An ambitious plan to create a trucker village has proved to be too ambitious.
A few years ago, Dean Ash noticed that truck drivers were being treated almost subhuman. Many truck stops wanted them to fuel up and go. Amenities at some were sparse.
“My core is to treat everybody like a human being like they deserve to be treated, and I think too often drivers are considered to be a commodity,” Ash told Trucking with OOIDA.
Ash wanted to create a place that treated truckers like royalty. That’s where the idea for Truckers Paradise was born.
The concept was both simple and grandiose: transform a former outlet mall into a destination catering primarily to long-haul truck drivers. Preliminary plans envisioned a bank, barber, doctor’s office, veterinarian and other staples occupying the storefronts. Truckers Paradise would be a one-stop shop for truckers to take care of all their personal needs while on the required 10-hour break or 34-hour restart.
An abandoned outlet mall in Gainesville, Texas, would be the site of Truckers Paradise. On Nov. 8, 2024, the trucker village had its soft opening.
In addition to many of the same amenities seen at larger truck stop chains, it included a cigar shop and loading dock for limited freight transfer.
Initially, Ash planned on making some money from paid parking through Truck Parking Club. That plan was quickly scrapped after it ended up bringing in “almost no business whatsoever.”
“We could have bought a couple of hamburgers with the money we got from that,” Ash said.
Ash realized how much of a distaste truck drivers have for paid parking. Offering that went against his core, so he pledged to distance himself from any organization that wanted to come in and charge for parking.
Ash told Trucking with OOIDA in September that pushing back on paid parking bucked industry trends. Investors questioned the move, but he insisted. After all, the entire concept of Truckers Paradise was based on bucking truck stop trends.
Listen to Trucking with OOIDA’s September interview with Truckers Paradise founder Dean Ash:
However, the writing was on the wall from the very beginning. In the early phases of Truckers Paradise, he met with Natso Vice President of Membership Darren Schulte. Natso is the trade association representing truck stop operators. Schulte told Ash not to do it.
Schulte’s cautionary words came as more truck stops replace diners with fast food chains. While some truck stops see more revenue potential in getting drivers in and out, Ash wanted Truckers Paradise to be a place where truckers can stay as long as they want. He wanted to give them a reason to get out of the truck.
From the movie “Field of Dreams,” if you build it, they will come.
They did not.
One day shy of the one-year anniversary of the soft launch, Truckers Paradise was evicted from the property.
According to the Gainesville Daily Register, several employees filed complaints after not getting paid for weeks. Subsequently, Thirty-Five and Liberty, the property owner, announced Truckers Paradise is out.
“After months of ongoing litigation, we have officially evicted Trucker’s Paradise, and we are deeply relieved to see this matter resolved. We recognize and share the community’s concern for the hardworking individuals affected and remain steadfast in ensuring that all businesses within our development operate responsibly and uphold high standards.”
On the Truckers Paradise website, Ash said he ran into “unexpected delays and cost overruns.” He acknowledged that the landlord “acted appropriately.”
“We are deeply grateful for the support and encouragement we’ve received from the Gainesville community, local businesses, and the many people who believed in the vision of Truckers Paradise,” Ash said. “Your kindness, understanding, and enthusiasm meant the world to us.”
It is not clear where Truckers Paradise goes from here. Ash could not be reached for comment. As recently as September, he said city and county officials in Fresno, Calif., a Salt Lake City suburb and a suburb in Wichita, Kan., expressed interest in the trucker village.
For now, there will not be another day in Truckers Paradise. LL
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