Real Truckers value the importance of a quality truck stop. Plentiful parking, clean restrooms and a well-stocked convenience stores all make for a pleasurable break from the open road.
While Loves, Travel Centers of America, Pilot and Flying J currently dominate roadsides across the country. A few new contenders are boasting their own spin on the traditional truck stop. Buc-ee’s provides an unbeatable selection of snacks and cuisines, Busy Bee promises the cleanest facilities on I-10, and a not-so-small truck stop in rural Iowa currently holds the title as the “world’s largest.”
Founded in 1982, the Texas-based chain Buc-ee’s has stolen the hearts of travelers across the southeastern United States. From the moment shoppers enter, they’re greeted with the intoxicating aroma of the BBQ counter, appropriately referred to as Texas Round Up. Aside from sandwiches, brisket, and turkey, Buc-ee’s is best known for their exclusive Beaver Nuggets – corn puffs coated in caramel, sugar, and butter. If snacks aren’t your priority,
Buc-ee’s also offers a Texas-sized general store, the world’s largest carwash (located in Katy, Texas), and nearly 100 gas pumps.
A few hundred miles east, Florida’s scaled-down Busy Bee adorns the I-10 roadsides with billboards promising the cleanest facilities for miles. Outside, the flagship location (Live Oak, Florida) offers over 20 tractor-trailer parking spaces, a private semi-truck fueling station, and a showers and laundry facility, separated from the main convenience store. Inside, the ultra-modern travel center includes a food court, candy shop, and pristine restrooms complete with private stalls and television screens.
Finally, half an hour west of Davenport, Iowa sits Iowa 80 – the world’s largest truck stop. Founded in 1964, the trucker-centric oasis features 24 private showers, laundry facilities, a CAT scale, a 7-bay truck service center, and a 3-bay truck wash. According to their website, Iowa 80 serves 5,000 customers each day and offers 900 parking spaces for tractor-trailers, 250 cars and 20 buses.