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Overnight Parking at Truck Stops in 2024 – Flying J, Pilot, Love’s and More

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Did you know there’s free overnight parking at truck stops throughout the United States and some even have full hookup campsites? The Flying J, Pilot and Love’s are some of the truck stops that offer designated overnight parking for big rigs, RVs and cars.

Overnight Parking at Truck Stops

Since we hit the road in 2015, we’ve stayed at different truck stops throughout the United States. The first truck stop we parked overnight was the Pilot in Tifton, Georgia. At the time, we were traveling full time in a Class A motorhome flat towing a Jeep Wrangler .

When we downsized to a Class B RV , it was even easier to stay overnight at the truck stop. After a long drive out of Yosemite National Park , we pulled into the Flying J in Ripon, California and parked in a regular spot for the night. Catch a glimpse of our experience sleeping overnight in the truck stop parking lot in the video below.

We’ve also spent the night at a Love’s truck stop in our Four Wheel Pop Up Camper . It was an easy and convenient way to get a few hours of sleep before getting back on the road for a long cross country drive.

Table of Contents

How to Find a Truck Stop

Our favorite way to find overnight parking at truck stops is through  Allstays . By applying the truck stop filters, the map will display all the truck stops nearby.

We prefer Allstays because the notes section has information such as number of parking spaces, whether there’s a truck wash, CAT scale, shower facilities, chapel, restaurants and more.

Read Allstays Camp & RV App Review

Before we drive to a truck stop, we call to confirm that overnight parking is allowed. Sometimes no one will pick up so we will simply stop in and ask at the register. We’ve never been told we can’t park overnight but many times when you ask, the staff will direct you to the area where you they’d prefer you to park.

Free and Paid Parking/Camping at Truck Stops

Free overnight parking at truck stops is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Since larger RVs can’t fit in a standard parking spot, they will need to be parked in designated RV parking. For example, the Flying J in Ripon, CA has overnight parking spots for RVs that are free. Be sure to check with the cashier when you arrive or call ahead for availability. The diesel side offers reserved truck and RV parking for a fee.

Some truck stops will ask owners of large RVs to park in the standard truck parking that’s used by the semi-trucks. Note that the RV parking in the photo below is back-in only so if you travel with a toad, then you’ll need to disconnect it and park it in a separate standard parking spot.

Love’s Travel Stops now offer dedicated RV campsites with 30 and 50 amp service, water, sewer hookups and even WiFi for a fee. Similar to a campground, you can now go on their RV Stop Camp Life website and find a location along your route that offers these hookup sites. Select the location you’re interested in and you can book your stay through their website. There is a 28 night max when booking a site. Looking through various locations, a back-in site is around $43/night and a pull-through is $57/night.

If you have a campervan, truck camper or other small RV that can fit in a standard parking spot, you can typically just park in the lot that is associated with the “Autos” side of the truck stop.

Tips on Where to Park at a Truck Stop

Since trucks are on the road 24 hours / day, 7 days a week, the truck stops that support them are always open. As you can imagine, there is a constant flow of traffic from both trucks and cars which means a truck stop is not typically a quiet place at night when you’re trying to sleep. That said, there are ways to get a good night’s rest at a truck stop.

Observe When you arrive, park and watch the truck stop for a few minutes. You’ll quickly see patterns of where trucks enter/exit and notice any loud noises like loudspeakers or drive thrus and so forth. This will help you determine the best place to park, away from as much noise as possible. Just remember that if the employees at the truck stop asked that you park in a specific area, that you follow their request.

If you’re someone who is sensitive to smells, I would also recommend getting out and walking around if you plan to have a window open. Odor from dumpsters, fuel, dog parks, etc can be overwhelming at some places.

Be flexible and have a back-up Not all truck stops will work for you and you may just need to leave and find another place to park for the night. We’ve arrived at some truck stops and found that they were small and way to busy for us to find a somewhat quiet place to park so we moved on. We stopped a truck stop once in our campervan and shortly after we fell asleep, a loudspeaker woke us up alerting the truckers that showers were available. This happened about once every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, it was very late and we were far from another option so we just ended up having a terrible night’s sleep.

Truck Stop Amenities

The amenities vary depending on the truck stop. Below are some of the typical amenities offered at truck stops around the United States along with rates that we’ve seen.

RV Fueling Lanes Many truck stops now offer dedicated pumps for RVs that offer both gas and diesel. These pumps have more space to maneuver and are set away from the car pumps so it’s easier for you to pull through and out without trying to maneuver around vehicles at other pumps. They also tend to have potable water available. Just make sure to ask an attendant which tap is the potable water.

RV Dump Station  While RV Dump Stations are not standard at truck stops, Love’s Travel Stops tends to have them at many of their locations for a fee along with potable water. When we’ve asked in the past, if you’re purchasing fuel, they’ll allow you to fill up with water for free and dump for a discounted rate. Typically, we’ve found the dump station on the “Autos” side of the station, occasionally in the RV fueling lane.

Wifi  $3 for 24 hours. Free WiFi is sometimes available but it is much slower than the paid version. For more resources about staying connected on the road, check out our How to Stay Connected on the Road Guide . Some of the truck stops that have paid campgrounds offer Wifi as part of your stay.

Showers  Most truck stops offer showers. The number of showers will vary and there may be a long wait depending on when you go in. Many will provide you with soaps, a wash cloth, towel and bath mat. The shower stall itself tends to be the size of a typical single stall bathroom with a toilet, sink, shower and some even have jacuzzi tubs (and they’ll even give you bubble bath to use). The showers are usually not timed, which means unlimited use until you’re done. We’ve also found some which allow multiple people in the shower room at the same time so if you’re traveling with someone, you could both use the shower for the price of one. In terms of cleanliness, each truck stop is different but we’ve seen some that clean the shower room after every use. To purchase the shower, go to the register where you will get a receipt with a customer number and sometimes a pin number for the door. Wait for your customer number to be called to find out which shower stall to go into. We’ve typically seen these cost $12 per customer.

Truck Wash  Some truck stops have truck washes such as the Blue Beacon truck wash. They will take RVs, big and small, but before you take your RV through a wash, make sure to do some research. Some truck wash facilities have brushes that can damage items mounted on the roof of the RV or use sprayers than can damage appliances with vents on the exterior of the RV.

CAT Scale These scales are used to weigh the trucks so driver’s know if they are within the weight limits. The scale has three large plates which measure the front wheels, the drive or rear wheels and the trailer (or toad if you have one) and the report you get will give you a seperate weight for each and a total for all three (you don’t need to have a trailer in order to get weighed). To use the scale, simply drive onto it and make sure your wheels are on the correct plates. Press the call button and someone will come on an ask if this is a first weigh (meaning the first time you’ve weighed today at that scale). Simply tell them it is and that this is a personal weigh and there is no truck number. Once they’ve weighed you, drive off the scale and go inside to pay and get your weigh slip. Since we like to keep track of how much our RV weighs, this is probably the amenity we use the most at truck stops. The current cost is $13.50 but we’ve seen it slowly increase over the last few years.

Other Amenities  include propane, laundry, chapel, 24 hour restaurants, game room and more.

Tip: sign up for the Pilot/Flying J Professional Driver myRewards card to earn free showers, coffees and other perks. Some also have programs for RVers that will help you save money.

Truckers and RVers

As you might guess, there is a debate about whether RVers should be allowed to park in truck spaces at truck stops. Truckers argue that since they are legally required to stop after being on the road for so many hours they need these spaces since the number of spaces are inadequate for how many trucks are on the road and RVers are taking a valuable resource they need to do their jobs. On the other hand, RVers argue that if they are customers and businesses allow them to park overnight in a truck space, then they should be able to do so when there is a spot available – especially late at night when some campgrounds are closed for new arrivals.

Luckily for both sides, companies like Love’s have been incorporating RV specific spaces into their “travel stops.” Notice that they no longer use the term “truck stop” as travel stop is more inclusive of the types of customers they’re catering to. There has also been a trend to Class B and small Class C RVs along with truck campers that can park in a standard parking spot and don’t need to take a large space away from a trucker.

Can I sleep in my car at truck stops? Yes, just go inside and ask where they would prefer you to park.

Is it legal to park your RV overnight at a truck stop? Yes, unless a city has a specific law against it. If that’s the case, when you go in to ask about parking for the night, they should tell you. Otherwise, the truck stops own the land and parking lots so they can let people stay at their discretion.

Can you park overnight at Love’s truck stop? Yes. Love’s is one of the most friendly to RVers in terms of having amenities, including campgrounds, for them. That said, not every Love’s is created equal and some may be smaller and, while they may say it fine to stay overnight, you may not want to because of noise, odors or the area.

Are there time limits for how long you can park at a truck stop? We have never been told that we could only stay for a certain amount of time, however it’s good practice to plan to be up and out in the morning and off to your next destination. We’ve seen at other types of businesses like Walmart, where people will stay for extended amounts of time and then they stop allowing people to stay. That said, Love’s does have a specific 28-night limit at their campground.

Are truck stops a better option than Cracker Barrel? That depends. Cracker Barrels typically close at 9pm and are fairly quiet during the night – however when the trash truck or grease capturing machine shows up, you’ll probably wish you were at a truck stop. The trucks that suck out the used grease are loud and there’s a distinctive smell from the rancid oil. There are also many more truck stops in more locations than Cracker Barrels…and some truck stops have restaurants that serve breakfast as well! Read Overnight RV Parking at Cracker Barrel .

Will truck driver’s get upset at you if you park in the truck parking? They may and it’s one reason we suggest looking out for specific RV parking. Trucker’s have a job to do and it’s easier for us RVers to find a place to park than it is for them.

Have you parked overnight at a truck stop before? If so, let us know what you thought about your experience in the comments.

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87 thoughts on “overnight parking at truck stops in 2024 – flying j, pilot, love’s and more”.

Flying J just outside Tampa, FL does. It allow car/truck overnight parking!!!

When in town park my car next to my semi was told ay Cheyenne fly j it’s against policy

Yeah, don’t park in Truck spots with your RV or any other vehicle, you can park just about anywhere else in the world, trucks can’t. That’s why they’re called Truck stops.

They need to stop letting rv and unsleepered box trucks stay in the truck parking area it make it hard for us truck driver find a spot to park especially when we have planned to be there and are out of hours

After working a 12 to 14 hours day I really enjoy trying to find a place to park my semi truck only to see many places taken by rvs. BTW I own an rv. Do alot of camping. I never park where I’m taking a spot from a tired trucker.

You’re camping so use an RV site. Stop taking up our spots. Tired truckers who can’t find parking can cause deadly accidents! Shame on you!

Rv’ers are self contained but truckers depend on TS for bathrooms, shwrs & meals. RV parks are available for rv’s but semi trucks aren’t allowed. Rv’s can park at many places a semi can’t. All your needs are met in your RV.

It’s literally in the name!! TRUCK stops, stay out of of truck stops with your R.V!! Truckers need those spots, we are regulated by federal Hours of service and can only drive so many hours a day and we need our spots. You need to go and stay at the R.V camps, where big Rigs arnt aloud. STAY OUT!! If you ever get blocked in by a big rig, it might just be me(: I won’t move my truck for at least 10 hrs

As a former Van-lifer now trucker who lives full time on the road, this is a terrible idea to encourage people to park at trucks stops. After my 14 hour day is over with the only thing I want to do is park my truck and shower. Semi trucks aren’t allowed to park many places and taking park spots from hard working people is awful. Please find other places to park, there are RV parks, Walmarts, some gyms and grocery stores that allow RVs to park in their parking lots overnight. There’s other places for RVs and van lifers to park in fact there are more places for RVs and campers to park than there are for Semi truck drivers. Find other places. Kindly,A driver .

THIS is a horrible and very selfish suggestion – unless you’re unaware of the extremely LIMITED availability of semi-truck parking options – then it’s just an ill-informed suggestion. Semi/Tractor Trailer [CDL-A] trucks have extremely limited parking options – especially in particular areas of the country where they are either barely existent or are a “charge per night” to stay. These drivers travel long distances, driving upwards of 19+ hrs per day – every day, for several days straight. Their drive-time, break-time, down-time is strictly regulated. When a driver doesn’t break in time, they personaly can be penalized. When a driver cannot find parking yet must stop because their drive clock mandates it – so either out of restriction or shear exhaustion on a wing-and-a-prayer chooses to find the next best available option pulls in to rest and let their clock reset – they are at risk of being awakened to move [whih starts their clock before proper rest reset], fine [personal expense to driver, not company] or worse, like towing, if they step out to eat or use a bathroom [driver expense, not company]. And if you find parking fines or towing hefty for your Toyota Corolla – get ready to sell everything you own to pay for the cost of a TT towing!! My husban drives TT. Trust me when I tell you this is no exaggeration regarding the limited availability of TT parking. Also consider some of these Overnight parking stops CHARGE for a spot. Staying overnight to park is a requirement, and a driver myst pay out of pocket to do their job. You may argue “I pay to park my car to go to work daily.” However, I guarantee you most have alternative options such as public trans or carpools. TT do not. As the wife of a TT driver who sees and hears the stress in my husbands voice when he cannot find approved [preferably FREE] overnight parking … I implore you – DO NOT USE TT PARKING FACILITIES FOR YOUR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES. Its unnecessary and selfish. You have many more options a TT driver does not!!! “Russo” please stop advocating for this option and abuse. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Pilot no longer allows you to buy a shower unless your a trucker,,, started today at the Pilot in Palmdale Ca on Pearblossom hwy,,,, is this at all locations? I was able to buy a shower last week,,, today no more!!!

