Checking in on the storm from a Mankato-area truck stop
On blizzard days, when many people are hunkering down, truck stops are one of the few places you can expect to be open.
Minnesota Department of Transportation
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On blizzard days, when many people are hunkering down, truck stops are one of the few places you can expect to be open.
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Tyler Freyberg, who operates five truck stops and gas stations in the Mankato, Minn. area, about how he’s spending this week’s storm.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: On days like today when many folks are staying out of the snow, truck stops are one of the few places you can expect to be open. Tyler Freyberg operates five truck stops and gas stations in the Mankato area. He's on the line right now. Hey, Tyler. Where are you exactly?
TYLER FREYBERG: Right now, I'm in our Mankato Travel Center, our newest location. That's where I'm sitting right now.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Hey, thanks for joining us. Well, I'm betting it's been busy for you today and certainly yesterday in this storm.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yeah. Mostly preparing for what's going to come and preparing to make a safe haven for people.
CATHY WURZER: Has it been pretty busy?
TYLER FREYBERG: Yes and no. A couple of our truck stops, we got it all cleared out, and we have to stay on top of it every couple of hours. But a lot of the drivers have parked and got a safe spot to be. They park there because they know they can go to the bathroom and take a shower or do laundry. We've got a restaurant so they can get some decent food.
But I think it slowed so many people down. Across the street, there's Johnson Outdoors and Walmart Distribution Center. Those guys even just closed down. Just slowed things down coming into town, so we haven't exactly overflow parking by any means, but they have filled up the lot, get a safe spot to stay, and wait for their next instructions.
CATHY WURZER: Because I was noticing in the news last night that a lot of the truckers obviously got off the road, and they were trying to find a place to kind of hunker down and ride it out. So it sounds like your parking lot was one of those places.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yeah. It's a lot safer spot than some go on and off ramp or something like that. It's better to have them in a safe spot, and we take pretty good care of them. Get it get it pretty lit up, and they've got good food to be comfortable.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I bet it is. It's much more comfortable, as you say, than being on the side of the road. Did you see or hear about anything happening in your neck of the woods from any of the plow drivers or any of the truckers, people getting stuck, accidents, that kind of thing?
TYLER FREYBERG: No, I think they did a pretty good job of warning people what's coming this time. I mean, I know they had a lot of school closures, a lot of work closures. I think that got a lot of people out of the off the streets, off the roads. I think they did a pretty good job at that. You can only do so much.
But just on my way into town-- I mean, I live in town, but I drove by a parking lot. Somebody was trying to get into a parking lot that wasn't plowed, so I just got out and helped them get scoop out and push them out. But little things like that, nothing too major. But traffic's down a big, big amount this morning. It's really, really picked up now with the sun coming out, and the roads are starting to get cleared off. It's really starting to get things moving again.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I just got off the phone before I got on the air here with a person from MDOT who says all the road restrictions, all the no travel advisories have been lifted as of about-- well, 12:30 here this afternoon, so I think you're probably going to get pretty busy here. So you opened the Mankato Travel Center just about a year ago. Is that right?
TYLER FREYBERG: That's correct. Yeah, just a year ago. There was a need in this town. On the east side of Mankato, there was a lot of truck traffic parking on streets and in side roads. And we're in the business, so we were able to work with the city and get something going. And luckily enough, we got everything approved and provided a place for these people to be.
CATHY WURZER: I'm assuming this is the biggest storm that you've been through so far.
TYLER FREYBERG: There was a couple in December that were pretty big here.
CATHY WURZER: That's true.
TYLER FREYBERG: And last year, right when we were opening up, we got we got hit with a pretty good storm. This is the most publicized one, I think. But snow wise, I'm very happy the wind hasn't picked up like they said it was, and that's a blessing.
CATHY WURZER: Before you go, how much snow do you think you got down there?
TYLER FREYBERG: Oh, I think we got over 12 inches, right around there. Somebody may argue with me about that, but I think it's right around that 12 inches mark. It could be a little bit more, could be a little less depending on where you are and how the wind affected you.
CATHY WURZER: Well, I tell you what. I know you've been busy. I'm sure it was interesting to kind of watch everything unfold. I appreciate what you've done for your trucking friends, and thanks for joining us here today.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yes. I appreciate you having me on. If you guys ever want any other information, let us know. I'm available.
CATHY WURZER: Very well. Thank you much.
