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In the UK we have Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom, also known as 'service stations' or 'services', are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel.
The vast majority of motorway services in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break and Roadchef. Smaller operators include Extra, Westmorland and EuroGarages.
We have various types of places. It is not consistent from State to State or even from one freeway to another within a State.
Some States have "rest stops" which are State operated plazas usually with bathrooms, vending machines, and some brochures and maybe a display telling about the area. They have picnic areas and a place to let your dog poop (you are expected to pick it up). Some of them do not have vending machines, just a place to park for a while, bathrooms, and water. Some even have pit toilets (very remote places). They usually allow trucks and RVs to park overnight.
There are also commercial plazas varying in size from gas stations with a convenience market to several fast food restaurants. Big interstates like the Ohio Turnpike- have large plazas with lots of amenities, but I am not aware of any with overnight facilities. Some truck stops have overnight parking areas, showers, fitness centers, movies, and even used book sales. Many such stops also offer sex workers who go door to door in the overnight parking area (illegally, but they are there and everyone knows it). Most exits in metropolitan areas and some rural areas have service stations and restaurants. Motels and hotels are scattered about at different exits. They are often a ways away form the freeway because no one wants to hear traffic all night, however sometimes they are right at the exits. Frequently there are also campgrounds and/or RV parks scattered near exits as well - not everywhere, it depends on the area and whether there is anything nearby to draw tourists. In larger Cities it can be difficult to find services because the real estate is too valuable to waste on a service station. In some places, there is a freeway exit, but no entrance ramp to get back on for miles, and in a city at the wrong time of day, it can take more than an hour to get back on the freeway if you make the mistake of getting off. Personally when we travel, unless we want to see the city, we try to make sure we are all set with gas, snacks and empty bladders at the outskirts of a city, so we can pass through without stopping.
Rest stops and service plazas are sort of built into the freeways with dedicated exit and entrance ramps. These are more typically found along major interstates, particularly toll roads. Everything else tends to be found clustered around an exit/entrance location. Sometimes you have to be wary. You will see signs advertising all sorts of food, lodging and fuel at a given exit, but when you get off, you find the advertised places are miles and miles away form the exit. There is no way of knowing how close the services are to the exit unless you can see them, or if you have a high end truckers GPS system that contains that information.
In places there will be amenities at nearly every exit while in other places it can be hundreds of miles between gas stations.
Brands of service centers tend to be regional. Some areas Flying J is common. Some areas Kum and Go is common. there are dozens of different companies operating such plazas and centers. Here in Michigan for example, we have rest stops run by the state, but I cannot think of any on/off service plazas. There are lots of different places at exits, usually 2-3 different service stations (fuel and convenience store plus fast food), a handful of fast food places, and sometimes some motels, hotels and nicer restaurants. Some exits there is nothing. Literally just trees or fields for miles and miles in any direction. We also have phones along the freeway in some area where you lift the receiver and are connected to emergency services. Neighboring Ohio has big service plaza on the Turnpike (toll road), otherwise most freeways are simlar to Michgian. If Ohio has government operated rest stops, I cannot remember seeing one. California by way of another example (I lived there for 18 years) has scenic overlooks, but I cannot recall and state run rest stops, just typical services at various exits. I always tried not to stop when traveling within California however.
A lot of large stores like Walmart, Cabellas, Cracker Barrel restaurants, IHOP, etc have large parking lots and will allow trucks or RVs to stay overnight. The unspoken agreement is you should shop there or eat there in the morning or evening,but it is not a requirement. Some allow it, some do nto. Some communities prohibit overnight parking. It is a hodge podge, so you need internet programs that tell you where you can do what.
I have driven though or within 44 of the 50 states, I cannot remember state by state, I can tell you each state is different.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 06-25-2018 at 06:55 AM..
One oddity that comes to mind, in Bulgaria, back in the Soviet days, you had to decide how much you wanted, and go across the street to a kiosk in the street market, and buy a voucher for gas, then take it back to the gas station to redeem it for the value of the coupons.
