Pilot opens new travel center in Iowa Pilot Travel Centers recently opened a new location in Atalissa, IA, on Interstate 80 at Exit 265. The new Pilot will include 60 truck parking spots with for drivers wanting to take their 10-hour breaks. There is no time limit on how long trucks can park there. The new travel center has 11 diesel islands, two restaurants, showers and a CAT scale, as well as other amenities. “We believe our familiar Pilot sign will be a welcome sight for professional drivers,” wrote Vincent Barrett, general manager for the Atalissa location, in a press release. Pilot, headquartered in Knoxville, TN, has more than 300 locations in 41 states and in Canada. So here is yet something else that bothers me about what OOIDA "publishes" on line. "Pilot opens new travel center in Iowa" is not a "trucking headine." It is NOT news. Pilot sends a out PR announcement by mail or fax to anyone who cares, and OOIDA, who just loves to massage the prostate of the Fortune 1000, publishes this drivel verbatim. And any driver that reads this says: "are they kidding?" If OOIDA truly represented the American trucker then they would either not use it or would rewrite it to reflect the reality of what drivers experience going to a Pilot. But we all know this would never happen, because OOIDA wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers at Pilot, Flying J or any of the other big truck stops. So rely on "aflush" to tell it like it is. Here's what should be on OOIDA's site: Pilot opens new travel center in Iowa (edited) Pilot Travel Centers opened a new location in Atalissa, IA, on Interstate 80 at Exit 265, a mere 19 miles from the more popular truckstop operated by T/A "Iowa 80" in Wallcott, IA. The new Pilot will have 60 hard to back into and badly lit parking spots. You also find the usual Pilot unfriendly attitude and unmotivated employees who hate truck drivers. The travel center has 11 diesel islands - 1/3rd of which will be closed for repair or cleaning and the usual 2-3 truck backup for each pump. 1/4 of the Comdata card readers will not work and you will have to go inside and surrender your drivers license, company id and credit card to get the pump turned on. Drivers can expect the usual 45 minute wait for a shower unless the overworked clerk forgets about you. This location does not have a "real" sit down restaurant but will offer greasy over priced processed fast-food like boxed chicken, stale rolls and overcooked corn. The Pilot web site does not indicate if there is a Subway location here. As with other Pilot locations, managers will either be hiding in their office or unavailable for merchandise returns or to obtain permission to drop trailers to shop at Wal-Mart. Typical at Pilot, unattended equipment will be towed at the drivers expense. “We believe our familiar Pilot sign which when seen by truckers from the interstate, will be quite a stressful thing since they know we really want Grehound busses and RV's to shop here. Truckers know that we feel that they're smelly whiny and poor and just want to park here for free. We're hoping they go to the Iowa 80 down the road" wrote Vincent Barrett, general manager for the Atalissa location, in a press release.
