Broke Down Near Amarillo? What to Do on I-40 and I-27

Get out of the travel lane

If the truck still moves safely, the next exit or truck stop is a better place to stop than the shoulder. The stops below are spread along both interstates, so the next one may be closer than you think.

If you have to stop on the shoulder, get as far off the road as you can and turn your hazard flashers on. Then set out three warning triangles within 10 minutes. I-40 and I-27 are divided highways, so federal rules put them 10 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet behind the truck, on the traffic side (49 CFR 392.22). The roadside repair page has the first ten minutes step by step.

Tell us three things

1. Mile marker and direction. I-40 eastbound or westbound, I-27 northbound or southbound. No marker in sight? Give us the last exit number or the truck stop name from the list below.
2. Truck and trailer. Make and model, the trailer type, and whether it’s loaded.
3. What’s wrong. What happened, what the dash shows, and whether the truck still moves.

With those three, we can get started on the call. Two more, if they apply:

• Any warning lights or codes. Read us the fault code if the dash shows one, or take a photo of it.
• If you’re blocking traffic. Say so first. If any part of the truck is in a live lane, call 911 before you call us.

Photos worth taking

If it’s safe to get out, take these photos before you call. Stay off the traffic side to take them.

• The dash, with any warning lights or fault codes showing
• The problem itself: the tire with its size readable on the sidewall, the leak, the damage
• The nearest mile marker or exit sign
• The unit number, if you drive for a fleet

Where we come to

• I-40: Vega to Groom. That’s our normal run, through Amarillo, from Exit 36 at Vega to Exit 114 at Groom.
• I-27: Amarillo to Lubbock. The whole road, through Canyon, Tulia and Plainview.

Outside these stretches you’re past our normal coverage. Call and ask before you count on us. We can sometimes go farther across Texas, but we won’t promise it here.

I-40, west to east

Parking counts are the numbers each chain lists. They don’t tell you how many spaces are free right now, so check the chain’s app before you count on one.

Exit 36, Vega (US-385)

• Pilot Travel Center #1027, 6555 US-385. 76 truck spaces, open 24 hours. This is the west end of our normal run.

Exit 60, west Amarillo

• Love’s Travel Stop #250, 14701 I-40 W. 100 truck spaces, CAT scales, open 24 hours.

Exit 74, Whitaker Road

• TA Amarillo, 7000 E I-40. 185 truck spaces, CAT scale, open 24 hours.
• Love’s Travel Stop #200, 6930 I-40 E. 111 truck spaces, CAT scales, open 24 hours.

Exit 75, Lakeside Drive

• Petro Amarillo, 8500 E I-40. 280 truck spaces, CAT scale, open 24 hours.
• Pilot Travel Center #436, 715 S Lakeside Dr. 107 truck spaces, open 24 hours.

Exit 76

• Flying J Travel Center #723, 9601 E I-40. 200 truck spaces, open 24 hours.
• Texas Travel Information Center, 9700 E I-40, on the eastbound side.

Exit 114, Groom

The east end of our normal run.

Past Groom

TxDOT runs two safety rest areas east of our normal run: Donley County eastbound at mile 129, and Gray County westbound at mile 131, just west of Alanreed. TxDOT says the restrooms at every Texas safety rest area are open 24 hours (TxDOT list).

I-27, north to south

I-27 starts at I-40 in Amarillo and ends in Lubbock.

Exit 115 northbound / 116 southbound, south Amarillo

• Love’s Travel Stop #261, 8615 Canyon Dr. A small stop: 12 truck spaces.

Exit 74, Tulia (Hwy 86)

• Love’s Travel Stop #984, 2851 W TX-86. 59 truck spaces, CAT scales, open 24 hours.

Mile 29, Hale County

• TxDOT safety rest areas northbound and southbound, about 8 miles south of Hale Center.

Exit 8, north Lubbock

• Love’s Travel Stop #589, 4221 N I-27. 69 truck spaces, CAT scales, open 24 hours.

Exit 4, Lubbock (4th Street)

• Flying J Travel Center #733, 602 4th St. 69 truck spaces, open 24 hours.

More on the south end of the corridor: the Lubbock page.

Weather on the High Plains

Winter storms can close I-40 here. In the January 2025 storm, I-40 was shut in the Texas Panhandle (Amarillo Globe-News). Amarillo’s first inch of snow falls around December 5 on average, and snow has fallen as late as May (National Weather Service).

Wind is the other hazard. The National Weather Service in Amarillo posts high wind warnings for the Panhandle, and a light or empty trailer feels them first.

We don’t report road conditions. For live closures, check DriveTexas or call 1-800-452-9292. When you call us, tell us what the weather is doing where you are.

Cost considerations

Every job is different, so we don’t publish prices. Describe the problem on the call and ask for an estimate before any work starts. Questions worth asking:

• Is there a charge for the mechanic to come out to you?
• How is the labor billed, and what parts does the job need?
• Does the price change at night or on a weekend?
• If it can’t be fixed where it is, what happens next?

If you drive for a carrier or have a roadside plan or insurance, ask them first what paperwork they need and how they pay. Don’t assume a claim will be covered.

Why a mobile mechanic, not a roadside fix

Working on a truck on the shoulder of I-40, with traffic going by, is dangerous. Leave it to a mechanic who does this work. Here’s what you get when you call us:

• The truck stays where it is. Tires, brakes and air, fuel systems and DPF work get done at the truck, with no tow to a shop.
• The problem first. Our mechanics find what’s actually wrong before they start replacing parts.
• An estimate before the work starts. You know what you’re agreeing to.
• A straight answer. If the job needs a tow or a shop, we’ll tell you.

See what we can fix at the truck.

When you’re ready to call

Have the three things ready and call us. See what we fix and where we work, or go back to roadside truck repair.