I don’t mind too much if there is an rv or two at the truck stop… Just know the refer driver is likely to park next to you and make your night hell. 😅 Us truckers don’t mind the sound, so you’ll be fine. Stop at a truck stop, expect a truck stop!

We’re lucky as driver’s these places give us any place to park fir FREE. I’m a driver since 2008 and I think these places should charge for parking since there are some pretty nasty lazy drivers who leave trash, truck parts, tires and other things in bottles and bags. Instead of going inside to the restroom. Disgusting!!!! I think they would build more but I hope they are cameraed up like a Damn Walmart. And charge/ticket the owner or company for clean up if caught. Trashing these places up.. Respect. Not much out there anymore.

Just watched your video on overnighting at Buc ees in Leeds Al. We have been to this store a couple of times in our travels recently. I know for a fact that overnight parking is not allowed by the store. So my question is how did you have permission?

We went in and asked the manager who said we could spend the night.

Hi just wanted to say I usually call first and ask if they have a specific area to park rv or together with semi’s. Mostly it’s together but the newer larger are specific. Nice article and video.

I’m traveling and trying to save some money so I will be sleeping in my car can I take a shower if I don’t drive a rig?

Yes, you can go up to the cashier inside the truck stop and pay for a shower.

Is there only 50 plus truck drivers that want some company ?

Stay out of our damn spots. We follow a government regulated time clock. You don’t.

we stayed at a Loves truck stop in New Mexico. Parked at 5;30 PM, 13 degrees. At 2;30 AM a Loves employee knocked on the door and said we could not stay there because of insurance reasons, we would have to move immediately. Spent over $200.00 for fuel and DEF. Eleven years we have traveled I 40 and never had a problem any where. Guess where Loves is on my list.

You truckers complaining about no parking spots, should probably do a better job planning where to sleep for the night. You made the choice to run all your hours out, until you have 30 minutes or less to shut down for the night, so if you can’t find a spot at that point, tough luck.

I drove truck for awhile, and I rarely had trouble finding a space, because I planned where I would stop for the night, and had plenty of time to find another place if it was full.

Truck stops are for truckers, and are extremely limited. We aren’t allowed to park in your RV park. Stay in your lane. Dont like RV spot Prices? That’s what you signed up for. There are already way more truckers than truck parking available. If anyone was out in the southeast snowstorm this past week, you would have seen all the trucks filling up not just the truck stops, but any place we are available to park in.

It’s just common courtesy, man.

A nice read about overnight parking in truck stops and towing.

Please stop parking your RVs at truck stops. Its hard enough for real Truckers to find parking at night and we hate it when you people waste a good spot when yall can park almost anywhere

I was at the Pilot truck stop in Rapid City SD. Somehow I managed to lock myself out of my Jeep. It was 19 degrees outside and snowing. The cashier lady inside the Pilot station offered me hot chocolate while I waited for my roadside assistance to come. She was the kindest lady.

So class b’s with trailers, should we take up several “regular” parking spots? Sorry but I’m not paying $50/night at a campground to sleep a couple hours…

Why are you in an RV if you’re not camping? I genuinely don’t understand how someone pays so much money for a vehicle to ostensibly camp in beautiful places only to end up in Walmart parking lots or truck stops that stink of urine on a hot day.

If possible, please please don’t park at truck stops. Truck drivers are bound by hours of service laws and we usually have no control over pickup or delivery times and how long they take.

I am a solo female, in my mid-60’s. Due to the times, I just lost my career of 32 years and my home. I am selling all of my possessions that I worked my whole life for. And I know that I am not alone. MANY are homeless. I am trying to figure out a safe way to live in my car. I currently live in the North and I don’t want to freeze this winter sleeping in my car. So I am going to head South, during a Pandemic, by myself.

When I was young, before cell phones or roadside service, you could always depend on a trucker to stop and help you out. And you felt safe. So, I got online to check out safe locations, to try and spend the night, while traveling South. Because of the my past experiences and the perception of safety, that I just expressed, I decided to checkout where truckers might be spending the night. I thought it would be safe. And I came across this site and these comments. -The anger expressed, by some, made it clear that things have certainly changed. -Several employees, that work at these locations, tried to explain that the market has changed and these locations are open for all travelers. But that didn’t seem to make a difference. -Honestly, I get it. A semi is much harder to park than my small SUV. However, I wouldn’t have ever thought to “take up a bunch of space”. Just enough to be near some overnight light and have that feeling of trucker safety of 30 years ago. -I can’t speak for anyone else that is traveling and needs a safe place to sleep. I don’t know their story. I only know mine. And I don’t have any money, for even the sleaziest of motels.

Though when I did travel all of the time for my work, I would see semi’s or big rigs taking up a lot of parking spots. Many times there wouldn’t be a place for me to park. It was dark and I was crazy ass tired from a long day. I’d have to park at a different location and walk back over to the hotel/motel. You know what I would think when I saw those trucks parked at a hotel? “I bet those drivers feel good sleeping in a big bed, taking a hot shower and getting a decent breakfast in the morning.” I was happy they were able to do that.

And I don’t think anyone would argue about the importance that the trucking industry plays in the American commerce. I am appreciative of the role that EVERYONE plays in keeping our Country alive; farmers, labor, retail, motel maids, teachers, etc.

Just as a side note, for the person that said Eisenhower created the Interstate system for Truckers and the Military. As if to say, truckers take priority…

The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 “authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile network of interstate highways that would span the nation. They were intended to serve several purposes: eliminate traffic congestion, make coast to coast travel more efficient (not just for trucks) AND make it easy to get out of big cities in case of an atomic attack.” (Sadly, I don’t think we will have to worry about that one now, with Nuclear weapons!)

And, I would point out, “Today, general taxes paid by all tax- payers cover nearly as much of the cost of building and maintaining highways as the gas tax and other fees paid by drivers.”

From this post, it is obvious, that old feeling of being accepted and “safe” by being near (some) truckers is a dream of the past for this old lady. My life has changed, I have to learn to do the best I can, as safely as possible and this group of posts is a lesson learned.

Hi dear, I’m about your age and I’ve been traveling the highways for over 12 years, I just have a half ton pickup truck with a camper shell on the back of it oh, and I have a dog that travels with me. Any 24-hour place like Denny’s or Whataburger if you’re in the south or even some Walgreens and almost always a Walmart, even if it doesn’t operate 24 hours during this pandemic. I like truck stops too but rarely park where a trucker’s Park I just get a fairly lit place somewhere at the corner of the lot. If I Stay at a Whataburger parking lot or any 24-hour food place oh, I just make sure it’s lit but the light’s not shining right where I sleep in my eyes so to speak. I usually buy a little something from the place and put the bag that they give it to me in on my Dash so that if anybody wonders about my truck during the night they can see I was a customer. I rarely get bothered by anyone and I hear a lot of conversations as people come to the cars oh, that’s kind of entertaining! I pray the best for you as you travel this country, and I’m sure it’s a little bit different if you’re a lady. I’m a guy with a dog and I didn’t mention it but I usually have a big cross on top of my truck!

Y’all stop.bashing the rookies that aren’t allowed to do their own trip planning. Y’all know you had to run your clock down to zero and let it sit where fits when you started, haha. I mean, I drive when I want and stop when I want, but I haven’t forgotten my stint as a rookie van driver. Why don’t rv’ers start a parking coop? Shit … why don’t us truckers start a parking coop?

Please don’t park in truck spaces at truck stops. We barely have any spots as it is. You can park anywhere with an rv, and if asked to move, you can move. We can’t do that because we can only legally drive 11 hours and then we have to shut down, and it pretty much has to be at a place designated for trucks. If RVS take our spots, we risk running illegally, or in a pinch, making a spot of the lawn of Pilot.

I don’t think you understand. We have limited hours to drive and there are limited truck stops if we go into the red (driving illegally) we stand the chance of getting a violation that screws our point system and intern may jeopardize out CDL. RV’s do not have a time limit. you are not regulated by the government. Please, if you can find a spot outside of parking designed for long tracker trailers please use that. I am sure you see trucks parked on the sides of highways, on and off ramps. Do you know why? Because there is not enough truck parking and they have ZERO choice but to park anywhere they can.

I find we’re the Russo’s an interesting blog. Not sure why so many think they have the right to bag on them. They are a couple trying to get through their nomadic lifestyle cheaply and safely. For the people telling them to park at Wal-Mart, although it’s nice many Wal-Mart’s allow… in places like California where many are local homeless living out of campers (they never leave town), there’s been some unsavory characters that have clumped in groups and honestly I woudn’t feel safe parking there any longer. The truck stops offer nice lit areas, there’s always people around….if I was driving cross country, that’s where I’d stop with a uhaul or camper. Some of the rest stops, rv parks etc. aren’t so safe anymore. RVs share the road and need safe places to stop when they are tired too. They have just as much right to sleep safe and get enough sleep to be on the road. Truckers just need to get used to “sharing” their secret. RV parks really are only a place you go when you’ll be there a couple days and most of the time you have to pre plan and reserve ahead. Even when on vacation or living a nomadic lifestyle, it’s hard to preplan sometimes what day you’ll arrive somewhere. Why should they risk losing money on prepaid spots at RV parks. Obviously, if they want to stay for days, use the pool etc. that’s where they’ll head, but no one wants to spend RV park money when they just need a few hours a sleep. All these truckers having fits and posting rude comments are ridiculous. If they owned an RV….they’d be in the same place where they do business in their commercial life. My brother is a trucker and honestly I feel safer at the larger truck stops…

I’m an RVer and came here to find out about staying overnight in a truck stop and am thankful for the truckers posting their information — specifically related to their hours restrictions. There are too many other options for RVers that are not available to truckers, and it would be better if the nomadic community left those spots available for truckers unless there was an emergency. I wouldn’t stay in a Walmart either because of the reasons you mentioned. A person can 95% of the time plan where they will need to stop for an overnight stay, and they should do the work of finding a campground or public land or Harvest Host or Cracker Barrel or find a free location on freecampsites.net or a spot through boondockerswelcome.com–most of which are not available to truckers.

Wow… I’m a trucker. I’m an RV driver. As per the usual these days most of you are an embarrassment to the trucking industry. If you actually took the time to trip plan instead of relying on the Navigo you would not be hard pressed to find a place to break. And for that matter, I bet most of you complaining take your 30 minute break in a fuel aisle!!! You mad yet bro? My money pays for my truck spot. My money pays for my RV spot. I don’t park in RV parks, who actually wants to pay $50+ to sleep a few hours? Even if they let trucks in (which why would they, have you seen where you park? Trash, urine, and human feces on the ground…) You wouldn’t pay the $50+ to park there for your break either!!! Why would they want you in their park? We need to work on improving the way we are perceived before we can expect changes to start to occur. How about stop emptying your pee bucket on the asphalt when there is a trash can right next to you. How about we start reporting our fellow drivers that are making us look bad? Stop just looking the other way and start taking care of our planet and each other???? Oh, your right it’s every person for themselves, is that right? BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT ANT TO SEE!!!!!

I want to point out a few facts that I did not see mentioned in the comments:

1. One of the images is for The Flying J Travel Plaza. No where in the name does it say “Truck Stop”, The business seems to cater to anyone that has money and needs what they sell so the idea that this place is somehow only from OTR trucks is absurd.

2. RV’s do not magically show up at the buyers home so they are delivered to them which means that many of the rv’s you see on the road are in fact being delivered by drivers that get paid per mile just like the big trucks do and they only make money when moving down the road but somehow this fact escapes the big truckers mind.

3. Many of the comments mention that rv’s should park at places like Walmart but in truth many stores no longer allow overnight parking so this option is often not really an option.

4. An entire industry called motels popped up along the interstate system to accommodate tired drivers and many of them have parking for large vehicles. This large vehicle parking area includes the big trucks so if you are tired the only place you can park is not just the so called truck stop but you can also use the motel parking. Now I know many of you big rig drivers are going to say BUT I cannot afford it. Well in truth many rv drivers also cannot afford it.

5. The parking spaces are essentially first come, first served and any decision on who/what can park in the spot is based on the rules the business establishes so if I am driving an rv and see a flying j travel plaza and I am tired of driving I will park by big rv and rest because not doing so would endanger other people driving on the road so maybe you big rig drivers instead of complaining like like teenage girls that an rv is parked in your spot, maybe you should say thanks for not driving tired to the rv driver for not putting your life in danger by driving tired.

6. The bottom line the problem of parking for trucks was not caused by rv’s and should not be blamed on rv drivers, the problem is the federal government and the lack of forethought in policies they put in place. Vote better and change the system.

Have a great day and stay safe

Please dont take up a designated truck spot. Truck drivers do not have the luxury of parking any old where. They have very limited parking as is. Thats why you see truckers on the on and off ramps because there isnt enough parking. They have a mandatory 30 minute rest break after 8 hrs of driving and another break for 10 hours after 11 hrs of driving all regulated by the federal govt. Its the law. As a side note the interstate highway system was designed for trucking/commerce and armed forces.

I won’t park in big rig parking because it’s designated as truck parking.

