Iowa 80

Iowa 80 is the world's largest truck stop, located along Interstate 80 off exit 284 in Walcott, Iowa. Set on a convert|220|acre|km2|sing=on plot of land (four times larger than an average truckstop and 2.5 times larger than Disneyland) -- 75 acres of which are currently developed -- the site receives 5,000 visitors daily, and features a convert|67000|sqft|m2|abbr=on main building, parking for 800 trucks, and 15 fuel pumps. Four-hundred fifty employees staff the megaplex."Modern Marvels: Truck Stops". The History Channel.]

History

Bill Moon, a regional manager for Standard Oil, purchased the land and built the original truckstop in 1964 along the emerging I-80, the convert|3000|mi|km|sing=on highway which would directly connect San Francisco with New York. "As they were building I-80, my father was responsible for finding land and building truck stops for Standard," says his daughter Delia Meier. [http://www.expeditersonline.com/artman/publish/printer_Truck_Stop.html The Big Road and a BIG Truckstop: Iowa 80 ] ] Initially a small white enamel building surrounded by cornfields, it housed a modest truckers store, a one lube bay and a restaurant. Bill Moon took direct control in September of 1965, and eventually purchased the site from the corporation in 1984. In 1992, the year of Moon's death, [ [http://www.Iowa80.com IOWA80.COM - Trucking Accessories for Kenworth Peterbilt Freightliner Mack Volvo International - IOWA80.COM ] ] it became a Travelcenter of America franchise, though the facility is still owned and operated by the Moon family.

Facilities

Exterior

In addition to the ample parking and truck scales, Iowa 80 offers fifteen fuel stations, twice that of an average truck stop; a small convenience store is located right on the fuel island. The pump stations feature a nozzle on each side, so they can fill both tanks simultaneously. A seven-bay service center offers diagnostics, minor repairs, oil changes, tire rotations. The 'Truck-o-mat' can wash trucks and their trailers using a combination of machine- and hand-washing. Even the engine is washed, using a wand which sprays 180 degree water at 15 ppi² (50 times stronger than an average garden hose) to wash away grime, salt, & oil, and to help find oil leaks. The fifteen-minute wash typically costs around fifty dollars.

Interior

Trucker's Warehouse Store

This two-story, convert|30000|sqft|m2|abbr=on showroom is the largest trucker's store in the country. [ [http://www.rennerarchitects.com/iowa80.html Renner Architects LLC : Iowa-80 Travel Center ] ] It features 75,000 items for sale, including a collection of chrome accessories, books, DVDs, CB's, cell phone accessories, apparel and cleaners, chrome stacks, and bumpers. Most striking are the three decked-out show trucks -- one on a rotating platform -- and the convert|20|ft|m|abbr=on x convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on wall displaying 500 illuminated truck lights. A vinyl graphics shop, custom t-shirt shop, and embroidery center are located in the store.

Food Services

In addition to Blimpie, Wendy's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut,iowa80truckstop.com] The Iowa 80 Kitchen offers a fifty-foot salad bar and 'home-cooked' meals, serving 1 million cups of coffee and 90 tons of meat annually. The restaurant itself can seat 350 patrons, and a banquet room expands the total capacity by 60.

Other Facilities

Truckers can relax in one of the twenty-three private shower & toilet rooms (which may be requested from the gas pump), the two game rooms, or the Driver's Den Lounge, complete with leather chairs and fireplace. Iowa 80 also features a business center with fax machines, logbooks & trip report forms, working stations, and "everything you need to run an office." More unusual are the 60-seat movie theater and on-site barbershop. The most unexpected facility, though, may be the dentist's office. The dentist usually arrives at around 2pm, after finishing at his regular clinic, and works for six or seven hours; some of his patrons are local residents rather than truckers. [ [http://www.qconline.com/progress99/1leader2.shtml WALCOTT: Iowa-80 Truck stop a city in itself - A Q-C Century - Progress 99 ] ] Across the hall from the dentist there is also a newly-added chiropractic clinic, operated by a trucker-turned-chiropractor whose services include chiropractic adjustments and Department of Transportation physicals.

Notes

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.iowa80truckstop.com/ Iowa 80 official website]