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Old 04-25-2018, 08:51 PM   #1
DQDick
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Talking Passed my Louisiana rig driving test

Coming west on I-12 there is a Pilot at exit 40. When I got to the exit I had to brake hard because traffic on the exit ramp was backed up almost onto the interstate. We found the reason when we got down the hill. First you have to go around a round-a-bout past the entrance to westbound I-10 and of course the cross traffic on the road. Once you get off the first roundabout and go under the interstate then you hit the second similar roundabout on the other side. Once you finish that one the Pilot is on your left but you can't turn left you have to continue on to the next roundabout and come back on the other side of the road. Then you discover that the person who thought up the roundabouts thought a truck stop should have a narrow entrence and exit all in one place. Not to be outdone, the Pilot folks put the desiel lanes in the middle in front of the store. Once done there it was a simple matter of doing the two exit roundabouts again and getting back on the interstate. All with the accompaniment or a small herd of semi's. I kid you not, this is all true.
 
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Old 04-25-2018, 08:59 PM   #2
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Getting diesel is becoming more difficult on our cross country trip November to March we found that many pumps are not working. WTF how can this be?
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Old 04-25-2018, 09:04 PM   #3
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Coming west on I-12 there is a Pilot at exit 40. When I got to the exit I had to brake hard because traffic on the exit ramp was backed up almost onto the interstate. We found the reason when we got down the hill. First you have to go around a round-a-bout past the entrance to westbound I-10 and of course the cross traffic on the road. Once you get off the first roundabout and go under the interstate then you hit the second similar roundabout on the other side. Once you finish that one the Pilot is on your left but you can't turn left you have to continue on to the next roundabout and come back on the other side of the road. Then you discover that the person who thought up the roundabouts thought a truck stop should have a narrow entrence and exit all in one place. Not to be outdone, the Pilot folks put the desiel lanes in the middle in front of the store. Once done there it was a simple matter of doing the two exit roundabouts again and getting back on the interstate. All with the accompaniment or a small herd of semi's. I kid you not, this is all true.
I lived in Louisiana for several years while working deep water GOM oil. The people are great and would give you the shirt off their back but their government is about the worst run and most corrupt I have ever seen in the USA. For sure nearly all of their roads are in really bad shape and like some other places I have visited (like my own states nearby Conway, AR) there are some so called roadway engineers that need to be taken to the woodshed!!! They should force whichever engineers design those roundabouts to spend eternity driving in circles around them.......

If your on I 10 going thru the capitol of Baton Rouge the East bound traffic going across the Mississippi river is narrowed down to ONE lane. This in one of the highest traffic areas of the entire state!!!! I can't tell you the number of times that I sat on that bridge in bumper to bumper traffic feeling it flex up and down!! All while having a view of the state capitol buildings, talk about irony.....oh and you can bet that some of the so called engineers responsible graduated from the local LSU.....I knew there was another reason to hate LSU (yeah I am a RAZORBACK fan).....
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Old 04-27-2018, 02:35 AM   #4
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Not to be outdone, the Pilot folks put the desiel lanes in the middle in front of the store.
Instead of turning into the first automobile entrance, you should have continued one entrance farther east on the access road to the >>gigantically wide<< semi-truck entrance, and used the truck fueling pumps. ...at least that is what I would do. =O)

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Old 04-27-2018, 06:39 AM   #5
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Instead of turning into the first automobile entrance, you should have continued one entrance farther east on the access road to the >>gigantically wide<< semi-truck entrance, and used the truck fueling pumps. ...at least that is what I would do. =O)

