Truckers deliver tips for road trips
the Love’s, the Flying J, the Pilot. They have them everywhere. You’ve just got to find them, and they have apps for that. As long as you are at a truck stop, you are good. The big truck stops are always open, 24/7.
Sometimes you can’t stop at a truck stop. You have to stop at a rest area. Never ever stop and try to park on the side of an interstate or on an off-ramp.
Padilla: In the daytime, most rest areas have workers there cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash. There’s a lot of traffic, a lot of people, but at night you need to be careful.
Before rest stops, make sure they’re well-lighted. Be aware of your surroundings while you’re there. Park as close as you can to the actual bathroom area of the rest stop and just be very careful.
How do you find stops on a road trip?
Wiederhold: The nicest thing to be able to do is what I call a one-stop shop. When I stop, I’m looking for a place (where) I can get fuel and food, if not the same place, at least off the same exit. Eat a good sit-down meal if you can find it.
How can I eat cheaply on a road trip?
Padilla: My wife will go shopping and make me food for two weeks, and I put it in a refrigerator in the truck, and I freeze everything. And then I just microwave everything.
I’ll have biscuits and gravy. I’ll have homemade burritos, She makes me potato wedges and rice, whatever I want, and I just eat in my truck.
How do I find the best restaurants when traveling?
Wiederhold: Don’t always fall for “Oh, I see a lot of trucks parked there, so the food must be good.” That is not true. Look for places that have a lot of cars that are local because local people can eat anywhere, and they chose to come to this place.
How do you deal with bad drivers? Turner: I’ve had plenty of people flip me off. You’ve got to understand, you never know what that person is going through, (if) it’s road rage or they’re going through something. I try not to look their way. I just keep going forward. I always tell myself, “happy, happy, joy, joy.”