You should be b***hing and aimng your tirade @ business owners who allow RVs in TRUCK spaces. If someone is tired and needs to get off the road, I don’t care if you’re being paid or not, get off the road. It’s not about right, wrong or common sense*, it’s about business owners allowing it. Call it truck/rv parking if you’re going to allow fking RVs to park there. Personally if I was in a giant vehicle and someone was willing to take my money for parking… I’D PARK THERE!!

Complain to the people who can fix it and stop crying like a b***h in public forums to people who don’t care. Good day!

You are holding up essential workers by using the showers at truck stops and using up parking spots meant for tired essential workers not to be rude but go to the R.V park instead of holding us up

Not to be rude but if I’m tired or need a shower, I’ll go where they take my money. Complain to management. They’re the ones fking you guys over. None of you are “essential” get your ego and your head out of your a**

I work for a Love’s location in Michigan…and I hate to break it to you, but there is a legitimate reason why many truck stops are beginning to distance from that term and start calling them “travel centers.” Because many more than just truck drivers rely on them when traveling out of state and all. And not every area has RV parks. My location for instance only has 2 stalls for RV parking in the front. We’re happy to make other accommodations for them, but as for the utilities inside, e.g. laundry, showers, and the like…they’re open to the public because it’s becoming a service that everyone, not just drivers, need and use now. I’m by no means saying you’re not essential at all, you are, but most locations have multiple shower stalls for this reason, and you’re not going to convince me that you’re not held up from getting into the shower, as an example, by other drivers, because I see that occur every single day. I don’t mean to be rude here, but…this is the new era of the travel stop, where more than just truck drivers rely on them for the basic necessities. And we, naturally, cater to that. To do so isn’t just silly, it’s a loss of business and a good way for us to be left behind.

Oh please. It is essential you PAY for your sleeping space since YOU are one of the ones getting essential MONEY! Whiner!

Oh get over yourself. There arent but a few “TRUCK STOPS” left. They are now TRAVEL CENTERS, FOR THOSE TRAVELING. ANY AND ALL ARE WELCOME. YOU SAYING FOR US TO STOP PARKING HERE WOULD BE LIKE ME TELLING YOU TO STOP DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE THAT IS POSTED “LEFT LANE-NO TRUCKS”. YALL STILL DO IT. IM CONSTANTLY SEEING RIGS RUN CARS OFF THE ROAD AND ACT LIKE ITS NOTHING. PEOPLE ARE SO DAMN PETTY NOWADAYS. SO WITH ALL THAT. BEING SAID, ILL SAY THIS AND BE DONE, TO THOSE WHO DRIVE, WHEN U PULL IN A TRAVEL STATION, IF THERES AN EMPTY SPOT, PARK. IF THERE IS NOT A SPOT, FIND ANOTHER SPOT. ITS FIRST COME, NOT DESIGNATED OR ASSIGNED SPOTS.. SHEESH SOME PPL ARE JIST ASSHATS WHOM THINK THEY ARE BETTER THAN THE REST. WELCOME TO THE NEW ERA.. BEST OF LUCK

FYI Trucks can not park at RV parks. Every time you park in a spot for a truck it’s one less space for a driver that is controlled by the federal government on how long we can drive.

This the problem you should part in RV park not in truck spot ..but don’t care..that’s the problem with this cov-19going on the same thing..so when u don’t care.the really doesn’t stick in..but your first ones to cry..think a minute does that make sense…

Please stop doing this! Your RV can go to an RV park. Our trucks cannot. RVs taking truck parking is selfish at best considering that truck parking is extremely limited in a lot of the country and we spend a large amount of time trying to find places to take DOT required breaks. Your selfishness creates a danger for us who need those spots to rest.

It’s a truckstop, not a RV park.

Tell the truck stop that.. they’re the ones allowing it

Actually, the truck stop is beginning to shift away from the concepts of “truck stop.” I work for a Love’s out of Michigan, and we were one of the first stores to be purpose built as more of a travel center setting, catering to the traveling RVer and local community as well as the truck drivers equally. The term our corporate offices coined this as is “travel center” and we were not the first-Pilot also did that with the location here, where I worked briefly, and we have a Speedway stop built the same way. The industry is shifting away from being strictly for truck stop locations, though that most certainly is still very much a pillar of our business, and more into being a one-stop shop for anyone traveling, be it cross-country or from their local offices and their apartment.

Me and my wife are living out of our car. We would like to know witch Love’s, Flying J or Walmarts we could park and sleep legally.??

Hey Eugene. The best thing to do is to call the location you want to spend the night and ask the manager.

Each time you park at a truck stop, you’re taking a parking spot away from a truck driver where we don’t have enough parking out here in the 1st place. I hope you use little more consideration for the truck driver’s since we drive by Gov’t hrs

He said he’s homeless living in a CAR. He’s parking in a spot for a car; a truck won’t fit there… so he’s not “taking a spot” from a trucker.

Do you know how often we go to truck stops and at least 5 of those spots are taken by a car or a short camping van that could easily fit in a regular spot, but thinks they are too good for it? Like someone else said, unless there is a spot dedicated to RVs or you are paying the 10+ for a reserved spot, don’t take spots from truck drivers. And, before I hear the excuses about there is not an RV park everywhere, vacationers should trip plan and find areas that have space or reserve spots at the RV park ahead of time, since most parks will take reservations. I’m from a smaller town, and I can make reservations if I want to go camping up there.

You truckers should take up the issue with your employers. You have absolutely no right to demand greater access to something just because you are engaged in a commercial activity. That is your problem that there are no spots for truckers. Take it up with the trucking industry and your employers. Do not take it out on recreational Travelers or act like recreational Travelers have lesser rights.

Please try parking RVs at Wal-Mart’s as most trucks cannot park there. Truckers are on a log book or Eld. We only have truck stops and rest areas. Safe and legal parking is our biggest daily struggle. We can not park in rv parks. So please why don’t you. We also prefer not to park in a ditch or getting a ticket for parking on a ramp. Don’t knock us if you’ve never driven in our shoes.

Not all Walmarts allow overnight stays for trucks or rv. We had to leave tonight from Walmart after we called and was told we could stay. Security came by and told us to leave while it was raining. We went to the nearest truck stop that said on their website that rv could stay one night. And as a former trucker I’ve seen truckers staying a week in a truck stop waiting on a load from their company, so it not just rv taking up spots.

Sir ma’am or whatever you are let me explain something to you these interstates 4 commissioned by President Eisenhower for the military and Interstate Commerce meaning the trucking industry and it’s a privilege for non-commercial vehicles to be on the interstates. You going inside of a truck stop taking up a spot like a selfish fool that you are. Trucks are on. Federal regulated laws rules and regulations and you are the cause of the overcrowding a lot of these truck stops. All right go park at a camping site RV site rest area Walmart a lot of us cannot do that you can. Don’t be selfish inconsiderate.

While staying at a walmart I saw a few rigs pull in for a few hours to sleep then left.

Truck stops as name says we’re designed for truck drivers not rvers. If you want to travel in an RV you should be going to RV campgrounds camp, campgrounds and other places that accept RVs not taken away a spot for truck that cannot fit just anywhere it has to obey certain operating of certain amount of hours per day. You’re being rude when you take those spots from a truck driver yeah if you take one late in the evening after most trucks are already stopped that would be different.

Right on! Truckers can also get a motel. You don’t just stop for 30 min. You’re supposed to get a nights sleep. I’ve seen plenty of trucks in motel/hotel parking lots … are you supposed to stop parking there? I don’t think so. Just be nice and stop being such assholes. Nobody has complained over the years when you’re being serviced by the ladies taking up parking spots, so just shush!

Eh…honestly, as someone who works for a stop that continually fills up VERY quickly, this is a very legitimate issue for them. That being said, many truck stops, Love’s being one of the more corporate driven ones, are shifting from being strictly a TRUCK stop to one that is more of a travel center, where we cater to anyone who may be traveling as equally as possible. The truck drivers are still very much a pillar of our business relations, seeing as a good 70% (and that’s on a lower end) of our business still comes from sales of diesel, DEF, and reefer fuels, but we also have the RVs that come in very frequently, local contracts with the public transportation services here, as well as the business we get from the local residents here as well. Point is, the truck stop industry is shifting into more of a travel center industry, so while we DO try to keep it for trucks, parking in back in truck parking if it is available here is technically fair game, as we are a travel center, not a truck stop anymore. But to say it’s their problem that they don’t have enough parking isn’t really true, we have to make exceptions for drivers on the DAILY just so they can do their resets because they ran out of hours and we didn’t have enough stalls for them to pull into.

I’ve been driving trucks for 43 years I am sick and tired of people with RVs out having fun taking their time no rush to go no place taking up truck parking spaces when states are closing up rest areas expect the drivers to get their rest there’s no place to park because an RV is in a truck parking space when an RV to park just about anyplace they have a kitchen in their RV bathroom shower they can park in any parking lot that the store is closed they can park on an entrance ramp to the highway it could be their life or a loved one’s life they save by doing that because a driver needs his rest it’s you people who are elected these politicians that keep riding us and writing new laws just remember everything moves by truck his truck is go out on strike the people have nothing 2 days be out of gas and oil 3 days grocery shelves will be empty day 4 banks will be out of money and the snowflakes won’t have nothing to wipe their butts with so save the economy and stay out of a truck parking space

Ur sounding like a snowflake right now with ur complaining. Just kidding. But don’t worry, when Trump is done draining that swamp, there will be plenty of parking for us truckers.

We should put most of these loads back on the rails, then you wouldn’t have to worry about finding a place to park your truck. And we would have a lot more room on the highways!

Respect the trucks.

What you eat and wear was carried by a truck before you bought it. I feel privileged and honored to share the road with truckers and their trucks.

You must be fun at a party…

Okay, so you are sick of RV’S taking up truck spaces???? How about the lazy truckers who park in the designated RV parking up front at the FlyingJ???? As well marked as it is, they still park there. Maybe truckers need hooked on phonics and remedial reading classes.

The reason us truckers park in the designated rv spots is because there isn’t enough truck parking to go around as it is. We are on the clock, this is our job and our livelyhood. Most rv’ers are just out wandering around aimlessly. For every spot that an RV takes up that a trucker can’t park in, is one more chance at an accident on the road due to a sleepy driver, one more hours violation and one more driver losing everything…why, because there isn’t enough parking for us truckers .nperiod. before you take one of our spots, consider parking at a Walmart or elsewhere. You could be saving someone’s life or csrreer. Literally.

So, the next time you go to Home Depot in your private vehicle to get some picture hangers for a home project, please don’t park in the spots close to the building. Those spots should be for licensed construction contractors who are pressed for time because they have deadlines to meet. Since your project is a leisurely personal project and not part of your job, you should park in the waaay off distant spots or maybe a personal driveway down the street because the parking lot of a builder supply should only be used by commercial builders in their course of business. See how stupid that sounds? I spend $200-$300 on fuel every time that I stop. I also spend around $100 on food and other random crap by the time my kids are done shopping. I spend money there too, so I should have every right to a parking spot, just like anyone else. When the business says I can’t park there anymore, I’ll spend my money elsewhere.

Wont be long, the trucks will be run by a computer running a self drive program. Truck stops will have employees filling the automated trucks. Automated trucks run 24 hours a day no need for rest. No need for the spaces you guys need for your rest, us RVers will have our choice of spots.

Trucks are governed by federal hours of service which are monitored by electronic devices and enforced by Federal Motor Carrier Administration. Lack of adequate truck parking is a major issue in the industry today. There simply is not enough spaces. RV’s have parking alternatives that big rigs do not. Please use these alternatives and let us have the spaces we need. Deserve and are required to have.

This is a terrible idea. With all the new trucking regulations truckers are forced to stop at a certain time. Taking those spots would prevent a truck driver from being able to stop in those places leaving him at the mercy of parking along the side of a road. And for the asshat that said they should pay for the parking and let the RV people park in a truck stop. You clearly don’t get how much that trucker has paid the truck stop Everytime he fills up there. There’s a reason why truck stops are a few cents higher per gallon of diesel.

Truckers need those parking spaces go to the Walmart to park your RV That’s why you see truckers parked on the side of the road and that is illegal because there’s nowhere to park leave the truck parking to the trucks thank you

and why exactly would a tired trucker have access rights to a truck stop more than a tired RVer? Since the trucker is getting paid and the RV driver likely is not….how about the trucker go pay to stay somewhere? all the services provided at a truck stop seem to benefit truckers and RVers equally. So, I just don’t get your point.

I’m a truck driver and the point is we are doing a job and we need those spots to do our breaks so we can continue to supply the store’s with the stuff people need. It’s in the name truck stop not rv stop you bought the camper that’s made for camping that’s why they have campgrounds we can’t park big rigs in campgrounds so don’t take up a truck drivers spot that need it to do his or her job.

I am a truck driver. Most truck stops now say Travel Center. So I figure first come first serve.

One section is for trucks, another section for shorter like RVs. Be respectful to the truck driver needing a spot. You can park elsewhere they cannot.

I agree that RVs have other alternatives but I’m in a small mini van not in anyone way an all the drivers at the truck stop I stay at gives me crap an I stay there cause I don’t have any where else to go legally

So, as a trucker, you are the only people who are working on the road? This is what your post seems to say… Do you live in a hole now? You apparently have no idea how many of us RVers are working on the road. For many many reasons, too. Have you heard of this pandemic thing going on? How do you suggest that OTHER essential workers (you know-the ones who care for your health when you need it) handle the travel requirements? Then there’s the watching out for their own health and safety so they can continue to care for others. There are plenty of other essential workers out there. Perhaps looking outside your own bubble would help you gain perspective.

