8 California Truck Stops Appear on Scary “Do Not Stop” List

When it comes to planning a summer vacation, what’s your style? Personally, we prefer to fly to our destination and either rent a car or rely on rideshares/public transit to get around. Other people enjoy long road trips and the comfort of being behind the wheel of their own car. 

If road trips are more your style, you’ve likely stopped at a truck stop a time or two. Since they’re meant to be a place for long haul truck drivers to fill-up and freshen up, they tend to be nicer and have more amenities than your typical gas station. Everything from showers, to cozy diners serving home cooked meals and impressive convenience stores that seem to have everything. 

READ MORE: Boise Stage Stop Named Best Truck Stop Food in America

That’s why you may be a little uneasy about a LARGE directory of truck stops that’s going viral online right now. It’s called the “Do Not Stop” list and it’s only natural to worry about your safety when you read a title like this. We’re not overly surprised that there are eight California truck stops and a handful of Washington state locations on the list, but we were surprised to see two from Salt Lake City on it. We’ve always thought of Salt Lake as almost a big sister to Boise and that may have given us a false sense of security. 

These are the truck stops in California, Washington and Utah on the list. 

Are These Truck Stops Dangerous for Travelers?

If you’re stopping at one of these truck stops to fill-up, grab snacks or have a sit down meal, you’re probably going to be just fine. Unilad explains that the reason this list exists is for truck drivers hauling high value loads. After the list had been shared on Reddit, some truck drivers dropped in to say that many of the truck stops on the list exist where there are organized crime groups trying to steal thousands of dollars of cargo. The list is meant to keep both the stuff inside the truck and the drivers safe from the organized crime groups. 

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FleetOwner says that cargo theft jumped 59% from 2022 to 2023 and they expect it to get worse this year. As cargo theft rates rise, they believe that violence toward drivers will as well.