Just a rant about washers at truck stops
Posted by LoicenseToGirth@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 48 comments
I wish there were a way to reserve a washer or something. Walked in, dude had both going with 20 minutes left. I talked to him, said I'd leave my clothes there and come back. Came back about 15 minutes later after eating, he needed another 5 on his cycle, so I used the bathroom and paid for a shower. When I got back in the laundry room, another trucker and his wife have their clothes in both washers and are paying to start the machine.
I gotta be up at 4am to head out, company fucked my home time up so I have no clean clothes, I gotta get sleep so idk if I can wait another 2 hours for their loads to finish and then start mine.
Flatbedder so my shit reaks.
Im royally pissed off.
StandForAChange@reddit
In the future can you bobtail to a laundromat? Or find one with decent parking, potentially in the back of the building?
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
My company doesn't allow bobtailing
Potentially I can find one, I just had a blowout earlier so I don't have hours to get to one tonight. Pulled into this loves with 13 minutes on my clock
TruckinTuba@reddit
I swear I bobtail more than using a trailer 😂
335iJB4@reddit
tmc spotting
trucksarekewl@reddit
They really dont allow bobtailing?
IBeLying@reddit
Only for drug tests or recovering trucks or trailers
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Close
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Do they allow PC? My company doesn't want me leaving trailers in random ass places but I can PC for laundry, groceries, medical, pharmacy. The basic needs
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Nope. I was an hour short on my 70hr cycle to get home and I asked about PC since I was empty.
They said they've never heard of personal conveyance, didn't know anything about it. 'Can do a lot of things, but can't edit drive time.'
I'm getting my experience and getting tf out of this company. It's not awful, just fucking stupid when it comes to anything not bare minimum.
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Never heard of it? They're just being a smartass with you. Get your 6mo and GTFO.
Build the rest of your time at least somewhere a bit considerate of otr life. If you wanna give you local driver restrictions, they need to pay you hourly and get you home every night.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
We use Samsara and while on the phone with dispatch I looked up how to enable it and tried talking him into enabling it for the night, but he just said to send a message saying I was in the truck over the weekend.
The log lady knows about it, I called her, but she said people were misusing it so no one's allowed to have it anymore.
I get it affects company safety scores when falsified, but why are there no exceptions.
I just need 3-6mo to go with this cryogenic company near me, already have my endorsements and twic. I'm counting the days already
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Yeah if they punish everyone for idiocy of the few then you have another red flag.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Seems recently they've been hiring nothing but idiots, so ig there's merit, but big red flag for sure on vetting with that being the case.
Independent_Leg7358@reddit
Uber my friend.
Or look at getting an electronic scooter to throw in the truck. Mine will do 35 mph with a slight tailwind. Good to go about 20 miles.
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Link?
theboywthagreenscarf@reddit
Damn, 35? My little foldable bike only does 15.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
I got a Chinese ebike with a 750w motor right before the tariff trade stuff and it was around 600
Independent_Leg7358@reddit
1200 watt motor.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Closest laundromat is 35mi away, 45 minutes each way. I hand washed a shirt, undies, socks, and pair of jeans and threw em in the dryer.
Just gonna pray that tomorrow I can get to one earlier without having to wait 4hrs for a tire replacement.
Majestic_Tooth_4@reddit
damn that sucks but finding laundromat with truck parking is like finding unicorn especially in decent areas. maybe try talking to front desk next time they might know when washers usually free up or if anyone doing loads already
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
I asked front desk and dude was just like 'no, we dont do that. It's first come first served'
Emergency-Bus-998@reddit
By the way, if your clothes reak really bad. Buy a bucket and lone ot with plastic. The night before, fill ot with water, vinegar and baking soda and leave them soak overnight. At the bare minimum, add some baking soda to your washer drum before putting your clothes in.
IndexFingerTypist@reddit
Hand wash a set in the shower driver. I do it all the time. At least your undies and socks.
driver004@reddit
I’ve done this line of work for years and have never even come close to having to do that lol
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
How do you dry them? That was my only holdback of doing just that
IndexFingerTypist@reddit
Wring as much as you can in the shower. Roll them up in a towel. Press firmly. Let air dry over your windows or inside the truck. Should take less than a day inside the truck. I haven't had any mold issues yet doing so.
