You just got done running 600 miles. You're out of hours and it's late at night. You're looking for a hotel room so you can get relaxed and start resting for tomorrow's journey, and you call the nice lady at the front desk of a hotel. She insists that they have truck parking. You take her word, against your better judgment. Upon arrival you discover that not only do they not have truck parking, their definition of a truck is a pick up!
Whether you drive a day cab, stay in hotels nightly, or stay in hotels on occasion, you probably have run into the scenario above. If you haven't, you’re lucky! Any driver who has stayed in hotels while out on the road can probably attest to the challenge of finding hotel accommodations for a truck and trailer. My wife and I stayed in hotels 300+ nights a year while trucking as a mobile tour operator team. We have seen just about everything “aawweimaginable” when it comes to staying in hotels with a full-size tractor-trailer.
While a good majority of owner-operators stay in the sleeper cab most of the time, there are occasions where you might find yourself in need of hotel accommodations that can also handle your truck and trailer. Perhaps you're taking a 34-hour restart? Maybe you just need a break from the truck!
With the continual rise in fuel costs and the great many challenges that face the industry, an owner-operator who stays in a hotel may save more money and be more comfortable than actually staying in their truck. Plenty of hotels and motels across the country offer rates for less than $50/night. When an owner-operator sleeps in the truck they need heating and cooling to stay comfortable while resting. If the driver's truck is not equipped with anti-idling technology, the driver is going to idle the truck's main engine to produce these comforts. After a 10-hour break, you are talking about $40+ in diesel fuel consumption, not even counting engine wear. Many hotels or motels provide a complimentary continental breakfast for guests. Getting a meal for free is a great way to start off the day. Also, you can use the amenities at the hotel or motel; many have fitness rooms that you can exercise in, free wireless Internet, and a clean shower you can use. If you factor in all of these benefits, you could easily see how it would be beneficial to stay in a hotel.
So if you would like to find a hotel that welcomes truckers where do you start looking? Hotels4Truckers is here to help you get in where you fit in! Hotels4Truckers.com was born out of the need to find hotels while living in them full time for 4+years. Our website, www.Hotels4Truckers.com, is an easy to use directory for finding hotels nationwide that can accommodate at least one full-size truck and trailer (75') long. In addition to the thousands of locations nationwide, we have great discounts at thousands of hotels that range from 10-20% off! As a special offer to Team Run Smart members we are offering a free one year membership. Click here for more details on this special offer. We also work with tons of locations that offer awesome even better discounts for owner-operators. Many of the hotels in our system, such as Super 8, Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, offer rates comparable to the amount of money you would spend idling the truck for your 10-hr break.
Call 855-GET-PARKED (855-438-7275) any day of the week from noon to midnight EST for help finding and booking your hotel room. Anyone can utilize the call center, but our members receive exclusive discounts and savings that we have arranged for them with our lodging partners.
Remember that staying in a hotel can be cost effective if you get in where you fit in and utilize the discounts that are available to owner-operators.