Truck stop
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A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom,[1] and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motorists and truck drivers. Truck stops are usually located on or near a busy road.[2]
Truck stop services
Smaller truck stops might consist of only a parking area, a fueling station, and perhaps a
The fuel islands at many truck stops can get very crowded. Most trucking companies have accounts with one or two truck stop chains and, after negotiating a specific price for diesel, require their drivers to fuel exclusively at supported locations. Truck stops near a large city, or on the east or west coasts, suffer from the most congestion at their fuel islands.
The retail stores in large truck stops offer a large selection of
Most long-haul tractors have sleeping berths, and many truck drivers keep their
Australia
In Australia a roadhouse is a filling station (service station) on a major intercity route. A roadhouse sells fuel and provides maintenance and repairs for cars, but it also has an attached restaurant (usually a café or diner) to sell and serve hot food to travelers. Roadhouses usually also serve as truck stops, providing space for parking of semi-trailer trucks and buses, as well as catering to travelers in private cars. In remote areas such as the Nullarbor Plain, a roadhouse also offers motel-style accommodation and camping facilities.
Approximately two thirds of truck stops are independently owned with the remainder being owned and run by '
Germany and Austria
In Germany and some parts of Austria there were newer official developments to the existing highway service station. The often state owned service stations at the highway were insufficient to deal with the growing number of lorries and the necessary stops for lorry drivers to rest. Since 2001, the traffic regulations of Germany Straßenverkehrsordnung include a road sign, Autohof, literally car yard or automobile court.
An Autohof is run by a private company, but the government provides the road signs at the highway, indicating an Autohof, if the facility:
- is no more remote from the highway than one kilometre
- can be approached by lorries
- provides at least 50 places for lorries, or at least 100 at higher frequented roads, those places must be apart from the places for other cars
- is open 24 hours a day, all the year through
- offers gasoline service 24 hours a day
- offers meals from 11.00 to 22.00; other food at the rest of the day
- includes sanitary facilities for handicapped people and for the proper needs of lorry drivers
United Kingdom
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In the United Kingdom, the term "truck stop" is not in common use and the equivalent stops are motorway services.[8] There are relatively few areas on motorways just for trucks to stop at. Most designated rest areas are used by every sort of motor vehicle.
On A roads (major routes which are made to a lower standard compared to motorways), a truck stop may have no refuelling facilities but simply offer a place for tired drivers to rest and/or get food and drink in a transport cafe. They may not be signposted well, if at all.
Notable truck stop locations in the UK include:
- Ashford (M20, J10)
- Rothwell (A14, J3 )
- South Mimms (A1(M), J1)
- Ellesmere Port (M56, J10)
- Chippenham (M4, J17)
United States
The truck stop originated in the United States in the 1940s as a reliable source of
In the
In Louisiana, truck stops that meet certain criteria are allowed to have on-site casinos that can operate up to 50 video poker gaming devices. These truck stops are regulated by the Louisiana Gaming Enforcement Division and must maintain certain amenities to be eligible to keep the lucrative gaming devices operating. Some of the amenities required are: having a certain number of acres of land, having a certain number of 18-wheeler parking spaces, having an on-site restaurant, and having trucker's supplies, showers, telephones, television lounge, scales, laundry services, fuel.
Truck stops were often depicted in films and novels as being somewhat seedy places, frequented by aggressive bikers, petty criminals, and prostitutes (e.g. the "lot lizards" in the JT LeRoy novel Sarah). This may be an outdated stereotype, as most modern truck stops are generally clean and safe, becoming a "home away from home" for many truck drivers. However, most truck stops reflect the social environment of their local area; consequently, one occasionally finds seedy truck stops in seedy areas. According to John McPhee's book Uncommon Carriers, truck stops in rural areas are typically very safe and wholesome. However, as the distance to major cities decreases the incidence of prostitution, drug peddling etc. increases dramatically. The Vince Lombardi service area on the New Jersey Turnpike near New York City has the most rampant prostitution.[9]
Corporatization
The economics of truck stops have driven most of the small, post-war operations out of business and they have been replaced with large corporate chains or franchises.[citation needed] Truck drivers are a captive market, because the trucks' size and local regulations place severe restrictions on where a truck driver can park. The initial investment in land, permits, equipment and maintenance requirements are large and growing: accordingly, some large truck stop chains have begun to cater to a wider range of the traveling public by combining trucks stops and traditional gas stations.
See also
- Caravanserai
- Dhaba
- Greasy spoon
- Iowa 80 – the world's largest truck stop
- Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
- Pilot Flying J
- Rest area
- Road Ranger
References
- ^ "Definition of 'service station'". collinsdictionary.com.
- ^ "Truck stop Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster". Merriam-Webster. April 11, 2022. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ "The Five Best Load Boards Every Trucker Should Know | RTS Financial". www.rtsfinancial.com. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
- ^ DAT Solutions History
- ^ "Idle Reduction through Advanced Travel Center Electrification® (ATE)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-26.
- ^ "The inconvenient truth of fuel retailing in Australia".
- ^ "Truckstop". motorwayservicesonline.co.uk.
- ISBN 9780374280390. p.87
External links
Media related to Truck stops at Wikimedia Commons