So there is signage telling first time visitors to do that?
Let’s be honest here, traffic circles stink even for cars much less large vehicles and any engineer considering one should be fired immediately!!
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Old 04-27-2018, 11:22 AM   #6
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The picture makes the entrance look larger than it is. That is the entrance I was talking about. I could have used the truck pumps, but we wanted to go to the bathroom, and I don't like to slow those guys down. Besides, my RV advantage card doesn't work, usually, in the truck lanes. I know I could get, and did have, one of their credit cards, but the RV Advantage gives me 5 cents off on desiel and then I pay for it with my Sam's club card and get 6% back. Yes I am that cheap that I would run the gauntlet for a couple of bucks
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Old 04-27-2018, 02:49 PM   #7
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The picture makes the entrance look larger than it is. That is the entrance I was talking about. I could have used the truck pumps, but we wanted to go to the bathroom, and I don't like to slow those guys down. Besides, my RV advantage card doesn't work, usually, in the truck lanes. I know I could get, and did have, one of their credit cards, but the RV Advantage gives me 5 cents off on desiel and then I pay for it with my Sam's club card and get 6% back. Yes I am that cheap that I would run the gauntlet for a couple of bucks
I use the RV Plus card at Pilot/Flying J for 9 cents off. Most every truck fuel pumps have enough room for you to pull forward and the truck behind you begin to fuel. You have enough time to use the bathroom and get a sandwich plus walk the dog before he is finished fueling.
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Old 04-27-2018, 04:31 PM   #8
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All true, but in 7 years of full timing I've had one park me in when I used the truck lot to eat dinner and two other times someone has pulled the pin on my disconnect brake. Once was in Georgia just last week at a flyingJ while we were eating at Denny's and parked in the Denny's lot next to some bobtail rigs. I keep my hitch pin locked so that can't get pulled, but I do know someone who had that happen and that's when I started locking mine. I can maneuver this thing so as long as it's doable I stay away from the truckers. I drove one getting thru college and respect what they have to put up with and also met a few of the kind that pull pins.
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Old 04-27-2018, 07:18 PM   #9
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So there is signage telling first time visitors to do that?
Let’s be honest here, traffic circles stink even for cars much less large vehicles and any engineer considering one should be fired immediately!!
Yes, I don't care for roundabouts either, but not for the reason of navigability issues so much. I dislike them because there are a lot of clueless/distracted drivers that do not understand/care how they are supposed to work, right-of-way wise.

Those roundabouts are pretty huge if you compare the image to the length of a semi-truck and trailer combo, the curbed outer circle of them look to be about 80 feet in diameter with gently sloped "curb" so you can even roll over them and use the red brick portion to drive over.

Besides, it's a truck stop, and the driveway opening to the truck pumps is about 100 feet wide. There's no way that I would pull in to the first automobile entrance that is about 18 to 20 feet wide, and try to fuel up where the cars do, out in front of the store.

Having said all of that, there probably should be a sign at the entrance, stating that recreational diesel rigs over some certain length should use the truck lanes to fuel up.

Besides, I think that DQDick is just having some fun with the original post about the "situation" that he found himself in, and the "uber-skills" required to extricate himself, so I'll just leave it at that.

p.s. (did I mention that I dislike roundabouts?)

=O)
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Old 04-27-2018, 08:04 PM   #10
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Yes, I don't care for roundabouts either, but not for the reason of navigability issues so much. I dislike them because there are a lot of clueless/distracted drivers that do not understand/care how they are supposed to work, right-of-way wise.

Those roundabouts are pretty huge if you compare the image to the length of a semi-truck and trailer combo, the curbed outer circle of them look to be about 80 feet in diameter with gently sloped "curb" so you can even roll over them and use the red brick portion to drive over.

Besides, it's a truck stop, and the driveway opening to the truck pumps is about 100 feet wide. There's no way that I would pull in to the first automobile entrance that is about 18 to 20 feet wide, and try to fuel up where the cars do, out in front of the store.

Having said all of that, there probably should be a sign at the entrance, stating that recreational diesel rigs over some certain length should use the truck lanes to fuel up.

Besides, I think that DQDick is just having some fun with the original post about the "situation" that he found himself in, and the "uber-skills" required to extricate himself, so I'll just leave it at that.

p.s. (did I mention that I dislike roundabouts?)

=O)
I suspect your right that the DQ was just having a little fun with his story.

And I totally agree with you on the drivers that don't understand roundabouts. That is why I am VERY much in favor of standardized highways!!! As in every intersection looks EXACTLY like any other one with no deviations except when absolutely necessary!! We are not going to get stupid drivers off the road so we have to do as much as we can not to confuse them!!

Having said that, I will admit to being a stupid driver on occasion myself when put in an unexpected situation or in an unfamiliar place (I think that is probably how DQ felt too)! That being said warning SIGNS would be a great idea!!! I suspect even the truck drivers would appreciate them.

I will say there are several truck stops that have separate RV filling stations! That is a great idea as it allows us to fill away from the truck drivers so we don't get in their way. Like others on here I have a great respect for the folks driving the truly big rigs and I don't like to inconvenience a hardworking driver!!

On a related subject there are also a lot of truck stops that have separate parking areas for RVs. That allows RV drivers to overnight without getting in the way of the drivers mentioned above.
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Old 04-27-2018, 10:14 PM   #11
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Now i know why i installed an extra 60 gallon fuel tank on my truck. I seldom use any truck stop or any service station while hooked up to my rv. When i park for the evening i unhook and try to find the best price available in the area so i am not hostage to truck stop or interstate prices. An extra tank is one of the few things that will actually pay for itself besides making it more easier to get fuel without driving around in circles, no pun intended.
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