TYLER FREYBERG: All right. Thank you.
CATHY WURZER: Tyler, take care of yourself. Thank you.
TYLER FREYBERG: You as well.
CATHY WURZER: Bye bye. Tyler Freyberg is the owner of Freyberg Petroleum Sales. He operates several gas stations and truck stops in the Mankato area.
TYLER FREYBERG: Right now, I'm in our Mankato Travel Center, our newest location. That's where I'm sitting right now.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Hey, thanks for joining us. Well, I'm betting it's been busy for you today and certainly yesterday in this storm.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yeah. Mostly preparing for what's going to come and preparing to make a safe haven for people.
CATHY WURZER: Has it been pretty busy?
TYLER FREYBERG: Yes and no. A couple of our truck stops, we got it all cleared out, and we have to stay on top of it every couple of hours. But a lot of the drivers have parked and got a safe spot to be. They park there because they know they can go to the bathroom and take a shower or do laundry. We've got a restaurant so they can get some decent food.
But I think it slowed so many people down. Across the street, there's Johnson Outdoors and Walmart Distribution Center. Those guys even just closed down. Just slowed things down coming into town, so we haven't exactly overflow parking by any means, but they have filled up the lot, get a safe spot to stay, and wait for their next instructions.
CATHY WURZER: Because I was noticing in the news last night that a lot of the truckers obviously got off the road, and they were trying to find a place to kind of hunker down and ride it out. So it sounds like your parking lot was one of those places.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yeah. It's a lot safer spot than some go on and off ramp or something like that. It's better to have them in a safe spot, and we take pretty good care of them. Get it get it pretty lit up, and they've got good food to be comfortable.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I bet it is. It's much more comfortable, as you say, than being on the side of the road. Did you see or hear about anything happening in your neck of the woods from any of the plow drivers or any of the truckers, people getting stuck, accidents, that kind of thing?
TYLER FREYBERG: No, I think they did a pretty good job of warning people what's coming this time. I mean, I know they had a lot of school closures, a lot of work closures. I think that got a lot of people out of the off the streets, off the roads. I think they did a pretty good job at that. You can only do so much.
But just on my way into town-- I mean, I live in town, but I drove by a parking lot. Somebody was trying to get into a parking lot that wasn't plowed, so I just got out and helped them get scoop out and push them out. But little things like that, nothing too major. But traffic's down a big, big amount this morning. It's really, really picked up now with the sun coming out, and the roads are starting to get cleared off. It's really starting to get things moving again.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I just got off the phone before I got on the air here with a person from MDOT who says all the road restrictions, all the no travel advisories have been lifted as of about-- well, 12:30 here this afternoon, so I think you're probably going to get pretty busy here. So you opened the Mankato Travel Center just about a year ago. Is that right?
TYLER FREYBERG: That's correct. Yeah, just a year ago. There was a need in this town. On the east side of Mankato, there was a lot of truck traffic parking on streets and in side roads. And we're in the business, so we were able to work with the city and get something going. And luckily enough, we got everything approved and provided a place for these people to be.
CATHY WURZER: I'm assuming this is the biggest storm that you've been through so far.
TYLER FREYBERG: There was a couple in December that were pretty big here.
CATHY WURZER: That's true.
TYLER FREYBERG: And last year, right when we were opening up, we got we got hit with a pretty good storm. This is the most publicized one, I think. But snow wise, I'm very happy the wind hasn't picked up like they said it was, and that's a blessing.
CATHY WURZER: Before you go, how much snow do you think you got down there?
TYLER FREYBERG: Oh, I think we got over 12 inches, right around there. Somebody may argue with me about that, but I think it's right around that 12 inches mark. It could be a little bit more, could be a little less depending on where you are and how the wind affected you.
CATHY WURZER: Well, I tell you what. I know you've been busy. I'm sure it was interesting to kind of watch everything unfold. I appreciate what you've done for your trucking friends, and thanks for joining us here today.
TYLER FREYBERG: Yes. I appreciate you having me on. If you guys ever want any other information, let us know. I'm available.
CATHY WURZER: Very well. Thank you much.
TYLER FREYBERG: All right. Thank you.
CATHY WURZER: Tyler, take care of yourself. Thank you.
TYLER FREYBERG: You as well.
CATHY WURZER: Bye bye. Tyler Freyberg is the owner of Freyberg Petroleum Sales. He operates several gas stations and truck stops in the Mankato area.
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