Truck drivers not welcome at Walmart! – Do you remember that story? You probably remember when this and other such articles were circulating around the internet?
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Well, before I go any further, rest assured it was and still is 100 percent fake! It did not happen, well not officially anyway.
There are several articles debunking this such as Snopes. Walmart never had an official corporate policy stating “truck drivers not welcome at Walmart”, or any such policy banning truckers from shopping in their stores. Nor does any major retailer have such a policy for that matter.
This includes:
Neither do any of the hundreds of other retail and fast food businesses that can be found on such list as the National Retail Federation or in Forbes, will ever say something like that. None of the major outlets have or would ever have such a policy as truck drivers not welcome at Walmart, or similar nonsense!
Truckers and the trucking industry is their life blood! Why would truck drivers be banned from their stores?
Truckers are not only an important part of their industry but when it comes to customers they are the more respectable looking class of shoppers.
Have you seen the people of Walmart videos and images that are circulating? Hack, I am embarrassed just looking at some of those!
Truck Drivers Not Welcome at Walmart Origins
Unfortunately there are those small minded people who do not like truckers for one reason or another. And that is how such stories gain traction. So where did this story originate?
Well, like so many such stories if you dig deep enough there is a source of plausible truth. That isn’t saying the story is truth nor am I saying that there was a truck drivers not welcome at Walmart policy in place. But the story had to come from somewhere!
Well it did! There are a couple related sources such as signs posted at a Walmart store in Hope Mills, North Carolina which basically stated “truck drivers are not welcome.”
But there is a big difference between “truck drivers are not welcome” and “truck drivers not welcome at Walmart”, right!?
Now the Walmart management from that store stated it was not placed by any of their employees. You can find these plastered all over social media.
But don’t worry, as I said it is not the official policy of Walmart.
Why would they ban their almost 7200 truck drivers, representing about 200 carriers from shopping in their stores? Of course they wouldn’t!
But still the myth persists. So let’s look at a few possible reasons as to why this continues to plague our social media pages.
1. No Truck Parking Allowed Signs
It is true that many parking lots don’t want big trucks sitting overnight in their parking lots. They do post no truck parking signs. That doesn’t mean the driver isn’t welcome, they just don’t want the big truck taking up their parking spaces.
After all, let’s be honest, the trucks do take up a lot of extra spaces, can block lanes, and cause other such potential safety concerns.
We all know that most of these parking lots are large enough to accommodate large trucks. We also know that when parking overnight the lots are mostly empty, but that doesn’t change the fact they don’t want you parking there!
With all those nice truck stops all over our great country, customized with the best amenities for truckers and their trucks, I don’t see a legitimate reason to not obey the “No truck allowed signs”!
2. Customer Complaints
The truck drivers not welcome at Walmart sigh that we all hear about last year, might be due to some fellow citizens that just don’t like truck drivers that much.
Public perception is everything; it is what many large corporations based their decisions on. Unhappy customers complain about the semi trucks.
We all know that people tend to complain about everything. This seems to have gotten worse with the ability to post everything on social media.
If the customer isn’t happy then the management will do what they can to appease them.
Unfortunately the average person doesn’t appreciate the importance of the trucking industry and view the class 8 trucks as a nuisance.
3. Truckers Abuse Drugs and Alcohol
This is another valid reason for the ‘truck drivers not welcome at Walmart!’ sign to start circling.
It can be attributed to a few sources, again movies is one of them. There was a time when a few truckers did resort to stimulants to stay awake!
The truth be told, every industry has those who do this, it doesn’t make it right. Truckers are scrutinized heavier.
As times change this image has been slow to fade with many of the lesser informed, and as such many companies don’t want the stigma present, regardless if it is true or not.
4. Truck Parking Attracts Prostitution
Another reason for the truck drivers not welcome at Walmart sign might be because people are scared and paranoid about the truck parking and the truck stop prostitution.
We have all heard about ‘lot lizards’. Those who prey on lonely truck drivers offer comfort for the night.
Typically these are not do-gooders but paid ‘professionals’ of their own. Of course this activity is illegal and the health of those doing this is questionable.
I am not one to judge, but I will say be careful! First off this is illegal! Secondly there is a high risk for catching any number of STD s! thirdly, often they are not interested in offering ‘company’, and the reason behind might be that they plan to rob you!