Ernie wasn’t saying that tired truck drivers have greater rights to parking than tired RV drivers.

However; keeping things in perspective, drivers are not paid during their mandated DOT 10 hour rest breaks. These breaks are required after every 14 hour work shift. When an OTR driver’s wheels aren’t turning, he, or she isn’t earning.

California is one of the most difficult states on the West coast when it comes to parking for big trucks because many cities in California have ordinances against tractor-trailer parking.

Some Walmarts are ok with trucks parking in their lots, others aren’t.

Most of the people driving RVs are on leisure. There not on a clock. Hence, they’re able to park wherever-whenever they want. I have also seen drivers with camper trailers detach from there campers at various Walmarts. I assume it’s so that they can go do tourist activities. A truck driver can’t do that.

Ripon is a major travel way for freight moving through California. By 8pm it’s hard to find a place to park there despite the fact that the Flying J is big and there’s a medium sized Love’s on the opposite side of the road.

I have been OTR since before Christmas, and I’m still OTR. Some drivers will run months without any home time, others are renegades (meaning they live OTR).

When I’m bob-tailing, I park in the car area of the truck stop, or in a corner.

Considerate RV drivers do the same. We try not to take spaces for tractors with trailers. What Ernie is saying is “please be considerate.”

RV drivers have the same rights as truck drivers. However; these places are called “truck stops” for a reason.

RV drivers are not regulated by the federal government as to how many hours they can drive. They also do not have data loggers tracking the movement of said RV. Places like Walmart don’t mind RVs in their lot, but they almost universally run trucks off.

So, while they do have the same services for RV drivers, RV DRIVERS DON’T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REGULATIONS.

Leave the truck stops to the trucks

Because a tired trucker has legal limits set on their hours of operation, where a tired rv-er doesn’t. Because a tired trucker has only certain places they can stop, where a tired rv-er has a lot more options with a smaller vehicle size. And because they build truck stops so truckers have a place to park for their work. Not for people out having fun traveling. There are travel plazas, Walmarts, rest areas (with specifically bus and RV parking where trucks don’t fit) RV parks, etc. Not to mention, a trucker most often has a certain route they have to take according their employer and sometimes the law, where RV’s have more options.

Please remember that when you park in a truck space you may be taking the spot of a tired truck driver. Please park in designated RV spaces.

Hmmm,,,, It’s a good idea but in my country its worst idea to park my campervan on any truck stop… I think 50 to 60 percent truck stops always fully filled whole time with trucks so there is no place to park my van here but most plazas have good parking areas and better than truck stops, so I always use these…

Thank you! We are trying to figure out where to park a car overnight for a trip when we need two cars, but not the whole way. This was very helpful.

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Overnight RV Parking at Truck Stops

Can rvs park overnight at truck stops.

Many truck stops welcome overnight RV parking. Some even offer designated RV parking spaces. Overnight RV parking at truck stops is often free, although fee-based options with additional amenities such as electric or water hookups, dump station use, or the ability to reserve a space are emerging.  

On occasion, a truck stop may prohibit overnight use by those other than professional truck drivers—or altogether. Call ahead to confirm that overnight RV parking is permitted and have a backup plan in case it’s not. You may arrive to find signage prohibiting overnight RV parking, a lot that’s full, or a stop that doesn’t feel comfortable to you.

While most truck stops are happy to accommodate RV patronage, professional truck drivers may find the presence of RVs in a lot built to accommodate their needs irksome. Stick to the automobile side of the business or RV-designated areas when possible.

Perks of Overnight RV Parking at Truck Stops

While truck stops might not be the most peaceful or scenic locations, they can pack conveniences for the RV traveler. Truck stop amenities might include:

Accessibility  

Typically stationed within view of a highway exit ramp, truck stops provide an accessible resting location for any sized RV with negligible additional travel time added to an itinerary. 

Food and Snacks  

Most truck stops feature quick-service food and snacks. Some are home to familiar fast-food restaurant chains, while others house sit-down restaurants. Whether you’re looking to grab a quick cup of self-serve coffee in the morning, order an over-the-counter meal for the drive, or sit down for a table service, truck stops give you a variety of food options.

You can combine your overnight with a rig refuel without adding additional distance to your route. Truck stops almost always feature high-flow lanes that are popular with Class A diesel RVs. Gas fueling lanes at truck stops are typically built to accommodate oversized vehicles. Some even cater to RVs with RV-specific fueling areas.

Dump and Water Fill Stations  

Some truck stops offer a dump station, providing an option to empty your holding tanks. Freshwater filling stations can sometimes be found too. 

If you’ve got propane on board, many truck stops offer both bulk refueling and tank exchanges. The ability to have an onboard tank filled is dependent on the availability of a trained staff member. 

Showers and Laundry 

Showers can be found at many truck stops. While a fee is often associated with the use of truck stop showers, they’re typically private and clean. For a small fee, you can also do laundry at most truck stops.

WiFi is commonly available at truck stops. There’s often a level of free access, which can be notoriously slow. For those seeking a better WiFi experience, many truck stops offer a higher quality, paid level of WiFi access.

Rig Maintenance 

Maintenance tools, fluids, and professionals are available at many truck stop locations. Tire pressure measuring and air filling stations are also available for rigs of any size. Wash bays and services are commonly found at truck stops as well. 

Many truck stops offer quick lube or repair services for diesel rigs. Truck stop quick lubes are a popular choice for those in large diesel RVs due for an oil change and chassis lube. Certified Automated Truck (CAT) scales are available at nearly every truck stop and provide a quick option for making sure your rig is at a safe traveling weight.

Religious Services  

It’s not atypical to see a place of worship located at truck stops. Catering to transient worshippers, they are most often nondenominational and offer travelers a place to meet their spiritual needs while on the road.

How to Find Overnight RV Parking at Truck Stops

Roadtrippers Premium  makes it easy to locate a Walmart and other locations that allows RVs to stay the night. Start by logging into the Roadtrippers website or open the app. On the website while on the map click on the Purple P icon to show places that offer overnight RV parking.

In the app while on the map, tap the Search & Explore bar and select Overnight RV Parking from the list of categories.

For more information regarding how to use Roadtrippers you can check out our  support page for overnight RV parking .

Truck Stops That Allow Overnight RV Parking 

Most truck stops allow overnight RV parking, including chain branded truck stops and mom-and-pop style truck stops. 

Be sure to respect any signage that prohibits overnight RV parking or limits it to specific areas. Heed any request from management or staff to vacate a parking space or area at a truck stop. Always attempt to park away from the spaces designed for and frequented by professionally-driven tractor trailers. 

Here are some examples of truck stop locations that allow overnight RV parking.

Pilot Flying J

Pilot Flying J locations typically allow overnight RV parking. Many offer RV-specific parking spaces or areas, and some offer RVs the ability to pay to reserve spaces . There’s even a webpage dedicated to the amenities offered to RVers en route, and ways to save on services .

Love’s Travel Stops

Love’s Travel Stops tend to be RV-friendly and often feature dump stations and RV fueling lanes in addition to specified RV overnighting areas. 

In recent years, Love’s RV Stops (aka Love’s RV Hookups) locations have popped up at various Love’s Travel Stops locations. These offer reservable RV spots with partial hookups (often just electric, but sometimes more) for a fee. 

Related What You Need to Know About Camping at a Love’s Travel Stop With RV Hookups

TA Travel Centers

Most TA Travel Centers don’t offer amenities that cater to RVs specifically, but they often do permit overnight RV parking. If there isn’t a designated space to park your RV at a TA, do attempt to park away from truck parking spaces. TA Travel Centers almost always feature a sit-down restaurant. 

Locally-Owned Truck Stops and Travel Centers

Most businesses that cater to fueling and overnighting truckers are tolerant of RVers seeking an overnight pitstop too. If you arrive and don’t find signage specific to where an RV is permitted to park, ask the staff. Calling ahead is never a bad idea.

Dos and Don’ts of Overnight RV Parking at Truck Stops

DON’T camp. Overnight parking is not camping. Lawn chairs, rugs, and other outdoor furniture setups for your RV are not welcome at truck stops.

DON’T extend slide-outs unless you are in an RV-specific area with room to do so. Keep your rig within the confines of the parking space you are utilizing. 

DON’T encroach on a neighboring parking space—even if no one is currently occupying that space. Truck stop parking spaces tend to fill up in the wee hours of the morning. You may find yourself falling asleep in a half-full truck stop parking lot, but waking to one brimming with RVs, cars, and tractor trailers. 

DON’T unhook your rig from a towing vehicle. Most truck stops prohibit dropping a trailer.

DON’T leave your rig to venture off of the property.

DO utilize RV-designated parking if offered. Ask staff if RV parking is permitted when a marked location isn’t apparent.

DO patronize the truck stop by purchasing fuel, paying to dump, filling up on propane, or buying a coffee or breakfast sandwich. 

DO be careful when ambulating about the travel stop. Truck stops are extremely busy locations where vehicular movement is not strongly moderated. Patrons pulling into truck stops are often tired on arrival, increasing the chance of a mishap. 

DO be prepared for a less than peaceful evening. Truck stops cater to the transient, with vehicles of all sizes and noise levels arriving and vacating at all hours of the day and night. Earplugs or noise-canceling headphones may be useful. 

DO know that parking an RV in areas designated for tractor trailers is often frowned upon. While typically not prohibited by the truck stop itself, some professional truckers find the practice disrespectful. It’s best to avoid parking overnight in trucker lots if at all possible. 

DO minimize the time you spend at a truck stop—use the amenities you need to use, sleep, and continue on your way. 

DO follow all posted rules. 

Common Questions About Overnight RV Parking at Truck Stops

In general, you can sleep overnight at a truck stop in your RV. Be sure to obtain permission from staff if rules aren’t clearly posted.

Traditional camping, including boondocking, is not welcome at truck stops. Boondocking is camping off the grid without hookups to electricity, water, or sewage, often in scenic, remote locations. At a truck stop, you shouldn’t set up chairs or other items outside of your rig. You also shouldn’t unhook your rig from your tow vehicle. Refrain from extending slides or putting down levelers if it interferes with others’ ability to maneuver or park. When you’re ready to boondock somewhere scenic, use Campendium to find camp spots that allow this practice.

There’s a small but growing number of truck stops that offer some hookups for a fee. Sometimes you’ll find a water fill or dump station on the property, often for a fee. 

It’s best practice to limit your parking time at a truck stop as much as possible. Most truck stops don’t specify how long an occupied rig can stay. However, truck stops aren’t meant to be locations where you park for extended periods of time. A rule of thumb is to stay for the amount of time that it takes to refuel and sleep. If circumstances require you to stay longer, contact staff for permission.

Typically, overnight RV parking at truck stops is free. Some truck stops offer RV parking for a fee, which can sometimes include hookups. 

RVers are allowed to use truck stop showers, but you might find that there’s a short wait. Most truck stops charge a fee for the use of showers. 

Truck stops are generally safe, but be smart and trust your gut when staying overnight. Assess the area before locking your door and using earplugs for the night. If possible, park in a lighted location within view of the truck stop’s security cameras. Always park in a manner that allows you to leave when needed or desired. 

The following apps can help you save money at truck stops. Pilot Flying J Good Sam Club RV Plus Card : A charge card that provides members discounts on fuel, propane, dumping, and more. My Love’s Rewards Card : A free rewards card that earns points redeemable for fountain drinks and showers.  Open Roads by TSD Logistics : A free discount fuel program that works at specified locations such as Love’s and Travel Centers of America.  GasBuddy : Features gas and diesel discounts via a card linked to your checking account. Paired with an app to look up the discounted fuel price where you’re at, you can save up to $0.25 per gallon. MudFlap : This app-based fuel discount program pairs with your credit or debit card to provide discounts at pumps across a wide range of truck stops, allowing you to pay at the pump with a code.

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• 🏕️ Truck Stop Overnight Parking

Respectful Overnight Parking At Truck Stops For The RVer

By Kelly Beasley

Unless you're new to RVing, you know many campers do overnight parking at truck stops. And that is a great place to overnight!

But there's a big divide about if it's OK to park your RV in the semi-parking spots that are available there.

There are other places for RVs to park, and there are a FEW other places for truckers/professional drivers to park, too.

But are you hurting those working drivers with big rigs for taking up the space they depend on while working?

Here you learn if it's ok and how to safely use truck stop overnight parking at places like Love's, Flying J, Pilot, and more!

Can I Park My RV In A Truck Spot?

Yes, you can. BUT... is it always ethical? We're going to get into that. For now, we say you can, but you might change your mind about how you overnight parking at truck stops with your RV affects semi drivers.

Meantime, at most travel centers, the company owner doesn't state that RVs cannot use these spaces.

Many have even removed the word 'truck stop' and made it 'travel center,' as the amenities exist for all, not just truckers.

Some 'trucker stops' do have spots dedicated to RV parking.

You can see exactly which Pilot and Flying J do in  this guide  (PDF), where they do and do not have dedicated RV spots.

If they have them, we suggest you use them instead of the truck parking spots.

Well, Can RVs Park At Truck Stops Or Not??

The short answer is that parking in a large truck parking spot is technically OK.

