Truck drivers are responsible for hauling massive amounts of cargo across the country, spending most of their time on the road and resting at truck stops. Even they need some entertainment to distract them from their tiring job, and as with most people nowadays we find that through the internet. Truck stops having WiFi would make this easier. So do they?
Many truck stops have WiFi nowadays, especially large national chains such as Pilot, TravelCenters of America, Love’s, and Flying J. Some of these chains offer both free and paid WiFi services that allow you to pay daily, monthly, or yearly. Some privately-owned truck stops have also been known to have WiFi, depending on how established they are.
Read on to discover how WiFi works at truck stops, other commercial outlets, and restaurant chains. Also, learn how good the WiFi actually is at these establishments and if you need to pay to use it. Then discover alternatives and find out at which truck stops in the USA have WiFi.
Do struck stops have WiFi?
Not many years ago, when you would think of WiFi, the image of connecting your mobile device or laptop to your home network would pop into your head, and then perhaps you would also think about WiFi hotspots in malls and such places.
However, due to the growing need for people to be connected and communicate today, WifI has spread into all facets of life, and you can pretty much find it almost anywhere you go now, including truck stops.
Truck drivers spend most of their time away from their families and on the road. The numbers equate to them driving on average 70 hours a week, and besides having mobile data on their phones to connect to the internet, truck stops have in recent years figured out that offering WiFi would help benefit truck drivers and their own business model (getting more customers).
Do truck stops make you pay for WiFi?
Depending on where you are and where you stop, many truck stops offer various ways to connect to their WiFi, with some having free access and others being paid to use.
Most national truck stop chains such as TravelCenters of America, Love’s, and Flying J offer free WiFi service. However, some chains (including these) offer additional enhanced WiFi that you can opt to pay for on a daily, monthly, or yearly plan.
One thing to note is that it is always good practice to show some patronage if you are at a truck stop or any other commercial outlet if you plan to stop and use their free WiFi. This means you can show some support by purchasing something from them (food or drink) or even filling up with gas.
How good is the WiFi at truck stops?
Even though WiFi is prominent at many truck stop locations located all across the USA, some of them offer only minimal WiFi. It would help if you remember that some truck stops are out in the middle of nowhere; hence, it isn’t easy to obtain a good signal, and some that do have a good signal will limit the amount of bandwidth you can use.
As such, the limitations only allow you to browse social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter while also offering minimal browsing capability. If you are a truck driver and plan to upload, download videos, stream, or play some games, you may find yourself at a considerable disadvantage.
We mentioned that some sizeable national truck stop chains offer enhanced WiFi that you are able to use for a fixed daily, monthly or yearly rate. However, some truck drivers have complained that this is still not capable of delivering capable internet connectivity.
How else can truck drivers get WiFi?
If you are a truck driver and have used truck stop WiFi along your route but are finding that you need a better connection that allows for more speed and size, then there is another element that you could consider.
Enter MiFi that is a mobile wireless router. If you are looking to upload, stream and play games on the road and not only at truck stops, then your best bet would be to contact your cellular service provider and ask them about a package that offers you a MiFi router.
- Share WiFi internet access...
- Connect to your existing home...
- Avoid the risks of public WiFi...
With a MiFi router, you won’t be bound at having to rest at a truck stop to use their WiFi, but rather, you would have the capability to be connected most of the time you are on the road.
Additionally, depending on the package, you choose you would be able to get fast upload and download speeds and then a ton of data (even uncapped in some situations if you are willing to pay).
What other rest stops or restaurants offer WiFi?
Truck drivers don’t always have to stop at truck stops but can stop at any restaurant or side road outlet along the road or freeway that allows them to park and maneuver their vehicle in and out.
In this case, there are many national dinners and fast food outlets that you can take a break at, and they are known for free WiFi. Some good examples of these are Mcdonald’s, Denny’s, Hooters, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
41 truck stops that have WiFi
We have listed twenty states and some of their respective truck stops that include a WiFi connection for your perusal. These truck stops include independently owned businesses and then some chains. Make sure if you are on route to a location that you check beforehand whether or not any additional truck stops (including major chains) have WiFi.
Arizona
Holbrook Truck Plaza, Holbrook, AZ; I-10 exit 292
Arkansas
44 T/S I-30 Exit 44
Colorado
SAPP Bros T/S Denver
Illinois
Oasis Service Area I-294 Hinsdale, O’Hare (except Lincoln)
Oasis Service Area I-90 Belvidere, Des Plains
Sapp Bros Truckstop Peru Il
Iowa
SAPP Bros T/S Council Bluff
SAPP Bros T/S I-29 & 2 Percival Neb City
Kansas
SAPP Bros T/S Junction City
Kansas
SAPP Bros T/S Junction City
Louisiana
Greenwood Rest Area on I-20
Massachusetts
Ludlow service plaza Mass Turnpike I-90 Ludlow (Honeydew coffee)
Michigan
Mobil Truck Stop, Grand Rapids, MI; US 131 exit 75 (76th Street)
Montana
Come & Go Truck Stop: I 90 Exit 426, Park city
Come & Go Truck Stop: I 94 Exit 138, Miles City
Crossroads Truck Stop: I 90 Exit 96, Missoula (Inn)
Muralts T/S I-90 Exit 96 Missoula (Muralts Restaurant)
Hood T/S I-44 exit 61
Nebraska
SAPP Bros T/S Sydney
SAPP Bros T/S Ogallala
SAPP Bros T/S York
SAPP Bros T/S Odessa
SAPP Bros T/S Columbus
SAPP Bros T/S Lincoln
SAPP Bros T/S Omaha
SAPP Bros T/S Fremont
North Dakota
Rest Area on I-90
Rest Area on I-90
New York
Walton T/S I-87 Exit 16 Walton (Scotty’s Restaurant)
All Service Areas on NY thruway I-90, I-87
Oklahoma
Big Cabin T/S I-44 Exit 283 Big Cabin (super8)
Citco T/S I 94 & 69 Checotah (Americas best value inn)
Pennsylvania
Flying J T/S I-81 Exit 219 New Milford, (Hiex)
SAPP Bros T/S Clearfield
Tennessee
Platteau Travel Plaza: I-40 Exit 320 Crossville, TN ( DQ restaurant)
North 40 Truck Stop at Exit 126 on I-40 in Holladay, TN
Texas
Rest Areas on I-20 I-35
Wisconsin
Citco T/S I-90,I-94 Exit 89 Mauston WI (super8 moustons8)
Golden Rule Travel Plaza I-94 Exit 88 Osseo WI (truckstop.net)
Wyoming
SAPP Bros T/S I-80 exit 370 Cheyenne WY (Sapp bros)
UTAH
SAPP Bros T/S Salt Lake City
Conclusion
We discovered that you could find WiFi almost anywhere in the world in this day and age, including at truck stops. You may have access to free or paid WiFi, depending on where you stop.
Take into consideration, though, that some truck stops don’t have the greatest WiFi in terms of connectivity and speed, and as such, you will be limited to minimal functionality.
Therefore if you are looking to stream, upload, download, and play games, you might be better off getting yourself a MiFi device from your cellular provider.
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