DueAd7980@reddit
I don't that when I travel to Europe. Hand was undies, T-shirts, Shorts, or a pair of stretch pants. Wring out, roll in towels and hang to dry. Works perfect. Good luck
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
I took your advice. Washed a set of clothes for tomorrow, threw em in the dryer for 10 minutes though.
Just gonna pray I can get somewhere tomorrow
trucksarekewl@reddit
Did you take a 34 there or just there for the night
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Just got here for the night.
I got off my 34 earlier today cause dispatch fucked my home time and I didn't say anything about it (so really my fault)
trucksarekewl@reddit
Yea they'll fuk ya if you let em.
Man-Myth-Potato@reddit
I've done this a few times. If I need anything dried ASAP, it gets draped over the vents with the heat blasting. Everything else gets clipped to hangers and hung above the bed with a fan blowing on it. If I need a pair of jeans for the next day, I'll hang em upside down over my boot dryer for a couple hours
planetbuster@reddit
move your feet, lose your seat is how things like this always worked. you bailed when you shoulda waited which sucks but.. what are ppl supposed to do? wait for you? they do shit like that in japan thats about it. and lets say people had done that, how would they keep track of you? and so on?
the term for this is 'real life' im afraid
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Yeah you're not wrong. That's why I just wish there was a thing like the shower system. You get a notification and time frame to get your shit in, if you miss it you lose it.
The older guy I was talking to who had his clothes going came in to get his from the dryer after he swapped and apologized to me (he didn't have to, didn't owe me that) for not telling them I was coming right back.
My fault, just unfortunate timing with me being 3rd in line at the counter when I went to buy my shower code and they B-lined to the washers at that moment.
Robjla@reddit
I reserve my washer and dryer by standing or sitting nearby and don’t leave till I put it in the dryer because that’s the long cycle. Works every time.
roadie1569@reddit
You’ve obviously never had to use public washers. Setting your clothes there doesn’t reserve your spot.to be honest your lucky nothing got stolen.
PShubbs91@reddit
I used to live in an apartment with washers and dryers in the basement for tenants to use. There was someone had all her clothes stolen out of the dryer after they'd been washed.
driver004@reddit
Stolen is a bit wild. In the army if you were not there when the cycle ended you would find your shit thrown all over the floor though
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
My home town and other small areas that's how it has worked in laundromats I've been to. Not used something as busy as a truck stop, so I did get lucky in that regard.
Wasabi-Kungpow@reddit
Never truckstop laundry. Thats nasty. I have a Segway scooter that'll get me to a laundromat. I have several locations in each state that are near truck stops. Just have to plan it out.
yak_danielz@reddit
same. my spots are mostly midwest in small towns. clean and happy to have my business
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Noted now that I've had to deal with it.
I have an Ebike at home, just didn't figure I'd need it/want it on the truck with some of the areas we go to. I'll probably end up getting a scooter this weekend so i can have it in the cab.
Nghtyhedocpl@reddit
Just don't put it in your wagon. Got nailed for my bike in my wagon...not on BOL!!. Anyway just a heads up.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Appreciate that lol, I'll definitely just go the scooter route so I dont have to worry about that
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Tbh, a lot of laundromats are nastier than plenty of truck stops. You just have to be choosy. It depends on management. I find some hole in the wall places have better laundry than the big names.
driver004@reddit
Yeah that’s entirely on you, your chance was that ‘needed another 5 on his cycle. Clearly wait then load laundry then go shower. Laundry facilities are FCFS anywhere you go and you got out of line
Perfect_Brilliant_48@reddit
Me and my wife would put all of our used clothes into bags and stuff them under the bunk. On our 34s we’d just uber to a laundromat near by.
LoicenseToGirth@reddit (OP)
Noted for my next 34 if dispatch fucks up on my home time again. I had figured there'd be more than 2 washers in a 118 parking spot truck stop, but I'm still a dumb noobie to things