Wal-Mart Truck Parking

blueblood · Oct 9, 2005

We just completed today an 8000 mile trip around the northern and western US. Got caught by snow in UT on Tuesday but escaped on Wednesday. ;D I noted that 18 wheelers are starting to use WalMarts to stop overnite. Last night in a WalMart 25 miles west of Chattanooga on I-24 the trucks outnumbered the RV's by a factor of 3 i.e. about 8 RV's and 2 dozen trucks. I think the political situation for WalMart may change dramatically if this keeps up. It's one thing to have RV's quietly and without fumes sitting in the parking lot but diesels running all night is a little much. I don't blame truckers as the states are pushing them off on-off ramps and other capacity is limited as truck fleets grow.

Tom · Oct 9, 2005

Leo

I've seen store parking lots, including WalMart lots, that have signs saying "No overnight trucks", or something to that effect.

The nearest Flying J to us is quite a large one, but it's the first coming south on I-5 for a very long way. As a result, the pumps are always busy and the lot is almost always full. When I've filled up there and tried pulling forward (to allow the truck behind me to fill up) while Chris goes inside to pay, I have to get out of the way of continuous cross-traffic of trucks. I try to find an open slot to park out of the way, but can't find one in the large lot. So I end up having to circle until Chris comes out and she then has to run around the lot to find me.

Guess where the overflow from this Flying J parking lot must be going.

John From Detroit · Oct 9, 2005

blueblood said:
We just completed today an 8000 mile trip around the northern and western US. Got caught by snow in UT on Tuesday but escaped on Wednesday.? ;D? I noted that 18 wheelers are starting to use WalMarts to stop overnite. Last night in a WalMart 25 miles west of Chattanooga on I-24 the trucks outnumbered the RV's by a factor of 3 i.e. about 8 RV's and 2 dozen trucks. I think the political situation for WalMart may change dramatically if this keeps up. It's one thing to have RV's quietly and without fumes sitting in the parking lot but diesels running all night is a little much. I don't blame truckers as the states are pushing them off on-off ramps and other capacity is limited as truck fleets grow.

Generally, most businessess will make an exception to "no overnight" rules when the roads force people to park it. And any business which does not does not deserve my business other than in an official capacity (I am a retired police dispatcher) and I don't do offical since I retired.

This, however, has nothing to do with a sunny day in July

Smoky · Oct 10, 2005

I agree with John. Most places suspend the rules during inclement weather.

I have seen trucks in Walmarts, by the way since 2003 when I first started using them. Seldom do the trucks stay overnight. Most of the time they lumber in, spend about 3 or 4 hours and then move out, often replaced by another truck. On our trip out here this year, at a place we stopped in Wisconsin, it was almost orchestrated. A truck or two would be stationed at a certain spot in the back of the lot, and continually replaced themselves within 5 minutes of departure and arrival. I wondered if they were coordinating via CB, but I listened around and could not find any evidence of a coordinated activity. Trucks and RVs appear to coeexist amiably, both at Flying J and at WM as far as we can tell. If everyone follows rules of good conduct, there should be no problems.

John From Detroit · Oct 10, 2005

Smoky said:
I agree with John. Most places suspend the rules during inclement weather.

Trucks and RVs appear to coexist amiably, both at Flying J and at WM as far as we can tell. If everyone follows rules of good conduct, there should be no problems.

Thanks... As for trucks and RV's coexisting, Yes, I've noticed truckers tend to play nice with RV's (And I hope it works both ways)
Both in my experience and in my daughter's Flying J's are not always laid out as well as they could. And those folks in cars ....

Well to far too many car drivers "Courtesy" is a word in the dictionary, and nothing more

Makes me feel a whole lot better when I have to take up 2 pumps at my local Shell (or whatever) station.

But the professional drivers,,, Are usually professional, And that word includes courteous

Wal-Mart Truck Parking

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