Ghetto Shut Down Locations

Holy Cow Paul. I was not criticizing you for parking on the ramp. Just responding to your post.

Sorry, I'm still peeved at myself for missing the exit. Not your fault :)

I guess the point is, sometimes you don't have any good options. I've parked for 10 hours in a two hour parking, tow zone in CA before, because the receiver wouldn't accept my load until the next day and I didn't have enough hours to make it to the nearest truck stop. It's usually avoidable, but sometimes you make mistakes or something unexpected happens and you have no choice.

Moral of the story is that I'd rather get a parking ticket than an HOS violation.

The shadiest place I've ever stopped was in Fresno, CA. The Fifth Wheel is technically a truck stop. But they are really stretching the definition.

I was stuck there for two nights cause the receiver wouldn't take me, and Swift wouldn't let me T-Call it. Which in turn caused me to miss my home time date, which sucked since I had plans that had required reservations and money put down.

Moral of the story...don't park at the Fifth Wheel in Fresno.

The shadiest place I've ever stopped was in Fresno, CA. The Fifth Wheel is technically a truck stop. But they are really stretching the definition.

I was stuck there for two nights cause the receiver wouldn't take me, and Swift wouldn't let me T-Call it. Which in turn caused me to miss my home time date, which sucked since I had plans that had required reservations and money put down.

Moral of the story...don't park at the Fifth Wheel in Fresno.

Isn't there a Swift terminal in Fresno?

Isn't there a Swift terminal in Fresno?

Just north of it near Modesto. Hence why I was ****ed that they wouldn't let me T-Call and head towards my home time. But I was dealing with the weekend crew outside of my home terminal area. Notoriously lazy and petty is the best way to describe them.

South side of Chicago. Picking up a load of scrap paper for recycling. Compressor was not working and brakes keep locking up. Was on a tiny street between some warehouses and a van came up fast from behind me, whipped around in front of me and blocked my exit. Not that I could move anyway, as the brakes would not release. Spent some long minutes on the line with 911 until the van left. I managed to limp back to the "secure" trailer drop lot and shut down there for the night. Fortunately, it was lousy weather; and I consoled myself with the thought that lowlifes were less likely to be out and about in the freezing rain. Earned myself a few cred points with other drivers as "The Woman Who Spent the Night at 48th Place".

The shadiest place I've ever stopped was in Fresno, CA. The Fifth Wheel is technically a truck stop. But they are really stretching the definition.

I was stuck there for two nights cause the receiver wouldn't take me, and Swift wouldn't let me T-Call it. Which in turn caused me to miss my home time date, which sucked since I had plans that had required reservations and money put down.

Moral of the story...don't park at the Fifth Wheel in Fresno.

The drop yard in the cattle feed lot was pretty special, too. Parked on the shoulder of the one lane drive...with permission of course...and yeah, it smelled like cows!

Where's the worst place you've had to shut down?

I've always planned my trips so far so I can shut down at a truck stop or rest area and haven't had any issues so far. Last night I missed the exit for my parking spot and had to park on an off-ramp (not an on-ramp...) for 10 hours since I was completely out of hours. It made me pretty nervous, but I'm sure there are way worse places!

Baltimore TA

The Pilot off the Atlanta, GA. 285 bypass is to be avoided. It is the one located on Bouldercrest Rd. It's in a rough part of town, and parking is free, so you can imagine what type of activity you can expect.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that some drivers look for anyplace that their truck will fit. However, this can be a huge mistake as Jason Rivenburg found out back in 2009. Thank goodness they were able to bring his killer to justice, with a life sentence without parole.

Here is an article about the crime, and his family's efforts to seek legislation for safer truck parking. It is a subject that all drivers need to give serious consideration, before shutting down for the night.

Slain Truckers Family Seeks Legislation for Safer Truck Parking

The Pilot off the Atlanta, GA. 285 bypass is to be avoided. It is the one located on Bouldercrest Rd. It's in a rough part of town, and parking is free, so you can imagine what type of activity you can expect.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that some drivers look for anyplace that their truck will fit. However, this can be a huge mistake as Jason Rivenburg found out back in 2009. Thank goodness they were able to bring his killer to justice, with a life sentence without parole.

Here is an article about the crime, and his family's efforts to seek legislation for safer truck parking. It is a subject that all drivers need to give serious consideration, before shutting down for the night.

Slain Truckers Family Seeks Legislation for Safer Truck Parking

holy crap I had no idea, I parked there 2 weeks ago. But I paid for reserve parking, the lot was full.

Sapp Bros in Denver, CO. I-70 exit 278. There is a xxx shop between the truck stop, and the parking lot. There is also a massage parlor in the back of their tire shop that is plainly visible if you walk around back, or are parked near it (like I am tonight).

I figured I made bad decision trying to get as close to my shipper as I could, but I didn't have time to relocate. I only had 8 hours and 20 minutes of my 70 left for the day, and Walmart in Cheyenne ate up 4.5 of it. By the time I got here I only had an hour left.