Truck Stops

My question is simple what type of truck stop do truckers go to and can truckers go to regular gas station meaning how do u judge what type of gas station u go too

Jeremy, most of the time as company drivers you are assigned a truck stop along your route that will be your "fuel stop." This is determined by a computer program that keeps track of the best prices available for diesel fuel along your route. You don't want to pull into a regular convenience store/gas station, they simply don't have enough room for you to maneuver that gentle giant around safely.

Truck stops are the most convenient places for you to stop for fuel. They are large enough to provide parking areas for your rig, and they will have showers for the drivers, restaurants, and most any other thing that a professional driver might be needing. Some of them, like the well know White's Petro in Virginia have several restaurants, a movie theater, a pharmacy, and even a "dog wash," just in case your pooch is starting to stink up the cab of your truck!

Truck stops are conveniently located along most of the major interstates and highways, and there are phone apps, like Truckers Path, that will help you know what is ahead of you down the road. We also use a little pocket sized booklet that lists the truck stops by interstate exit numbers.

Jeremy, Old School covered most of what you need to know about truck stops. They range in size/style from a gas station with an extra lot where trucks park to small complexes like White's Petro that O.S. describes.

But I want to clarify a bit more, based on your question:

what type of truck stop do truckers go to

For the most part, you may stop at any truck stop, or for that matter, any place you can safely and securely park your truck. The fuel assignment from the dispatcher is a different story.

Trucks stops for fuel don't have to be "stops"...They can be "swing ins" for fuel, toilet, water and a windshield clean....If you're lucky and of course COURTEOUS then you can knock a DOT 30 min at fuel island...

The major brand stops provide convenience but are snarled with every shape and form out there in waves of cluster.

The "old school" maybe hidden or out of the way stops hold a bit more charm and ghosts of the past (not that I'm an old trucker, far from)..but I smell the coffee so to speak.

A good quite dirt lot stop (dirt absorbs urine much better then asphalt or concrete) and a small joint with an ok shower for $6, sorry no shower power points, can be much more enjoyable in my new fresh opinion...lol.

Ok, so whats the deal on showers? Included with fill ups or seperate cost? Average cost?

At the major truck stop chains you can get a rewards card. You swipe that card when you fuel and if you fuel more than 50 gallons you get a free shower credit. It's not a credit for every 50 gallons, but a credit for every fill up that's at least 50. The price of a shower is usually around $10-$12

You get a shower credit at Loves, Pilot, & Flying J for fueling 50 gallons. TA/Petro is 60 gallons. Pilot & Flying J also give half a shower credit for fuel purchases of 26-49 gallons.

A shower at the above big chains runs $12-14 without a credit. The independents usually cost between $6-$12. You get what you pay for though. Some of the nicest cheap showers have been at Sprint Marts. $6 and almost as nice as the major chains.

I recently found out that showers drop off your account after 10 days, if you haven't used them. I thought they would accrue indefinitely. I'd been taking showers at our OCs and tank wash facilities (hey, they're free!) but then discovered my shower credits were dwindling. I haven't qualified for Pilot's "Shower Power" yet, but I may this month. So now I'm showering at Pilot/Flying J every day.

All good to know, imagine it gets expensive if you aren't getting the credits. I tend to shower daily at a minimum unless I'm in the woods, then a jump in the creek suffices.

Just a little FYI,when TA/Petro upped the fuel purchase to 60 gallons for a shower credit they also extended the expiration to 14 days from 10.