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Truck stop question


Alpo

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A big truck stop, like they have out on the interstate. Would they sell clothing?

 

I'm not talking about suits and dresses, but like shorts and t-shirts, and maybe both guys' and girls' underwear?

 

I remember in the movie Twins Ahnuld made a muscle and tore his shirt sleeve, and replaced it with a t-shirt bought at a truck stop. But that was a movie.

 

I'm reading a story where the guy has picked up a female hitchhiker in the pouring down rain. And they come to a truck stop and he tells her he is going to go inside and change into some dry clothes. He offers her some of his clothing - it will probably fit you like socks on a rooster, but at least it is dry.

 

And that just got me to wondering if they would have sold clothing at a truck stop? So she could have actually got girl clothes that fit, instead of wearing a size 2x t-shirt and holding up a pair of 34 waist shorts with a safety pin.

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Yes. I drive for a living and frequent said establishments. The clothes are kinda geared towards truck drivers of course but you can get what you need to get through a Kmart commercial but the price is probably more than you’d expect to pay at Wal Mart. 
 

I haven’t purchased any clothing Items from a truck stop other than a T-shirt that caught my fancy and I used my fuel points for that. I think it was around $20.

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Pretty much all truckstops have at least jeans and T shirts. Larger one will have socks, underwear, Western shirts,  and usually Cowboy Boots. 

Back in the 90s, there were a few that had an actual western clothing in them. The biggest was the Giant, on I-40 in New Mexico. 

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11 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Pretty much all truckstops have at least jeans and T shirts. Larger one will have socks, underwear, Western shirts,  and usually Cowboy Boots. 

Back in the 90s, there were a few that had an actual western clothing in them. The biggest was the Giant, on I-40 in New Mexico. 

Iowa 80 bills themself as the world’s biggest truckstop now.  The History channel has a special that walks you through it.

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29 minutes ago, Flanigan Flats said:

a T-shirt that caught my fancy and I used my fuel points for that. I think it was around $20.

That's something I had not considered. Price.

 

If you are hitchhiking, that probably means you don't have a whole lot of money. At $20 for a t-shirt, shirt, shorts and skivvies is going to run you at least 50 bucks. Good reason to wear somebody oversized clothing until you can get yours dried.

 

27 minutes ago, Flanigan Flats said:

What book are you reading?

It's an online story called Tommy.

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30 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Pretty much all truckstops have at least jeans and T shirts. Larger one will have socks, underwear, Western shirts,  and usually Cowboy Boots. 

Back in the 90s, there were a few that had an actual western clothing in them. The biggest was the Giant, on I-40 in New Mexico. 

The TA in Sweetwater, TX was right next to a western store, too.  I bought a Stetson there while I was driving a big rig.

 

The Giant has a little mini mall in it complete with post office and barbershop and a fair sized convenience store.

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I have been to lots of Truck Stops. Many have all the above and more. My favorite truck stop is in California and has a small electronics section, clothing, hats, doodads, junk food, Knick-knacks, jewelry, and several fast food restaurants. 

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2 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

 

Back in the 90s, there were a few that had an actual western clothing in them. The biggest was the Giant, on I-40 in New Mexico. 

 

2 hours ago, sassnetguy50 said:

Iowa 80 bills themself as the world’s biggest truckstop now.  The History channel has a special that walks you through it.

The Iowa I-80 is big, but in the 90s, the Giant was bigger. The parking lot was so big that they had a shuttle. It had 7 individual restaurants, the clothing store, which was like a Boot Barn, the barber shop, a night club, (if my rememberer is right), and much more. 

The biggest thing the Iowa I-80 has going for itself is the Chrome shop. 

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Giants fuel island store was bigger than most TA's.

 

They call em travel plazas now but they cater to a captive clentel. Most Drivers can't just pop over to the mall or target to get a new set o clothes. So the truckstops sell everything expensive.

 

And if you get a chance to stop at a Bucky's it's a gas station only no truck parking but they sell everything.

 

Went back home to Bastrop and my cousin explained Bucky's this way: if you were at a wedding in a tuxedo and had an emergency camping trip you could get everything you need at Bucky's

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White's in Virginia IIRC had a pretty cool gun and motorcycle display. It took a while to check them all out! Think I read that the collections are now gone.

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One of my favorite on the East Coast was the Davy Crockett.  Weren't real big, but the food was good and the parking lot wasn't all torn up.  South of the Border on 95 had some seriously crappy food.

 

The Flyin' J (? Love's?) in Federal Way had a lot that must've been used as a mortar range at one time.  Good thing that cars didn't come into the lot because little cars would get lost in some of those holes.

