Trucking company buys mom and pop truck stop that was forced out of business

A beloved Iowa truck stop that had to to close its doors forever because of competition from bigger chains is getting a second chance, thanks to a California trucking company.

On October 20, the iconic Boondocks USA truck stop off I-35 in Iowa closed its doors after more than 45 years of family operation by owners Bob and Mim Welch.

Eighty-two year old Bob Welch said that it was a tough decision but health issues and competition from larger truck stop chains forced the Welch’s to shut down.

But a little over a month later, Boondocks USA is back — thanks to a Fresno, California trucking company.

This week, Anyway Logistics, Inc. bought Boondocks USA for $500,000 at auction and plans to keep things much as they have been for decades.

“Our plan is to reopen it and do the same thing they were doing before,” David Bhillon, Anyway president told the Des Moines Register. “We will just clean up the property and bring it up to date.”

Boondocks USA is the first truck stop purchased by Anyway Logistics.

Bhillon admitted that there is a lot of work ahead to bring the truck stop back to life. “We know it is going to take a lot to clean it up,” he said.