But be aware, if it's full, you'll likely tick off the professional drivers.

So if you do so, park there at your own risk.

We believe truck drivers are justified in their anger.

How so?  Let's find out.

The Professional Trucker's Dilemma

They may be angry because THEY ARE WORKING and have limited places they fit.

They also have strict hours to abide by when it comes to driving and rest time.

Those drivers are in trouble if they come to a truck stop at the end of their shift and can't find overnight parking at truck stops they hit.

Now they have to put their careers and licenses on the line, and potentially even their life (sleepy), to go another 10+ miles up the road to the next truck stop to HOPEFULLY find other truck parking spaces.

If they don't park by the time the golden hour hits, they:

• Incur hefty fines
• The infraction goes on their record for up to FIVE YEARS

This puts their job in jeopardy and could even make them un-hirable.

For them, not having available overnight parking at truck stops is dangerous, and the system seems unfair to them.

We talked to one of our previous full-time RVing friends, who is now a professional driver, about RVers overnight parking at truck stops IN the big rig spaces. 

Below are his insights.

Ash Chesnut

"The subject of RVers parking in truck spots is discussed A TON among truckers, and the responses are always negative and often threatening violence or property damage.

This seems aimed more at the RVs that park at truck stops than public rest areas.

Folks need to know they're being talked about and are disliked for taking up available truck parking with their RVs.

Truckers are regulated VERY stringently.

We have more Federal and state regulations than even doctors.

We cannot cheat or fib, as they're all based on computers and GPS trackers required in each truck.

These regulations tell us when we must park.

And you better be parked before that timer hits zero!

Otherwise, significant fines and possibly losing your job make you almost unhirable.

All infractions are recorded and logged for five years.

The wonderful thing about being an RVer is you have control.  I would never tell an RVer to pay for an RV park site instead of parking at a truck stop.

That's idiotic, but it's what I hear most truckers say.

However, I encourage RVers to stick to Walmarts, rest areas, and the auto side of truck stops whenever possible."

The DOT regulates semi-truck drivers.

They cannot park in the same alternative spots as RVs, such as some Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, etc.

Sure, many travel centers clearly state that RVs are welcome there.  However, we must share the road with truck drivers trying to make a living.

We both may be driving long hours. (Truckers are.)  We both need to pull over to sleep.

RVers have campgrounds, Walmarts, boondocking sites, and more, but truckers do not.

Professional drivers have a very tight schedule and rules to abide by.

We usually have more flexibility than they do.  Can you park elsewhere?

Likely, yes.

How To Find A Truck Stop

The easiest way to find a truck stop is by using the Allstays Camp and RV app . It does require a subscription, but it's CHOCK FULL of helpful things for the RVer.

You can filter for truck stops (even by brand), and they all pop up on the map.

SUPER easy! Some bloggers claim they call to ensure they can park (including at Walmarts), but we never do anymore. I don't know a seasoned RVer that does this.

Most apps will tell you if RV parking is allowed or not, and that's sufficient.

Truck Stop Amenities

I love truck stops! Look for these handy amenities:

• Showers:  (paid- usually $10-$15) and they are NICE! You get a room to yourself with a towel, washcloth, and a mat. I've always had the best water pressure of any shower in my life!
• Laundromat:  Some have laundry facilities. Stop, rest, and get laundry done while you shower!
• CAT Scales:  If you need to weigh your RV , you can find CAT scales at certain stops.
• Restaurants: Some stops have a Denny's, Subway, McDonald's, you name it.
• RV Wash:  You might find a truck wash at a truck stop. Some allow RVs, even huge motorhomes.
• Propane:  If you need to fill up, look for one that refills liquid propane containers.
• Products and... Gifts??:  You read that right. The larger stops have useful products, mainly for truckers, but RVers can use some too. You'll find 2-way radios, 12-volt fans, vehicle light bulb replacements, and more. But they may also have a gift shop area where you can buy purses, glass figurines, and other oddities. It's fun to look.

Good as they are, let's find some other places you could overnight park for free.

Truck Stop RV Parking Alternatives

Often you can create your own RV spot at a travel center such as a Flying J, Love's, or Pilot.

Truck stops are spacious enough for semi-trucks to maneuver.

If you can find an area off to the side where you will not be blocking any traffic flow, take it!

Parked in a Flying J car park area, NOT in a giant truck spot

At some stops, there are empty lots next to the truck stop where some trucks and other travelers will park.

Some travel centers have spots dedicated to RVs.  If where you are has it, USE it.

Other Places To Park Your RV Overnight

There are many places that RVers can use to park overnight.

A trucker doesn't have so many options.

If you are smaller and you CAN find a spot that isn't taking up a giant truck spot, why not do it?

It's simply about being aware of others' needs.

Not just your own.  Really, it is.  Can't we all be considerate?

It's a beautiful thing.

Interstate Rest Areas

Yep, it's true.

A good old rest stop can be the perfect place to overnight in a pinch.

They are designed for RVs and semi-trucks to come through and park, so there's plenty of maneuvering area to feel safe to pull in.

Also, many states have laws that disallow staying overnight in rest areas.

Boondockers Welcome

Some people love to stay overnight at the places that this membership provides (one of several companies that offer  camping discounts ).

It's all about whether it fits into your travel style or not.

Read more about  how Boondockers Welcome works .

Boondocking

Out West, more than in the East or the Midwest, there are many places on public land to stay overnight for free. ( Can you camp on public land? )

There are places on BLM land, national forests ( can I camp anywhere in a national forest? ), nature preserves, and more. Just be sure to arrive well before dark.

Kelly parked in Quartzsite on free BLM land

To find spots, check out  Campendium.com.

If you fear boondocking,  check out our boondocking guide on losing your fear .

Walmart RV Overnight Parking

Most Walmarts across the country allow overnight RV parking.

It's SUCH an easy place to stay for the night. The number of parking spaces available at night is never a problem.

Be aware- some Walmarts don't allow overnighters due to city ordinances.

Trust us; these cities enforce their rules.

In some cities, you may experience cops coming through and forcing you to leave.

Some even hire security to keep people from staying the night.

An excellent way to find out if  camping at Walmart  is allowed at a particular Walmart is to get the  AllStays Camp and RV app .

Business Parking Lots

Some chain businesses allow  RV overnight parking . Check the Allstays app or call ahead to find out if any company allows it.

Kelly parked overnight in this Lowe's parking lot her first night

Some RV-friendly places are Cracker Barrel, some large outdoor stores like Cabella's, non-truck stop gas stations, some casinos, etc.

You can always call and ask if it's OK to stay.

RV Street Parking

Some cities allow RV street parking on certain streets. It's not always easy to find city ordinances online showing where you are legally entitled to park, along with the rules of that street.

Even in some large cities, you can find  legal street parking .

(Keep in mind that many of these spots are NOT desirable because of the homeless population/high crime areas.)

Also, due to the length of your RV, if you have a  fifth wheel RV ,  type A motorhome , or a  camping trailer , finding a spot long enough may not happen.

Other Parking Alternatives

There are many strange places that RVers have found to stay that may not technically be 'legal.'

We don't necessarily condone doing this, but many RVers and nomadic people do it.

However, if you get good at this, it can work.

• Church parking lots
• Busy hotel parking lots
• Mall parking lots
• RV dealerships

It's worth a try, and you might find the perfect spot for one overnight.

Let's review some of the rules for parking at businesses:

*Unwritten* Parking Lot Overnighting Rules

• Please don't put out your slide unless you can put it over an island or grassy area
• Don't put out your chairs, rugs, etc. In other words, don't set up camp
• Don't take up more spots than you have to
• Don't leave trash
• Don't dump your tanks
• Don't play loud music
• DO NOT unhitch
• Use your head, you should do fine
• Don't stay more than one night
• Read the Escapees RV Club overnight parking etiquette brochure (PDF) to get their take on the RVers code of conduct for parking overnight at a private business.

Abide by these and act like a decent human being.

This way, we can all enjoy staying overnight in our RVs at a Walmart and other businesses that still allow it in the distant future!

So, is overnight parking at truck stop ok to do? Sure, but reconsider parking in the only spots where a semi can fit.

They are a great place to use the toilets, take a hot shower, and do laundry, in addition to needing a place to park for the night.

But unlike you (likely on vacation), a professional truck driver, who is working, cannot just find a place to park at the local laundromat.

So can RVs stay at truck stops?

They can. There are even truck stops with RV parking. Truck stops that allow overnight RV parking aren't necessarily condoning you parking in the big spots. Do that at your own risk (the truckers dislike it).

Look for those RV-friendly truck stops with dedicated RV parking if you need a big spot.

Even if there are a ton of spots in the early evening at, say, a Love's travel stop overnight parking area, remember that it most likely will quickly fill up overnight.

CA Kelly being 'that guy' when she first started RV life!

Do your best not to be 'that guy' who parked his little travel trailer in a huge truck spot.

It's just all about being considerate of one another on the road!

Ultimately, it's your decision whether you should use a truck stop overnight parking spot for yourself. It's not against the law, but we should all be looking out for one another. And now you know.

• If you liked this article, see what elese we have about living the RV lifestyle here on Camp Addict .

Author: Kelly Beasley

I dedicated myself to living the full-time RV life for over 6.5 years, immersing myself in the unique quirks and joys of the boondocking lifestyle and gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience along the way. In December 2020, my business partner and I made the transition to part-time RVing, but in January 2023, we hit the road once again, this time in our trusty vans. My mission is to help others embrace the RVing lifestyle with confidence and excitement, armed with the knowledge and resources needed to make the most of their adventures. I believe that the more you know, the more you can truly appreciate and enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the open road.

With all due respect ruck drivers in today’s world with electronic log books etc reat areas are filled with trucks. The entrances are filled as well as the exits including the off ramps everywhere! I can assure you many truck drivers wait till the last moment to find a parking area. They have the luxury of reserving spots on most major truck stops where those of us who use our large motorhomes for work and pull trailers with work equipment (36+14=50 feet) do not. We cannot just “pull over” anywhere we need too. Truck stops sometimes are the only place to park. There are always two sides to every predicament. I do attempt to not utilize a truck stop however sometimes it is a necessity.

This opinion and article stems from feedback from people who are actually truck drivers and do it for a living. Time after time, they have hard times finding places to park.

If you have an employer who requires you to drive a motorhome pulling a trailer, I’d hope they would have specified places for you to park at night.

Otherwise, you are a self-employed citizen, as am I, who does not have to follow regulations limiting how long you can drive in a day, where you can or cannot park, etc.

I have even had hard and very frustrating times trying to find a place to park once or twice at night. (I pull a 24′ travel trailer, so my whole setup is about 50′ long as well.)

Couldn’t find ANYWHERE to park, (N Colorado Springs or Denver, can’t remember which) not even a truck spot, and had to drive, well, I don’t remember what we finally found. It was late at night and we were both tired and frustrated.

Another time, I found a patch of dirt just down from a truck stop (the truck stop was SUPER noisy where I could park, so I left), and parked there overnight. It was the access road. No problem. Even had a trucker park next to me there. Guess the truck spots were full again.

I can’t imagine being a trucker and having this predicament. ESPECIALLY when they face getting fined or worse when they don’t stop driving when their time is up.

Therefore, I won’t take up a trucker’s spot. Others will. I simply choose not to dump my problem onto a trucker that has even fewer choices for parking.

That said, we are all free to make our own decisions!

The sound of the riggs running are better than a lullaby for me, puts me right to sleep. Something to consider when parking at a truck stop/plaza is: Does the truck stop/plaza allow one to sleep in parked RV? Trucker’s can park & sleep but due to the truck stop’s insurance liabilities an RV’r can park there but not allow one to sleep in parked RV. In the event of an event you’re a liability, their insurance doesn’t cover you. Don’t shoot me, I’m just sayin…

I am writing this sitting in a truck spot at a flying J in Fargo ND. The spots that were RV parking last time thru here are now reserved truck parking. 5yrs on the road for you? Hard to believe. I remember checking out your renters upkeeping of your house. How time flies. This has been a challenging trip as quite a few RV parks are still closed. Keep the sparkle in your writing.

Thanks, Greg… yeah, not surprised about the spots. Truckers really need more legal parking spots. I usually make my own spot at a truck stop. I just make sure I am not in any way blocking the big trucks.

Yeah, the place looks very different now that I’ve sold it and they have built on a porch on the front, and aren’t really keeping the bushes trimmed. ????

Hopefully we shall all be on the road again soon, and safely. This is painful. But necessary.

Stay safe, Greg!

I also wanted to thank all of the truckers, both Ladies and Gentlemen for taking such great care of your Country, the United States of America! God’s Speed.

Amen! The only reason we have ANYTHING in our stores is because of truck drivers. : )

It’s a double edged sword. Truckers now park their entire semi in parking up front at most Flying J’s designated for RVs. But on the same hand, I’ve seen motorhomes parked in the semi parking lot.

Why? It baffles me. They must love the smell of urine, the noise of trucks idling, etc….lol.. Ever since the Pilot bought out the Flying J, they just don’t care who parks where, and it shows.

Call the Pilot Corp office in Knoxville and let them know the amount of business you once gave them. And the amount of money they are going to lose.

LOL! Yep, some RVers just can’t get enough of the gnarly smells and noise! I prefer a gas station/Walmart/truck stop over any campground just to not have to pay, not be told where to park, not to have to have people WATCH me park, not to deal with noisy neighbors, not to have to check in/check out, etc etc etc.