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A truck stop usually offers a lot of items for the truckers, and those non-truckers that wander into the place. 

Food, fuel, showers, snacks, clothing. Stuff the long-haul truckers, especially, might run out of, or need, or buy on a whim. 

Even gifts for the loved ones at the house, that they will eventually get to reunited with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In Texas we have Buc-ees. They are not a truck stop and do not have any facilities to accommodate 18 wheelers.

They bill themselves are the world's largest convenience stores with somewhere between 50 to over 100 pumps. 

The one in New Braunfels is the Worlds largest at 66,355 sqft. 

 

Inside one of the largest convenience in the US.

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19 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Showers just for truckers in general - the big cross country truck stops probably a uniquely American thing.

 

@Rip Snorter

 

Showers and laundry facilities.

https://www.bp.com/en_au/australia/home/products-services/service-stations/truck-stops.html

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19 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Showers just for truckers in general - the big cross country truck stops probably a uniquely American thing.

Not true, you should see the truck stops in Europe make American truck stop look like nothing

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On 4/15/2022 at 8:32 PM, Rip Snorter said:

Showers just for truckers in general - the big cross country truck stops probably a uniquely American thing.

Say what?

When I drove cross country made sure I had a rewards card for just about every truck stop brand imaginable. Would go out of my way for better showers, food, discounted fuel or rewards. When on vacation in personal vehicle would use truck stop facilities and showers and with the rewards cards still got free showers, drinks and either free or discounted food. Some of them even had 30 or 50 amp plug-in for the fifth wheel. Again with reward cards free or heavily discounted. Still have and use some of them though I don’t rack up the 1500 or more gallons of fuel each month anymore. 
Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

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Over here, a Roadhouse is a pub outside of town. Generally you would just be driving down the highway, and then in the middle of nowhere there's this building with a parking lot full of cars.

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12 hours ago, Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life said:

Say what?

When I drove cross country made sure I had a rewards card for just about every truck stop brand imaginable. Would go out of my way for better showers, food, discounted fuel or rewards. When on vacation in personal vehicle would use truck stop facilities and showers and with the rewards cards still got free showers, drinks and either free or discounted food. Some of them even had 30 or 50 amp plug-in for the fifth wheel. Again with reward cards free or heavily discounted. Still have and use some of them though I don’t rack up the 1500 or more gallons of fuel each month anymore. 
Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

Last time I checked, truckers got free showers (up to 2 with a 50 gallon purchase) with fill ups.  The free shower coupon on the back of the fuel receipt was good for 3 months, if memory serves.  I kept a free shower coupon for most of the big chains under a binder clip on the visor for those occasions when you didn't fuel where you were over-nighting.  Even if I had to pay, showers were only $5- which was cheaper than most other things on the road.

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1 hour ago, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

It is Chicken Light Heaven, isn't it?:lol:

Pretty much. Don't get me wrong, it's a big shop, and it DOES have the best shower facilities I've ever seen in a truckstop. But as to whether the biggest, I just don't know. If it's still around, the Jubitz in Portland Or. is pretty big too. 

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In this neck of the woods the old truck stops have pretty much given way to "travel centers". Generally a big convenience store, often with some souvenirs like T shirts and baseball caps. Many (like the new one here in Clyde) don't even have that.

JHC

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58 minutes ago, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

In this neck of the woods the old truck stops have pretty much given way to "travel centers". Generally a big convenience store, often with some souvenirs like T shirts and baseball caps. Many (like the new one here in Clyde) don't even have that.

JHC

That's what truckstops have become. Most don't even have a real restaurant anymore. Wendy's, Popeye's Chicken, or Subway are the wave of today. 

The travel shops have lights, CB radios, bluetooth headsets, tools, the previously mentioned showers, and some other essentials a Driver might need, to keep his truck and paperwork legal, but not much else. And most of them are owned by big corporations, so that they are all much the same as one another instead of each one being an experience unto itself.

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7 hours ago, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

Last time I checked, truckers got free showers (up to 2 with a 50 gallon purchase) with fill ups.  The free shower coupon on the back of the fuel receipt was good for 3 months, if memory serves.  I kept a free shower coupon for most of the big chains under a binder clip on the visor for those occasions when you didn't fuel where you were over-nighting.  Even if I had to pay, showers were only $5- which was cheaper than most other things on the road.

I was driving in $9 shower time and $7.50 for a cat scale.

 

Does little america on 80 in Wyoming still have marble bathtubs?

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