Iowa 80
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Iowa 80 is the world's largest truck stop, located along Interstate 80 off exit 284 in Walcott, Iowa. It sits on a 220-acre (89 ha) plot of land, three times larger than an average 75 acres (30 ha) truckstop,[1] and it receives 5,000 visitors daily. Iowa 80 features a 67,000 sq ft (6,200 m2) main building, parking for 900 trucks, 15 diesel fuel pumps, and also has a dedicated pump for dispensing bulk diesel exhaust fluid. Four-hundred and fifty employees staff the megaplex.[2][3]
Iowa 80 is currently affiliated with the TravelCenters of America chain.[4]
History
Bill Moon, a regional manager for
Facilities
Exterior
Iowa 80 has a large truck parking lot, truck scales, and fueling stations as is customary for a truck stop. There are fifteen fuel stations. The stations have nozzles on each side, so tanks on both sides of the truck can be filled simultaneously. Since the introduction of trucks requiring diesel exhaust fluid, the fuel island at Iowa 80 has been renovated to include pumps for bulk DEF dispensing. Iowa 80 has a service center where vehicle diagnostics, minor repairs, oil changes or tire rotations can be done. A small convenience store is located on the fuel island. Iowa 80 also has a truck washing facility, and even the engine can be washed.[3] Iowa 80 also has Tesla Super Chargers along with ChargePoint stations so that electric vehicle owners can recharge their vehicles.[9]
CAT scales
CAT (Certified Automated Truck) scale was founded by Iowa 80 owner Bill Moon. With over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada, CAT is now touted as the largest scale company network in the world. An innovative app (weigh my truck) allows those weighing to not only get the information on a device in their vehicle but also pay for it.[10][11][12]
Interior
Trucker's Warehouse Store
The Iowa 80 facility also has a two-story, 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) showroom, which is the largest trucker's store in the country.[13] Here customers may purchase chrome accessories, books, DVDs, CDs, cell phone accessories, CB radio equipment, apparel and cleaners, chrome stacks, and bumpers. There are custom built show trucks, one on a rotating platform. A 20-by-40-foot (6.1 m × 12.2 m) wall displays 500 illuminated truck lights. Also located in the store are a vinyl graphics shop, a custom T-shirt shop, and an embroidery center.[2]
Food services
A number of food services are located at the stop. These include Blimpie, Wendy's, Caribou Coffee, Dairy Queen, Orange Julius, Taco Bell, Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Pizza Hut.[14] The Iowa 80 Kitchen has an extensive salad bar and provides 'home-cooked' meals. The Iowa 80 Kitchen serves 1 million cups of coffee and 90 tons of meat annually.[3] The restaurant seats 350 patrons, and a banquet room expands the total capacity by 60.
Other facilities
There are twenty-four private shower and toilet rooms (which may be requested at the fuel pump), a game room, and a Driver's Den Lounge. The lounge provides leather chairs and a fireplace for relaxing. Iowa 80 also features a business center with fax machines, logbooks & trip report forms and working stations, along with a small free gym. A 60-seat movie theater and an on-site barbershop are available.
Facilities also include a
Across the hall from the dentist is a recently added chiropractic clinic. Services include chiropractic adjustments and Department of Transportation physicals.
Gallery
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A wide shot of the exterior captures the scope of the building's size.
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The exit-ramp sign boasts this is the "World's Largest Truckstop".
References
- ^ "10 Awesome Facts About Iowa 80 Truck Stop". 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ a b c "The Big Road and a BIG Truckstop: Iowa 80". Archived from the original on 2007-05-04. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ a b c Modern Marvels: Truck Stops. The History Channel.
- ^ "Full-Service Travel Centers". Full-Service Travel Centers. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ a b c "Our History | Iowa 80 Truckstop". 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ "Iowa 80 TA Truckstop Marks 45 Years Serving America's Truckers | Iowa 80 Truckstop". 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ IOWA80.COM - Trucking Accessories for Kenworth Peterbilt Freightliner Mack Volvo International - IOWA80.COM
- ^ https://www.iowa80group.com/our-locations/
- ^ "ChargePoint & Tesla DC Fast Chargers Available!". Iowa 80 Truck Stop. Iowa 80. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "CAT Scales". American Truck Historical Society. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ Grimm, Kim. "CAT Scale Turns 40". 10-4 Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ "CAT scale History". Retrieved 2021-10-10.
- ^ Renner Architects LLC : Iowa-80 Travel Center
- ^ Official website
- ^ WALCOTT: Iowa-80 Truck stop a city in itself - A Q-C Century - Progress 99 Archived 2012-09-13 at archive.today
41°37′05″N 90°46′50″W / 41.61806°N 90.78056°W