Full-time boondocker here.

But I do NOT park my tiny 24′ travel trailer in giant spots meant for eighteen wheelers.

Yes, Kelly, I am a full time boon docker in a expedite van…yes, I also agree to free as well, but in the extreme hot weather I will plug in at a campground, preferably state parks, just to give the generator a rest when the rooftop a/c unit is running, and when I want to cook out on the grill, and get away from the noise of the parking lots….no matter how far I park away from civilization in a Walmart or Flyingpilot car parking lot, I seem to always attract the trucker in a bobtail who just has to park next to me while that driver idles their truck alllll night long…lol.

Personally, I only boondock. The only reason I am at a Walmart or a gas station is because I am on my way somewhere and couldn’t make it in one day. I’m a hell no vote for one night in a campground!

But that’s just me. ????

I chase elevation to keep it cool, so no generator needed for air. I’ve had one or two pretty warm nights, regardless.

When I DO stay overnight at x location, I too am really good at attracting the trucker who parks right next to me. Somehow, I am unusually good at not being too bothered by the engine noise.

One thing not mentioned about parking near the truckers is the noise level. Most semis park and run their engines.

Hi Richard,

Correct! I’m a very light sleeper and really get a horrible night’s sleep when I am around semis. Fortunately this doesn’t happen very often, but it did just the other day when I was relocating from Arizona to Washington and overnighted in an Oregon rest area. Of course there were plenty of semi’s there, and they did their best to keep me up all night.

I’ve had my CDL since 2009, and hope this explanation will bring a little understanding to all. Most big trucks have 4 batteries in a box under the drivers seat.These batteries are much larger than car batteries and help provide electricity for all the electronics in the cab. Many companies don’t have inverters in the cab so the driver has to idle the truck while parked or within four to six hours it will not start the batteries will be dead. Since a truck burns 1 gallon of diesel for every hour it sits we burn 10 gallons every day.If taken care of properly these trucks will log over a million miles in it’s lifetime, with many running continuously for months at a time. If the truck is shut down the APU ( auxiliary power unit) may be just as noisy if not more so, again it keeps the batteries charged and helps to prevent the diesel from gelling in the winter. Finally if you look a the nose of the trailer right behind the tractor you may see digital numbers on a box, this would mean it is a reefer (refrigerated) unit which makes a racket but must run continuously to keep the inside of the trailer at a pre set constant temperature.I guess the only good thing with all this noise is you can’t hear the driver snoring – sorry people 🙂

Thank you, Ernie!

That was very informative. I have always wondered why they have to idle. Figured there was a good reason, but I didn’t know the real reason.

The noise doesn’t usually bother me as long as it’s consistent.

I also imagine that the engine covers driver farts as well.

LOL! Look at me.

I drive drive away RV’S. the thing that worry me about is this. I have seen semis park in spaces that are marked for RVs. That mean the semis are 73 ft long which rv might be only 24 ft. The semis are sticking way past the lines If someome hits your trailer, Its on the truck because he’s parked in rvs space. No matter who is at fault.

Hello all, I’m a trucker who drives for a small company and been at it for 8 years. It does drive me nuts when I see RVs in spots where we have to park and there sometimes where they have to, but I also see that there is plenty of room where auto park too.

My point is that sometimes we just need some common sense. Not all RV people do this just some of them but it makes the RV industry look bad. All in all, when you travel and park just use common sense before taking up a large spot! Other than that safe travels!!!

Exactly. We hope people will use their common sense, but it doesn’t always happen. Thanks for giving another insider positive view without hate or anger about this topic.

We hope you have no more parking woes out there. One can dream, right? LOL!

Anyhoo, safe driving!

I as both an RV’er and a Trucker REALLY appreciate that you tried to be both objective and understanding (kind of hard sometimes to be both at once!) in regards to this super important topic! I have been a Driver legally for over 25 years and doing RV living for about 20 years. And I myself have pretty much given out the same tips and advice to other RV’ers and Expediters (hauls Frieght in vans or shorter box trucks) over the years. And as Truckers are being even more hogtied by Over-Regulations, and adequacy in Safe, legal parking is declining, the relevance of your article will help others have better understanding and hopefully better interactions with the Trucking Community. Side note- as many of us Truckers spend upwards of 6 weeks at time in our trucks, we have also been using and implementing many RVing tips about living/life on the Road! Keep up what you are doing and let’s ALL enjoy seeing the Roadways and Stops together!

Wow! What an understanding and positive take from a longtime truck driver. Thank you, Shelle. We are sorry that this has to be a struggle at all for the industry. But we think that getting knowledge out there to those who may not know about the issues may help at least a little.

So we are happy you and so many others found this article. We appreciate that you perceive the value in it. Thank you for helping get goods to where they need to go so they end up in consumers’ hands. And hello, fellow RVer! : )

I don’t think the average RV class A has any idea how much professional CDL drivers resent the lack of regulation on non commercial vehicles. Especially with the new rules requiring lighter “for hire” vehicles to be included in the ELD mandate. A class A motorhome weighs as much or more than an an unburdened tractor trailer, but they have zero accountability. Then that same RV pops in and takes up a parking spot too. Or that 30+ foot trailer being pulled by a car or light truck that we KNOW would not pass an axle weight if it had to run through a scale. It is a small percentage but RVs run unregulated. To an industry that is constantly being imposed upon with more regulations and oversight this “chaps”.

FYI, In Tennessee rest areas RVs are considered trucks and need to park in the truck lot.

Any time one pulls into a rest area, follow the signs instructing RVs where to park.

I have been in Tennessee alot and no where have I seen a sign stating RV’s are considered trucks but I have seen signs coming out of North Carolina saying no trucks but RV’S can park there. Our big rigs are limited on where we can LEGALLY park where you can park almost anywhere and have the essentials of home where we don’t.

Exactly. This is why we state in the article that RVs should not park in trucker spots at truck stops.

I agree with Ash on everything. Personally i think the truckers that really get offended are company owned drivers. I honestly dont care because i make sure i have time to check another truck stop for parking in case it is full. Only bob tail trucks get on my bad side when there is other places for them

If I have to park in a truck space I always park where my trailer can been seen when a trucker pulls into the be area so they won’t come all the way up thinking it is empty and have to leave or go arround

It would also be great if bobtail drivers would consider not parking in truck/trailer spots. Seek areas along drive or hard to get in spots.

All good notes. As an OTR truck driver, we don’t have time to look for a safe place to shut down. I go on the Trucker Path app to see what’s ahead. If there’s a Walmart, I’ll call and ask the manager if I can stop there. If so, I go in and thank the manager. If not, I keep rolling.

Thank you for adding your experienced voice to this conversation. You have pointed out another good reason RVs, for the most part, should stay out of truck spaces. Truckers don’t have the luxury of time to stop and find out what is available ahead like RVers do.

Good point, thank you.

Different places are more lenient. some more strict in our particular place at Pilot Flying J California due to the amount of agricultural. if there is an RV is parked in the truck spots we will get them to move out and because it’s always full we will allow them to bobtail on the gas side if needed. the fact of the matter is that truck drivers regularly Fuel and spend anywhere from 300 to $800 in diesel and that’s just the way it is. Corporation likes to take care of its prime customers. Not unlike a regular person who leaves one job to go to another job who pays more sure that person stay at the job that pays $5 less no they will leave a company.

Well written article and I’ve got to agree with it 100%

Thank you J. Jones. We think it’s great information for the RVing and trucking communities. : )

I’ve been living in an RV for 22 years. The best places to park or places that are a little off the beaten path. Close to civilization but not quite in their parking areas. You just have to be creative. The further you are from people the less problems you’ll have.

Whoa, I am a drive away driver for RVs, I HAVE TO follow the same rules and law as the semis. I hold class A. But pilots and flying j allow Bobtails to take up OUR space and you truckers dont say anything about it..here are some of the places that I cant park because they’re full of Bobtails: flying j at Tulsa, Sullivan, Mo. Flying j at Lemom, Co let’s semis park in their RV parking, Souix Fall, SD. East St Louis flying j. If anything is said to the management, they don’t care..I just go to someplace else that the manager has a set of balls. I believe several seasonal drivers are doing the same..take the PETRO at Oak Grove, Mo. Their RV.and Bus parking smells like pee.with big companies like Celadon going out of business, they might want to change their thinking

Interesting… hadn’t thought of that angle. I wonder- do they give you some kind of permit/notice to put in your windshield which would let others know this information?

That would be helpful in cases where there are ‘parking wars’, for others not to get their feathers ruffled.

Curious what truck drivers think about this, as we have no experience or education about what parking rules are for other class A drivers while working.

The reason most bobtails park on the RV/Auto side is to make room for the trucks with trailers. Some Flying J consider that side for bobtails too. As far as management goes, they make about 85% of their store earnings from truckers so they tend to take the trucker’s side. They don’t want to choose, so please don’t force them.

This was many years ago on a rest stop on I95, NC or SC, I stopped to sleep in my RV after driving all night, after approx 2 hrs, an officer knocked on the door and asked what I was doing as we did not move in several passes of his route, I told him getting some rest, and advised we could not “camp” at rest stop and had to move on

Hi Stephen,

Yes, that is an unfortunate rule for most of us in some states. The truth is, you could have told the officer you were just resting and grabbing a bite/going to the bathroom. I mean, is there an hourly duration you are/aren’t allowed to stay?

Not that we have seen. But yes, as we stated in the article, most rest stops do not allow overnight camping. You can try, but as you have already seen, you might get called out for it by law enforcement. Not that we are promoting breaking the law, just how long is too long?

It’s sort of a grey area.

Great article and thanks for the tips! I’m currently rving around the country, approx 5000 miles so far and just never park in a dedicated truckers spot because I understand their plight having trucked for a few years myself. I typically stay a couple times a week at a rv park when I am moving around but boondock the rest of the time because I enjoy that plus the cost of rv parks is getting a little high. When I’m parked some where for a while I enjoy koa,s but your article has provided me with some helpful info for my boon docking stays, awesome!

Sounds like you are having a great time of it RVing around the country! Yes, we agree that campgrounds are pretty expensive considering you can simply boondock for free much of the time, at least out west.

Glad we have helped you out, that’s what we are here for!

Safe travels, friend.

Thank you for respecting the truck driver. Wish there were more people like you

My truck and rv trailer is 45ft would this be ok park it in auto parking lot of the rest area .

Rest stop? I am assuming you mean a truck stop? If there is no place to park your RV as far as RV parking goes at a truck stop, yes, you can park in the auto park area. There is often plenty of space. I do it often! I have even stayed overnight. I usually try to find a spot out of the way, or on the side of the property where I am not in the middle of a traffic area. Just be considerate and you should be fine.

I’m a 20 year driver, it totally depends upon the rest area and state. Some rest areas have a large number of car spaces that never get used. Usually law enforcement is more lenient with RVers than trucks.

Never have stayed in trucker spots or Walmarts, when we traveled always use rv parks. That was part of the budget. Guests in rv parks also need to learn Dont cross other peoples spots go around them. That spot you didnt pay for. And turn down those bright lights you put up. If your that afraid you dont belong to the camping people who also need to sleep and not have bright lites shining in their spaces. At 85 have done and gone many places and regret it is coming to an end. Jo

I am 75, thought we had given up the travel/camping deal but missed it SO much. Just bought a 22 foot r-pod and we will be “ On The Road” again soon! Yippee! I’d love to hear your story!

I’m a retired trucker after 42 years b hind the wheel i now a rv er i lov seeing the places i could never c because i was in at nite unload an gone by morning lite so i these young truck drivers understand about y some rv ers park in a truck stop stop truckers spot.so don’t take offense its a habit an mayb strike ua conversation with a rver they would b surprised who we r. Thank u

Great advice, Tommy!

It’s amazing what happens you stop to talk to a person. Treat them kindly. As a human. Be nice and civil. Most likely you’ll find a very interesting person to talk to for a bit.

Happy RVing!

Yes Yes Yes… respect, kindness, consideration ♡

Beautiful, and well written. You did not go negative, and it is easy to do. One thing that is another simple thing is diesel island have rules unwritten also. Always pull up after fueling to allow another to take your place. Courtesy to pull up. Maybe that is obvious. Thank you for a well written article.

Thanks for the kind words, Bob!

Yes, for sure, pull forward once you are done fueling. Don’t fuel and then go inside to shop, use the bathroom, whatever and continue to block a fuel pump. That’s a great way to piss off people, not just truckers.

Nice article. Very helpful. Thanks!

You’re very welcome, Mark!

As a recently retired heavy haul trucker and with 35 years in the industry, I’ve never had a problem with a rv parked in a truck space. What is upsetting is when they decide to camp in the parking lot, steps down, slides out, awning out. Then they’re being ridiculous. As a rv owner and traveler is really upsets me that the trucks feel the need to use the rv spaces in the rv lot in front of the truck stop.

There definitely is room (a lot?) for improvement when it comes to educating RVers as to what is good etiquette when camping overnight in a parking lot – whether it be a truck stop or a Walmart (or other store that is nice enough to allow RV overnight parking).

The Escapees have published a Good Neighbor Policy (PDF) that has been adopted by the industry, and shows what is considered to be proper etiquette. Problem is, the vast majority of RVers don’t have a clue that this policy exists. Or that it applies to them.

