Cool Load And My First Trip Through Chicago

I am finally getting to go through Chicago on a load going from St. Paul, MN to Toledo, OH. What's cool about this load is it is a live show move so I am getting to go underneath the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to load up. Also I get to add Minnesota and Wisconsin to my states list.

What are the best times to run Chicago? I am familiar with Los Angeles, but I imagine Chicago is a beast of its own? Already checking the roads on my route so I won't be on the news for taking out a bridge haha.

I'll keep you guys updated on how it goes too. I am actually pretty excited for a new challenge and new roads. I5, CA 99, and I10 were starting to bore me haha.

When I'm running that area I go at night...or at least shut down during rush hour. Its not as bad as Atlanta IMO.

There's a big TA with 300 parking spaces at exit 6 Gary Indiana, I can always find parking even at 0300. The pilot at that exit is a cluster. Close enough to Chicago to park but far enough away that I can avoid some of the mess. There's a pretty big flying j at exit 9 I think, but never been there. When I find a place reliable for parking I stick with it.

In Portage WI there is a big Petro with about the same. It also has a blue beacon. Those are my "go to" places when up in that area.

Thanks for the heads up on that petro. Petros are usually my go to. I didn't get to see much of Atlanta's chaos cause I was lucky enough to run it at times where it wasn't busy. I wish I could run Chicago at night, but can't because of the schedule. However I could stop early and be through Chicago around lunch time the next day. Did you feel comfortable in gary? How would you compare it to the truckstop in Birmingham? Haha.

Thanks for the heads up on that petro. Petros are usually my go to. I didn't get to see much of Atlanta's chaos cause I was lucky enough to run it at times where it wasn't busy. I wish I could run Chicago at night, but can't because of the schedule. However I could stop early and be through Chicago around lunch time the next day. Did you feel comfortable in gary? How would you compare it to the truckstop in Birmingham? Haha.

I feel safe there. But I'm not spooked easily. I'll pull into the fuel isle and use the restroom and buy what I need then go park and not get out of the truck again in places I'm not sure about.

When ready to leave, I'll pull back into the fuel isle and do my PTI under the lights with people around.

Walking around in the day I don't mind doing there....and I have actually banged on some windows at 0200 to make guys move who blocked me in. Probably thought I was a lot lizard til I yelled "move your truck you're blocking me". Lol if no one shot me that night, I'm sure its relatively safe. Lol although I've seen others complain.

The Birmingham pilot and Cincinnati Sam Adams are the only places I have felt unsafe. And I have eliminated then from my future lol

Thanks for the heads up on that petro. Petros are usually my go to. I didn't get to see much of Atlanta's chaos cause I was lucky enough to run it at times where it wasn't busy. I wish I could run Chicago at night, but can't because of the schedule. However I could stop early and be through Chicago around lunch time the next day. Did you feel comfortable in gary? How would you compare it to the truckstop in Birmingham? Haha.

I feel safe there. But I'm not spooked easily. I'll pull into the fuel isle and use the restroom and buy what I need then go park and not get out of the truck again in places I'm not sure about.

When ready to leave, I'll pull back into the fuel isle and do my PTI under the lights with people around.

Walking around in the day I don't mind doing there....and I have actually banged on some windows at 0200 to make guys move who blocked me in. Probably thought I was a lot lizard til I yelled "move your truck you're blocking me". Lol if no one shot me that night, I'm sure its relatively safe. Lol although I've seen others complain.

The Birmingham pilot and Cincinnati Sam Adams are the only places I have felt unsafe. And I have eliminated then from my future lol

That's is good to know, I am slowly getting less scared. I am from the sticks (town of 1000 people) so I can get pretty intimidated in the city. I remember you talking about Sam Adams, really makes me just want to stay away from Cincinnati haha, but then again I go to Stockton, CA a lot and it's not the greatest place in the world either.

Get to drive through my first snow on this trip. Hope it doesn't get icy.

Good luck man, I don't have to go there anymore where I'm working now. But I'm glad to have had the experience of it in the past.

I live about 2 miles from that petro at exit nine. If you go to the ta at exit 6 make sure you lock up everything and take anything of value out of plain sight I know several people that jave gotten there trucks broken into there.

Thanks for the heads up on that petro. Petros are usually my go to. I didn't get to see much of Atlanta's chaos cause I was lucky enough to run it at times where it wasn't busy. I wish I could run Chicago at night, but can't because of the schedule. However I could stop early and be through Chicago around lunch time the next day. Did you feel comfortable in gary? How would you compare it to the truckstop in Birmingham? Haha.

Almost every time I went past Chicago I parked at that TA in Gary. Not the nicest place ever but tons of parking and I never felt unsafe. We also have a terminal in Gary but it's not very big so I always just parked at the TA.

If your having to do Chicago during the day it's best to be out of there by 3pm, so noon would be better. Early morning and afternoon rush are terrible time suckers. People drive extremely aggressively with lots of speeding and no turn signals as they weave in and out in front of you. Just take your time and aattempt to mind your space/distance.

I've spent the night in Birmingham twice now. Once at the Flying J and once next door to my RCVR. Never felt uneasy. But, you couldn't pay me to stay in Gary. Maybe because I know better. I lived for 5 years in northern IN. Gary isn't a place to be caught out after dark if you don't live there.