In Liberia in the 70s, my driver once stopped at a gas station that still had one of those old fashioned hand pumps. The attendant would manually pump a gallon of gas up the the full line in a glass bowl at the top of the pump, then release it down a hose into the gas tank. Repeat for as many gallons as you wanted to buy. All the bystanders would call out in unison the number of gallons, to make sure the attendant didn't pump five and charge for six. It wasn't even a gas station, just a guy with a plump next to the road.
In Mali, my driver had a bunch of pop bottles in the back seat full of gas, and when he ran out, he'd pour in another 12 ounces. He explained that the amount of gas a car used was proportional to how much was in the tank, so he always kept it nearly empty.
In most third world countries Ive been in lately, gas stations are pretty much like the ones in the US without convenience stores. An apron with a pump island on it, and a ten-year-old attendant filling the tank from a modern gas pump, the most prestigious job a kid can have. About four grades of fuel, prices vividly displayed on a big red LED board. Most people just getting a few liters at a time. You don't hear much "fill 'er up". Taxi drivers might tank up several times a day, just buying enough to handle their next fare, who might already be in the car. Very quick service, maybe 60 seconds..
The large delivery trucks that drive cross country here in USA have options available. They mainly travel interstate highways and the time they drive are strictly enforced through record keeping and police enforcement. That’s why they must stop for the night unless they have a driving partner who sleeps in the cab. The first option is commonly called a truck stop. Some of these are nothing more than a large gas station with a small store. Some are so large as to being a small shopping mall complete with several dining options, shopping (audio books, music, appliances for the vehicle, food, etc), showers, Internet, phone service, truck wash facilities, and other amenities. Unfortunately this also includes the “lot lizards†slang term for the prostitutes who go knocking on truck doors at night. They’re there selling their bodies and or drugs like meth.
The other option is various hotels or motels along the interstate. Most often the drivers will sleep in their rig on the side of the road but some want a bit more comfort. They’ll rent a room for the night to shower, watch TV, and sleep in a bed then enjoy a free breakfast offered by the hotel.
For non-delivery drivers, the options are even greater. Depending on the area there are exits every 20 to 50 miles that offer hotels, dining, and shopping. Exits for gas and snack shopping are far more frequent. At the entrance to each US state is a tourism office building. These have restroom facilities, vending machines, maps, and brochures of state attractions including locally owned restaurants.
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Originally Posted by cebuan
In Mali, my driver had a bunch of pop bottles in the back seat full of gas, and when he ran out, he'd pour in another 12 ounces. He explained that the amount of gas a car used was proportional to how much was in the tank, so he always kept it nearly empty.
That is such a funny story because, in reality, it does not matter where the spare gasoline is located ...
In the gas tank or somewhere else in the car ...!
But yes, he is right in one principle and that is the less total weight he carries in his car, the better gas mileage he will get!
Gas bar is apparently a regional term for full-serve station in Canada and New York. I saw a station in Canada that is entirely unmanned. It's just a few pumps and debit/credit card machine.
As far as a single entity, they don't exist in America for the most part. Truck stops are maybe the closest thing although it's not really the equivalent as you get plenty where there's no truck stop, just a collection of fast food joints, motels, and gas stations clustered together in the middle of nowhere.
They can be upscale, but generally are not. Motel 6 stuff, maybe a Best Western on the fancy end. You do get stuff like Harris Ranch, which is a nice luxury hotel/restaurant/general store located in the middle of absolute nowhere. It's right of I-5 roughly a third of the way from Bakersfield to Stockton. Bakersfield or Fresno are an hour or so to the east on Highway 99. It pulls some events and weddings from there, but the meat and potatoes is just people pulling off the freeway or booking rooms for a night as part of larger travel plans. It's nice enough it does get some people that actually go there specifically to go there. Usually pit stop there when going to LA. Casa de Fruta off 152 as well when I was going from Stockton to Monterey.
That is such a funny story because, in reality, it does not matter where the spare gasoline is located ...
In the gas tank or somewhere else in the car ...!
But yes, he is right in one principle and that is the less total weight he carries in his car, the better gas mileage he will get!
He can also coast a block free each time he runs out of gas.
I saw a station in Canada that is entirely unmanned. It's just a few pumps and debit/credit card machine.
That's a bit surprising, seems like a huge safety issue not having someone at least to monitor for larger gas spills.
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