And yes, it is frustrating to see truckers parking in RV spaces, or cars for that matter. This is also a huge problem (cars parking in RV spaces) in the over crowded National Parks.

Fortunately the joys of hitting the open road in your RV greatly outweigh these minor annoyances. Though at the time you are facing them, they can be quite frustrating.

Thank you for your comment and congrats on your retirement! I hope you enjoy RVing as much as Kelly and I do!

I’m wondering why you didn’t mind RV’s parked in truck spots but trucks in RV spots bother you?

Frank I 100 percent agree. My rig with my car hauler is 66 ft long. Parking at the truck stops have never so far been a negative for me and actually have met some really good people and never had any inclination that I made anyone mad. I am normally rolling in after 1 or 2 am so most of the truckers are already settled in so not worried about taking up their space. I am way to big to go looking for a space at Walmart, street parking etc. I completely respect the truckers and their needs way before mine but also keep in mind they do have alternatives that the rv ers do not. Maybe not in every state, but most of the ones I have traveled is the weigh stations normally have 50 to 100 spaces that they can spend the night., also on the side of the on ramps to the interstate. Tried that and parked between a couple of trucks, well off the road and got ran off from a state trooper but he did not bother the truckers. I will never park at a truck stop if there is only a couple of spots but usually have no issues at late, late hours at night. These guys are just like we are and just want everyone to be safe. They recognize that if I fall asleep at the wheel they can be in danger. Just respect them and have yet to run into them disrespecting me. Excellent input from all. Be considerate and usually you will get it back

Nice work, Kelly!

I would like to add that 2 things most non-truckers are not aware of are:

1 – When a driver comes to the end of herhis 14 hour on-duty day, that driver is FORCED to shut down and not move the truck for 10 hours. With the advent of electronic logs, and the ambiguities in the hours of service (HOS) regulations, any attempt to skirt the regs is professionally dangerous.

2 – While you see many trucks pulled over at on and off ramps to take their breaks, the state and local governments are increasingly outlawing this practice. Wal-mart and many other big-box stores welcome RVers (and I’m 1 of you), they don’t like the damage an 80,000 pound truck can do to their lots and so are hesitant to let them park.

All that being said, if you are worn out, sore and sleepy, find the nearest SAFE spot to park and lock down.

Be courteous, be safe and have fun!

Awe, thank you for the kudos, Dave! Also- that’s great additional information you provided. Others surely can learn from this. That’s what is so great about this site… our readers! We love that our readers engage and help teach one another what we may not know or add to an article. This is great. Thank you for your comment and Camp On!

Nicely written, Kelly. We have been full time for almost 4 years and have made a couple of Truck Stop overnights out of necessity but we always try to avoid for the very reasons you mention. This article did a great job of explaining things from the truckers perspective without the emotional language you get during online “chats” about the subject. We all have to share the road and it is good to stop and appreciate where we would all be without all of those big trucks moving across the nation.

Thank you for your kind compliment- I totally tried to be as ‘both sided’ as possible. Well, maybe I leaned a little in the truckers favor. But for good reason. It’s about all of us having to share the road, and knowing what our options are compared to other’s options, and trying to be decent humans to others. They work hard to bring us the goods we use every day! I appreciate them, even if they are not perfect. Neither are we. Happy upcoming 4-year Nomadiversary, and thanks for reading and appreciating this blog post!

Good article, Kelly:) Thanks!

You are most welcome, Steve! We’re happy you liked it.

After driving an 18 wheeler for 40 years and finally retired My wife and I decided it was time to buy the power unit and the 5th wheel and hit the road. So we did. I can totally understand how the truckers feel about RVs in a truck stop. I thought the article was very well written. The way I see it if it wasn’t for the trucking industry we would not have our MH 5th wheel or TT. So please be considerate to the truckers and their way of life on the road and you will find out they will help you when everyone else will pass you by

Thank you for your input as a previous truck driver. It goes a long way hearing it from someone who has been in the industry. I also agree with the fact that you wouldn’t have pretty much ANY of the stuff you do if it weren’t for these drivers. Basically, every single thing you own has been on a semi truck at one point in time. We hope others read this and understand the quandary truck drivers are put in when there is no place to park and sleep for the night at a truck stop. Sure, it’s easy for an RV to park there, and yes, it’s ok to park there during the day, but I myself don’t want to put someone’s job in jeopardy just because I felt like it was my right to park in a giant spot when other places were available to me. It’s all about humans being educated and making considerate choices for others. Hope you get to camp a lot these days and thanks for the comment, Wayman!

90% of all fender benders between trucks happens in a truck stop. Backing in a spot with a 53 foot trailer and and the possibility of not seeing a slide out on a camper could be fatal to the person sleeping! Don’t do that type of camping in a truck stop. That’s like taking up two parking places.

Very interesting

If you take the time and effort to LOOK, you often will find smaller out of the way places that sell diesel where a lot (often unpaved) is located. I have done this often and have always found parking. The big “travel centers” are always PACKED. You won’t have all the “bells and whistles” of the big truck stops but MUCH less noise.

Very true. Some gas stations don’t care if you want to stay overnight. I have asked before and stayed at a gas station that wasn’t a truck stop. Just buy some gas from them and maybe breakfast. It’s all good. There are many other places to park overnight than just truck stops!

How is it every time I pull in to a Flying J/Pilot station all the dedicated RV spots have bobtails? It goes both ways my friends.

Hi Kimberly,

We didn’t say that all truck drivers are perfect. We don’t know why you see this. This article is about YOUR awareness/knowledge of truck stop situations and behaving in a way that you see appropriate for the other humans around you. We cannot control what others do. All we can do is lead by example.

But you all can park wherever trucks don’t have that luxury and i personally think it is bs when rvs come into a trucks parking lot because 1 they are to cheap or to lazy to find an rv park you don’t have regulation like truckers do

Yes, as stated in the article, we discourage RVers from parking in truck lots. This article is intended to inform those RVers who are unaware.

You cannot always park where you think motor homes can. Like a previous poster stated, try pulling off the side of a rest stop entrance in a large Class A pulling a trailer. The State Police will tell you “that dog doesn’t hunt!”

Thank you for your comment.

For sure, some RV setups are much more challenging in design to find parking than others. This is all about having consideration for others, and educating one’s self about how truck stops and how the trucking industry works. Anyone is free to make their own decisions, educated or not.

I personally still would do everything in my power to NOT use a giant trucker spot in my RV from all of the many truckers I have heard from.

Usually they do that because they also don’t want to take up a full space that another trucker can use and somevstops consider that area for bobtails too. That’s why you may sometimes see quite a few bobtails parked out near the road in front of the store

Great job and agree with all.

Thank you, Bob! We hope many hear this. And make good decisions from it.

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RVing with Rex

Living his dream, Rex Vogel is a Snowbird with a passion for RVing, photography, hiking, and birding.

Love’s RV Hookups: Comfortable RV Stays at Truck Stops?

Love’s Travel Stops offer a number of convenient amenities to travelers. And in some locations that even includes RV hookups.

In May of 2021, Love’s Travel Stops introduced Love’s RV Hookups. But what exactly does this mean and what are the pros and cons of using them?

In this post, I’ll sort through the details and give you the scoop from my perspective as well as those of other RVers.

Let’s jump right in!

Can RVers stay overnight at truck stops?

RV travelers have long been able to spend the night at many truck stops across the country. But that usually means parking among the tractor-trailers especially if you’ve got a big RV like ours.

Have we done it? No. On long road trips, we appreciate the ability to pull off the highway and catch some shut-eye before hitting the road again in the morning.

So why no ? Why aren’t truck stops a preferred place to stop for the night?

For one thing, parking overnight at a truck stop is usually noisy. Many trucks (especially refrigerated ones) must keep their cooling units running all night to prevent food from spoiling.

More importantly, though, I don’t relish potentially taking a space from a professional trucker who needs the space. They’re working for a living and may be tired or legally required by Hours of Service Regulations to take a break.

So, yes… RVers can park overnight at most truck stops. But I don’t mind paying a few bucks to have a spot to park our rig overnight in an area that won’t interfere with truckers. In exchange for doing that, we’d probably also get a better night’s rest.

So, let’s see what Love’s RV Hookups are all about.

About Love’s RV Hookups

In 2021, Love’s Travel Stops began the process of expanding its offerings by adding dedicated RV hookups at some of its travel stops.

Love’s RV Hookups and RV Stops offer RVers an opportunity to do more than fuel up, stretch their legs, or grab a snack. Love’s Travel Stops now offer more dedicated RV parking spots nationwide than any other truckstop.

And, RVers can take advantage of many amenities at Love’s Travel Stops network of over 500 off-highway locations:

• Propane refill: Running low on propane? You can get a refill at Love’s en route to or from your next camping destination.
• Dump station: If you’ve just completed a boondocking stint or you’ve been on the road for awhile and your tanks are getting full, Love’s offers dump stations so you can empty those tanks and stop carrying all that crud down the highway.
• Private shower facilities: Love’s private shower facilities are great for RVers whose rigs either have wet baths, outside showers only… or no shower at all.
• Laundry facilities: Traveling with the family and spending the night at a Love’s? You can take the opportunity to do some loads of laundry while you’re there.
• Dog parks: New Love’s Travel Stops are being built with dog parks and Love’s is adding a dog park to some of their older locations as well. There are currently 350 Love’s dog parks nationwide.
• Food, beverages, and other conveniences: All Love’s Travel Stops offer snacks and a variety of food and beverages for sale. They also offer many convenience items as well as some electronics, apparel, and Love’s merchandise.
• RV hookups: And yes, some Love’s Travel Stops now offer RV hookups right there at the travel stop. In addition, Love’s has partnered with KOA to add full-sized RV parks at some locations. (Yes, we’re talking full-on RV parks right at the location of the travel stop.)

Do all Love’s Travel Stop locations offer RV hookups?

No. As of this writing, Love’s has 29 travel centers with sites specifically dedicated to RVs. Among those locations there are 357 hookup spots as Love’s terms them. But by the end of the year the big fuel stop company says they’ll add 30 locations to the list with an additional 1,000 RV-dedicated sites. That’s a 287 percent increase of available RV sites.

Typically these hookups are back-in sites. All of them provide a safe place to be off the road and 30/50-amp electrical service. Fortunately, most appear to be a fair distance from the truck parking areas so hearing the roar of a reefer truck is not likely to be an issue. Some locations include full hookups including water and sewer.

Other Love’s locations continue to offer lots of amenities and conveniences for all travelers. That includes some that are specifically for RVers even at the Love’s that don’t have hookups.

The current average rate for a back-in site across all Love’s locations is $36.70 per night including electric. Dialing it down to specifics, you could stay at the Drayton, North Dakota Love’s hookup and back in for $32 a night. Go whole hog at Love’s Normal, Illinois, RV Stop and you can get full hookups at a back-in site for $37.50. Make that a pull-though site for $41.50. Compare this to the nearest KOA, in Casey, Illinois, a couple of hours away. For a full-hookup site you’ll pay $52.95 for a back-in site and $69.95 for a pull-though. True, you won’t have the amenities like a swimming pool at Love’s but for those who are looking for economy and not frills, it’s something to think about.

What about discounts at Love’s?

The rates I talk about here are nightly. There are discounts by the week and for 28-day stays. At the Normal, Illinois RV Stop that night in a pull-through I referenced above for $41.50 translates down to $37 per night for a week’s stay and just $22.64 per day if you stay a full 28 days. Some of Love’s sites can be occupied for more than 28 days; it varies by location.

What are the disadvantages of Love’s RV hookups?

I don’t really see any disadvantages to the hookups themselves. They’re a great addition for all the reasons I’ve noted above especially because they offer convenience for RVers without taking space from truckers.

However, I try to share both pros and cons of things. I’ve heard a few grumblings here and there on a couple of issues.

Some travelers seem to feel that what they’ve been using for free will now cost them. But until now, there’s been no option for hookups. My take is that we prefer to avoid staying overnight in areas meant for truckers particularly in busy travel stops if we’ve got other options.

This can be more than an annoyance to truckers. If several big rig spaces are taken by RVers and a long-haul trucker can’t park for the night that can be a safety problem for them and other drivers on the road.

And it may be a problem that Love’s is trying to solve by giving RVers their own spaces. I see that as a good thing. More options, please!

Some see it as a way for Love’s to make more money. But, really, RVers have to pay for hookups anywhere they go. If you’d rather boondock, then just don’t reserve a Love’s RV Hookup.

However, if you arrive at a Love’s on a hot summer night and you want to run your air conditioner so you can get a good night’s sleep, now you’ve got the option to hook up your rig and relax.

Number of Available Spaces

Some RVers appreciate the opportunity to hook up the rig at a Love’s Travel Stop but note that most only have five or so hookups available.

Love’s is starting a new program and I think they’re probably testing the waters and they’ll expand as their marketing data suggests they should.

However, some Love’s have many more RV hookups than others. For example, Love’s RV Hookup in Winona, Texas (I-20, Exit 575) has 25 full hook-up campsites. Two of those are ADA accessible.

I’ve read comments about Love’s RV hookups not being big rig friendly especially for those of us with a toad. Some RVers also note that the spaces are so close together that slideouts can’t be used. Others have said that the lots are too open to the sun, too brightly lit at night, and too noisy due to trucks and interstate traffic.

