Truck Stops Of America Thomas O'Brien CEO TA Truck Stop of America, Thomas O'Brien CEO Holbrook,, Arizona

   I thought TA was going back to preferred parking, meaning you buy fuel you get a parking spot.

   But you fail to realize how many people use TA's parking and never buy a thing, you must have a pretty good idea what it cost to pave a lot that big, it's not cheap.

   How many people buy their fuel at pilot, with the exception of a handful of stores has very little parking, buy your fuel at Pilot and drive across the street to park at the TA. No one would think that is right, well some would.

   If they where to put up signs saying you can't park without fueling the place would be empty most of the time.

   Although I do have a problem with paying to park, simply because drivers get stuck in places beyond thier control, and we know the trucking company is not going to pay for it.

   Also, 10 spots is hardly enough to get up set about, more so if people are actually willing to pay for them, how can you argue with that?

   The trucking industry gets uglier every day, if you want to fight something, take on all the new rules and regulations that are worthless. Which are not designed for safety they are designed to generate cash. We have people driving around the country tired because the government is telling them when to go to bed. You can not regulate rest, but they do because it is a money maker.

   But I also understand that a parking spot can be the straw that broke the camels back, after a lousy day.

Are you forced to go to his truck stops?  It is a free country - go somewhere else.

His business is providing a service that the market is asking for -- a guaranteed space for my truck at the truck stop when I need to stop driving.  I pay for it, I find value in it and I want it.  As a trucker I should not be allowed to buy it?  Truck Stops should not be permitted to supply it?

Next you will say he should give out free coffee or free meals.  After all truckers are tired and getting screwed by the system, someone needs to pick up the slack.  Or maybe his prices should be regulated to be the same as the supermarket.  That's only fair right?  And he shouldn't charge for showers, they should be free.  Someone needs to make a law!  It should be free!

If you don't like what he is doing don't go there.  If enough people don't like it the market will supply cheaper/better alternatives.  Don't stand in the way of a free market and the opportunity of buyers AND sellers to make choices in that market.  Because the next thing you will be crying for is some sort of government regulation to fit your idea of how the world should be.  Do we really need more of that?