Truck Stops Please
One of the things I have learned since I have been driving a truck is you cannot depend on having a truck stop when you need it. While driving in Florida I found very few truck stops available. I did find one that just had to be the place to park for the night. It was called Trucker's Paradise. Now by the name, that just had to be the place to spend the night. After driving through construction blockades and congested traffic in Orlando, Florida for a while, I finally set my eyes on the place. What, was this it? Hesitantly, I pulled into the run down pump islands and walked into the fuel desk to verify this was the "Truckers Paradise" referred to in the pocket sized truck stop book that I have. Sure enough, the cashier admitted that it was, what used to be the "Truckers Paradise", but it was bought out by a new owner and was renamed.
After verifying this was the place, I asked where the parking was available at, since the place appeared to be full. He assured me there was parking available and advised me that it would cost me $8.50 to park there for the night. Well, this surely surprised me, because I have not had to pay to park the truck at any truck stop since I have been driving. Then I started to realize that Florida does not have many truck stops and the ones they do have, just might charge. I would get reimbursed for the fee anyway, since it was an expense related to delivering the load I was hauling. I paid the $8.50 and the cashier proceed to write out a sign on a 8.5 by 11 piece of paper which included my truck/trailer number and the date the parking was paid for. I was advised that I would have to tape that sign to my windshield in order to prevent being towed away while I was sleeping.
I jumped back up into the truck and proceeded to hunt for a parking spot. All of the spots in the front of the parking area were full so I proceeded through an opening into the back lot to search for a parking spot. What, I have to cross a moat before passing into the back lot? Well, there was a huge water pond across the opening that I had to pass through in order to get from the front to the back lot. Now, realizing that I was in a big truck meant that I could most likely handle anything except a hole big enough to swallow one of my drive axles. After looking about at all of the other trucks who had successfully passed through the "pond", and accepting the peril I may be about to encounter, I proceeded through the water, very slowly.
After successfully navigating through the "pond" I made a sharp turn around while looking for a place to park. I spotted a trucker sitting in his truck watching TV and smoking a cigarette. I got out of my truck and went over to chat with him (information gathering). I found out that if I parked there over night that I would be lucky to get to/from the restroom without getting mugged and that the area was not really one of the safest areas to be parked in. He parked there due to the lack of places to park since Florida could care less about providing truck stops for truckers. The driver did tell me that it was ok to park in the travel center areas on the toll roads.
After weighing my current surroundings in this truck stop that I had just paid for, I decided to jump back up onto the toll expressway and park in one of the travel centers for the night. It would be much safer and the restrooms were much cleaner than the ones here at the "Truckers Paradise".
After verifying this was the place, I asked where the parking was available at, since the place appeared to be full. He assured me there was parking available and advised me that it would cost me $8.50 to park there for the night. Well, this surely surprised me, because I have not had to pay to park the truck at any truck stop since I have been driving. Then I started to realize that Florida does not have many truck stops and the ones they do have, just might charge. I would get reimbursed for the fee anyway, since it was an expense related to delivering the load I was hauling. I paid the $8.50 and the cashier proceed to write out a sign on a 8.5 by 11 piece of paper which included my truck/trailer number and the date the parking was paid for. I was advised that I would have to tape that sign to my windshield in order to prevent being towed away while I was sleeping.
I jumped back up into the truck and proceeded to hunt for a parking spot. All of the spots in the front of the parking area were full so I proceeded through an opening into the back lot to search for a parking spot. What, I have to cross a moat before passing into the back lot? Well, there was a huge water pond across the opening that I had to pass through in order to get from the front to the back lot. Now, realizing that I was in a big truck meant that I could most likely handle anything except a hole big enough to swallow one of my drive axles. After looking about at all of the other trucks who had successfully passed through the "pond", and accepting the peril I may be about to encounter, I proceeded through the water, very slowly.
After successfully navigating through the "pond" I made a sharp turn around while looking for a place to park. I spotted a trucker sitting in his truck watching TV and smoking a cigarette. I got out of my truck and went over to chat with him (information gathering). I found out that if I parked there over night that I would be lucky to get to/from the restroom without getting mugged and that the area was not really one of the safest areas to be parked in. He parked there due to the lack of places to park since Florida could care less about providing truck stops for truckers. The driver did tell me that it was ok to park in the travel center areas on the toll roads.
After weighing my current surroundings in this truck stop that I had just paid for, I decided to jump back up onto the toll expressway and park in one of the travel centers for the night. It would be much safer and the restrooms were much cleaner than the ones here at the "Truckers Paradise".
posted by RickSmith | 8:46 AM
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