Staying at a Love’s RV Hookups location isn’t your traditional camping experience nor should we expect it to be.

For a more traditional camping experience near a Love’s location, their RV parks designed in conjunction with KOA might fit the bill depending on your travel route.

How do I reserve an RV Hookup at a Love’s Travel Stop?

While you don’t need to make a reservation, if you want to ensure a spot at Love’s, their reservation system is simple. You can make a reservation by internet at LovesRVStops.com where the entry for each site has a Reserve link. Or you can phone Love’s customer service line at 1-800-OKLOVES (1-800-655-6837). Option 5 will get you to a representative who can take a reservation. You can also use an app like Campendium.

Concluding thoughts

Love’s RV offerings certainly can’t be classified as resort quality. But if you’re looking for a place to spend the night and run your air conditioning with 1,000 more RV sites coming online this year, you may find one in your corner of the RV universe that works.

While this may not be a perfect solution to the problem of too few campgrounds for too many RVers it is an important step in the right direction. I commend Love’s for taking the lead on this. The company has recognized a problem (too few places to stay a night along the road with an RV) and done something about it.

The average full-hookup site is about $36 which is fair in today’s world where it’s hard to find full-hookups for less than $50.

This is not the solution to campground crowding, but it’s a logical step to help alleviate the crowding in existing RV parks and campgrounds.

Stay tuned: I’ll keep you posted on Love’s progress and whether any other big box stores get in on the action.

Worth Pondering…

Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.

—Charlie Brown, from  Peanuts

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Love’s Shows Truckers Appreciation By Increasing Safe, Overnight Parking

With safe, overnight truck parking at a premium, Love’s Travel Stops continues to show its appreciation by expanding facilities to accommodate weary drivers.

“This year, we will continue to improve the amenities and services our customers have come to love and expect when they stop at our locations; new features will also be added that we think will wow them,” Love’s president Shane Wharton reportedly said. “Our customers and team members made last year a great one, and we expect the same for this year, as we continue to get customers back on the road quickly and safely.”

The household name truck and passenger vehicle stop company reportedly plans to improve truck driver working conditions by opening upwards of 40 new locations and adding 3,000 parking spaces by year’s end. The company’s recent announcement comes on the heels of Love’s successfully meeting its 2021 goal of opening 38 locations that provided more than 3,000 parking spaces.

Love’s recently opened new facilities in Newport, Tennessee, and Ripley, New York. The Tennessee location reportedly added 60 job opportunities and 70 parking spaces to Cocke County. Its New York counterpart delivered 85 jobs and 94 truck spaces to Chautauqua County. The newly-minted locations tally more than 13,000 square feet and 24/7 amenities that include eight diesel bays, dog walking parks, laundry facilities, showers, and hot meal options. Other 2022 Love’s enhancement plans of note include the following.

• Love’s plans to open more than 20 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations, reportedly the nation’s largest oil change and preventive maintenance network.
• Enhance the Love’s Connect mobile app.
• Introduce more healthy and hot food offerings, such as salad, sandwiches, and fresh breakfast items.
• Add items to Love’s Mobile to Go Zone.
• Increase alternative and renewable fueling locations across the U.S.

The Love’s expansions come at a time when truckers sorely need more safe parking spaces. There is an estimated 1 space for every 11 drivers on the road at any given time. In 2016, truckers reportedly spent only an average of 15 minutes searching for safe, legal parking. Drivers now spend a reported average of 56 minutes and unnecessarily lose upwards of $5,000 in annual income.

Trucking industry leaders from the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation to highlight the critical shortage. Trucking industry leaders continue to press Congress and the White House to invest a portion of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending package on parking spaces.

Along with providing safe havens for tired drivers, Love’s donated millions of dollars to organizations that support professional truckers, homeless children, and veterans, among others.

Sources: fleetowner.com , ttnews.com , petrolplaza.com

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Love’s: Restraint in new travel centers/truck parking in ’24, but larger growth plans

Factoring, footprints on state turnpikes could be on agenda this year, company president wharton says.

Coming off a year in which it made several significant acquisitions even as its growth in new travel centers slowed somewhat, Love’s has an aggressive plan for 2024 that might include new growth in its factoring business.

In a news conference earlier this week, Love’s President Shane Wharton said the company’s plans to open about 20 to 25 new locations in 2024, which will result in about 1,500 to 2,000 new truck parking spots. Wharton said that number means the company is closing in on 50,000 parking spots through its network of 640 locations in 42 states.

Wharton said the most significant acquisition the company made in 2023 was its purchase of TVC Pro-Driver. In the October prepared statement announcing the acquisition, TVC Pro-Driver was described as a CDL “protection subscription service … assisting individual drivers and fleets in reducing or dismissing fines, preventing downtime for court and protecting compliance safety and accountability (CSA) scores.”

“Obviously, if they don’t have a CDL they don’t have a job,” Wharton said. He described a situation where TVC would get involved: a driver gets a ticket in the Chicago area, But he’s based near Los Angeles. TVC has a network of attorneys ACROSS the country set up to handle that issue. 

“It may be hard for the driver to physically to get to Chicago, so TVC can handle that for them, and help manage the amount of points that ends up on their CDL record,” Wharton said.

One area where Love’s did not make an acquisition in 2023 was in its factoring arm, Love’s Financial. 

“We wanted to but we just didn’t see the right opportunities,” Wharton said of sitting pat with its existing factoring business.

But Wharton suggested that growth in factoring is still on the Love’s agenda. “We’re thinking we may see the right opportunities this year,” he said. 

Echoing what so many others in the factoring industry have said, Wharton described the business as “fragmented.” If Love’s is going to stay and grow in the business, Wharton said, “we want to be the best in class and we want it to be large so that we can offer a good value proposition to our customers. We intend to grow that business and be one of the top players.”

While most of Love’s growth in its network of stores has been organic, it did make a niche-driven acquisition in April when it bought EZ GO from Carey Johnson Oil Co. It was a niche purchase because EZ GO has six travel stops on Oklahoma turnpikes and five on the Kansas Turnpike, as well as other convenience stores in Oklahoma and Nebraska. 

Interstate highways do not have travel stops except for those sections that would also be considered state turnpikes. The restriction on commercial operations on the interstate highways that don’t fall under that exception goes back to the beginning of the interstate highway system and generally is considered sacrosanct by the truck stop industry. 

“We’ve seen really good results from that,” Wharton said of the EZ GO acquisition, noting that Love’s previously had no presence on state turnpikes. “So we’re looking at other opportunities and other states specific to turnpike systems because those come up for bid every so often. We’re going to keep our eyes open for that.”

Love’s growth in parking spots in 2024 will be on the low side compared to recent years. For several years, Love’s has put out press release s at the beginning of the year, previewing its expansion plans. Every press release between 2018 and 2022 projected 3,000 new parking spots. Love’s preview for 2023 didn’t mention the number of new parking spots planned for that year, but its projection of 25 new travel centers last year was less than in earlier years — which frequently came in at close to 35. Last year’s openings resulted in about 2,000 new parking spots, a Love’s spokeswoman told FreightWaves earlier this month. 

Love’s, which does not charge for its parking, wrapped up 2023 by opening four new sites in about a week’s time — Salinas, California; Michigan City, Indiana; Nicholson, Mississippi; and Watertown, New York. That added 377 parking spots. 

“Whenever we’re evaluating a site, we’re obviously looking at what the traffic is in that particular lane,” Wharton said of the challenges of finding new locations for travel centers and by extension new spots for parking. “But many times, getting that perfect piece of real estate for a travel stop doesn’t exist. It’s hard to find real estate to build a travel stop on.”

The number of new parking spots “is going to correlate, as you would expect it would, to the number of new locations we opened,” he added.

He said Love’s also has gone to older existing sites where there was available land for expansion and added spots. “As you might imagine, that’s harder to do,” Wharton said. But he said in the last year, “we were able to do a little more of that. But there’s only so much we can do.”

Wharton also reviewed an ambitious plan for renovation of 35 to 40 stores and a total rebuild of four others. 

In 2023, Love’s was the only one of the big three travel center companies that didn’t go through an acquisition, and the two sales that did take place didn’t come without controversy.

Pilot Travel Centers became majority-owned by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) in January 2023. The founding Haslam family was set to exercise its option to have Berkshire buy the last 20% it didn’t own this month, but a dispute over accounting practices resulted in competing lawsuits. The dispute was settled just before a trial was to begin earlier this month in Delaware Chancery Court. The sale of the 20% then proceeded.

Travel Centers of America was a publicly traded company that BP announced it was acquiring in February. Convenience store operator Arko (NASDAQ: ARKO) launched an effort to acquire TA for a price that on the surface appeared to be worth more than the BP (NYSE: BP) offer. But the TA board ultimately stuck with the BP bid and that sale was completed in May. 

That Love’s had an uneventful year in its ownership was noted early in Wharton’s presentation. “We think it makes a difference in how we run our business and how we take care of our customers,” he said, ticking off various second- and now-third-generation members of the Love family still involved in the company. 

But there was change even for Love’s in 2023: founder Tom Love died at age 85 in March. He died one year before Love’s is celebrating 60 years in business.

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Seconding what Chris Butler says, Love’s doesn’t charge for parking. My guys stop at Loves in several states, and never seen them charge.

Rest in peace Tom Love, what a great company that grew from his leadership.

Robert Hall Driver for Indian River Transport

I’m a over the road, truck driver and I use Love’s exclusively for fuel and quick meals. Lately I have been finding that at some of the older Love’s, that the card readers are old and don’t work well. Just today I fueled in Joseph City, AZ and had to go inside to fuel desk to get my fuel card and Love’s reward card swipped, so I could get the pump started, so I could feel my truck. This is a on going problem and it adds minutes to my fuel stop and minutes count with E logs I always report the problem with the manager, but it doesn’t do any good. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Please open some Love’s in Canada.

Chris Butler

Love’s charges for RV parking similar to what any RV park charges (to address Tyler’s comment). I’ve NEVER been charged to park my CMV at any Love’s location, and I’ve been to a great many of them coast to coast. I found it interesting that they now operate the travel plazas on the Indian Nation Turnpike in Oklahoma and the fuel prices are lower than their Webber Falls location! It has been several months since I last traveled the turnpike in OK. The only drawback is the lack of “at the pump” DEF.

Loves absolutely does charge for a huge number of parking spots.

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John Kingston

Love's Travel Stop opens officially; Arby's set to open Monday

Aug. 24—The wait is over.

Love's Travel Stop, located at 690 Doc Holliday Drive, officially opened for business at 7 a.m. Thursday.

Crews have been hard at work for months to make sure the doors would open on time, and the staff was busy Thursday welcoming customers, tidying up shelves and completing last-minute projects.

"Now can we do the things that we are good at — taking care of our customers, creating a warm, friendly environment for customers who are respected and welcomed and can be confident they have a place to go to that has clean facilities," said Dave Paulson, the general manager for the Cañon City truck stop. "We call it 'Clean spaces and friendly faces.'"

Love's Travel Plaza & RV Park, Arby's eye end of August to open

Located off Four Mile Parkway and U.S. 50, Love's adds 80 jobs and 54 truck parking spaces to Fremont County.

In addition to the new Travel Stop, Cañon City will be home to a Love's RV Stop with 125 RV parking spaces, scheduled to open in September.

"We're excited not only to open two new Travel Stops, expanding our Highway Hospitality in Colorado, and Texas, but to soon serve RV customers with a new RV Stop," said Shane Wharton, president of Love's, in a press release Thursday. "The Travel Stops offer the same clean spaces and friendly faces customers have come to expect from Love's, and the RV Stop is the latest example of our commitment to provide first-rate service to RV travelers."

The Travel Stop now is open 24/7 and offers bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks and Love's Mobile to Go Zone with today's latest technologies.

Cañon City resident Peggy Harris frequently patronized Love's Travel Stop in Buena Vista because she so enjoys Love's coffee.

She was there bright and early Thursday to enjoy a cup of love's coffee much closer to home.

"They have the best coffee," she said. "I can't find as good of coffee anywhere else. It's the best, and now I can come every day and get a cup of coffee."

The new Love's Travel Stop, which is more than 13,000 square feet, also offers 70 car parking spaces, five RV parking spaces on site, 125 hookups at the RV Stop nearby, six diesel bays, five showers, laundry facilities and a CAT scale.

When it opens in September, the Cañon City RV Stop will offer mobile booking at the Loves RV Stops website, https://www.camplife.com/campground/Loves+RV+Stops and the Love's Connect App. It features a range of amenities, including an RV office with a selection of snacks, sundry items, ice, firewood and games; full utility hookups at each site, including 30/50-amp power, water and RV dump; picnic tables at all back-in parking spots; pavilion with picnic tables and a gas grill; communal fire pit; pickleball and basketball courts; cornhole boards; a walking trail; dog park; four restroom facilities; laundry facilities; showers and playground.

In addition, Arby's will open at 7 a.m. Monday and it will be open 24/7, as well.

"It is important to us that we are providing opportunities for people in Fremont County to work in a good place," Paulson said. "Parents can feel comfortable that their kids can come here and have a great experience for their first job and others can feel good about coming to work in a place where we truly care about and value each other."

In honor of the grand opening, Love's will donate $2,000 to the Cañon City Police Department for its Shop With a Cop program.

"We wanted it to be a significant and meaningful donation," Paulson said.

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