at loves and loves corporate is a new policy where if you drop a trailer or your park there overnight if you’re not in your truck, they’re gonna tow it
And?
Daycab driver here. I go home every night. I park at my companies lot. Pretty simple concept.
Just because it effects you negatively doesn't make it a bad thing.
Did it ever occur to you the reason there is parking at this location is because of this policy? I spent my 34 there last week since the broker lied (surprised face, not) and the receiver wasn’t open weekends. 9 pm on a Saturday isn’t a good time to find parking. But that location was 1/2 full.
Nice
Fair enough
I, for one, am glad to see such a sign. During the fall OR harvest season I spend several months every year up in the PNW. It’s quite a scenic area with smooth roads and courteous drivers (plus I make decent money doing it). The TA in Troutdale (just east of Portland) is always full so one day I decided to take a series of photos of the trucks that were taking up all of the parking spaces just out of curiosity. Over the next several weeks I took additional photos and compared them to one another. As far as I could figure almost none of the trucks ever left the truckstop. They all just stayed right there in the very same spots. Good effing luck trying to get a space there. (FWIW I never showed the photos to anyone else and in fact this is the very first time that I have ever even mentioned them to anyone).
Makes sense
Expecting people to do the right thing is batshit, no doubt, so now there are signs, rules, and threats of repercussion everywhere. That’s life these days unless you’re out there already doing the right thing. No signs needed in that case.
Get mad at the people who cause this stuff, not the people reacting to it.
I'm fine with it
Seems fair to me. Have you not seen all the full truck stops and rest areas these days?
If you want to keep your truck there for a few days, pay for a reserved spot. Don't be a selfish ass.
That sign said it’s for professionals, I’m a pissing and fireball guy so doesn’t apply to me. I shall carry on
Not sure what the laws in Nebraska are like, but was an ops manager at a Loves in California for a couple years & the process to legally have an abandoned vehicle towed from your parking lot takes almost 2 months with all the different notices and crap you have to post on the vehicle giving the owner a chance to come get the vehicle. I'd double check the laws in Nebraska to make sure they can't just have it towed immediately (The only way I know for sure they can legally tow without a waiting period is by posting signage in the parking lot, but Loves corporate won't approve that) and if not you should be fine to leave the truck for 48-72 hours, even if they put a notice on the truck. You could also boot your own truck in the parking lot, which would require them to damage your property to move the vehicle if they were allowed to tow it.
Not saying you're in the right for using a truck stop as long term parking, but you can probably continue to get away with it tbh.
“But you can park your giant RV here for weeks!”
Oh, that's good, that needs to be the case on every truck stop, I'm so tired of trucks occupying spaces for weeks, and I have no room to park to go to the shitter.
👍🚛🙋
If you’re just using my lot as free parking, then yeah, go on and get. If you and everyone else with the same idea showed up and filled the spots there’d be hardly any room left for actual paying customers.
If I was opening a new travel center I’d capitalize on paid/reserved spots. Have a section of the lot paid only, and you can come and go as you please. Basically like a pseudo RV park. But the free spots would be monitored for sure.
I wish my local truck stop would do this...
Good
I wish all the chains would do this. Get the locals OUT!
Sounds good to me
I fully agree with this! It's a truck stop, meant for truckers to have access to facilities we rely on when on the road. It isn't a drop lot for your local guys.
I don't know why you thought anyone in this sub was going to be on your side.
Most of us have had to deal with truck stops not having space because local guys are leaving their trucks there for the weekend.
You guys should cop a load of Western Australia’s Road Train Assembly Areas
If I'm looking for a spot for the night AND I'm going to fuel. I'll look for a spot first drop and go get fuel BUT if there's no spots I'm not fueling there. Just that simple and if more drivers did this they all would put a stop to local guys dropping their trucks for the weekend.
I think it’s fair at least. You can find other parking for unattended truck use somewhere less essential.
I agree with this tbh.
About time. Fuck them guys who block spots with their cars. They can pay to park at a yard somewhere like most of us do when we’re home.
Honestly, parking is so hard to find in the US ( Canadian cross-border driver) that I understand why they would have to do this. Spots are at a premium .
OP is the reason there's no parking mid day. Find somewhere else to park for hometime and save parking for active duty drivers. I agree with love's. F off driver
Seems fair. There's a small truck stop near my route that never has parking because the same few ding-dongs park their rigs and leave for their home time.
Ye be warned!
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Is it a smaller loves with fewer parking? Sounds like they're losing revenue. Local drivers taking up spots and going home means less spots for OTR guys to park and spend money inside