Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/25/do-not-stop-list-of-truck-stops-to-avoid-if-you-have-a-high-value-load.html
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This is based on no background information whatsoever regarding the number of names/brands of truck stop; but I’m surprised to see so many repeats: “Flying J”, “Pilot Travel Center”, and “Love’s” are either the Kleenex of truck stops or bad news.
Unless the proprietors are substantially responsible for physical security I would have imagined that it would be down to a combination of geography and local law enforcement interest; with a much more varied list of names.
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The list skews fairly southern and mid-western US. And then just one lone Canadian entry in Saskatchewan which might only get used by someone driving from the east side of Regina to Saskatoon.
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Yes, those are the major brands of gas station/truck stop you’ll find in most of the country. They have separate truck entrances, with lanes and parking areas sized for large rigs. They also have other amenities truckers (and RVers!) might need, including showers and dump stations.
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Hmm. We like stopping at truck stops because the gas is usually a bit cheaper, there are more bathrooms available, and we feel safer at these places because there are tons of people. We stopped at the Salinas CA Pilot location (on the list) just about month ago, and although we aren’t truck drivers we didn’t see any sketchy people hanging out.
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Kleenex.
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I know one of the stops, I used to live in Patterson, CA., which is close enough to commute to the SF Bay Area. The only thing about it that jumps out to me is that there is an Amazon fulfillment center there, as well as a Grainger distribution center. Perhaps that’s a factor?
All three are ubiquitous around here (Northern California), so I’m guessing the former.
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I think the key here is “High Value Load”. You probably won’t get robbed at gunpoint, but your load of stereos are in serious peril.
The three listed in Colorado are in an area where Scrap metal is processed, and where someone would go to to sell scrap copper or Catalytic converters. I worked in the area at at a few jobs, there’s definitely nothing overtly sketchy about it, just blue collar to the extreme.
Isn’t is super weird that Florida is contained in Colorado on this list?
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Don’t forget that place just south of the border with all the vampires.
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5 in Gary/Lake (Indiana) and one on the far south side of Chicago (close to Indiana) seems about right. I used to drive through these stops all the time while visiting my parents and traveling between NorthCentral Indiana and where I lived in Chicago. It’s a bit of a post-industrial hellscape.
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No Florida entries? Smells fishy to me… kind of like Florida.
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Can’t be easy to avoid Texas, but I’ll try
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There are two Florida entries – there is a formatting error that makes them hard to spot.
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Small world! Me too! Left about two years ago for the charms of northeast Vermont.
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Sometimes, one must look within.
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post deleted by commenter.
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Uh, this is kinda inappropriate. Saskatchewan is an anglicization of a Cree word, Kisiskatchewanisipi. So is Saskatoon. In that sense, Saskatchewan is English. It’s also not that difficult to pronounce. Jokes like this are kinda demeaning to the original inhabitants of that land.
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Ah; apologies. I will try and edit and delete.
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Yeah, those are some of the ones that immediately jumped out to me, since I usually stop at that Love’s Travel Stop on my way to Ohio or Kentucky. (It’s about the right distance from my home for a good point to stop to stretch and get a snack.)
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