This perception might be accurate for old, independently-owned locations in older urban areas (mainly in the Northeast), but it sure isn't the case nationwide. Some of these places are unbelievable, especially the ones owned and operated by the reputable national chains.
Anyone who travels in southwestern Pennsylvania should stop by at the new TA (TravelCenters of America) location in Breezewood (it's right at the point where I-70 meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike). If I blindfolded you and took you in there without telling you where you were, you'd probably swear you were in a brand-spanking-new food court in a pretty high-end shopping mall.
Over time, these truck stop chains have adopted the business models and characteristics of their parent companies -- and it's pretty remarkable to see how they vary once you understand the business. Pilot, for example, is a national chain that is a subsidiary of Marathon Oil Company -- so these locations are very heavily focused on selling large quantities of fuel on a site that is as small as possible. This is why Pilot locations sell their own brand of fuel rather than franchising their fuel sales out to "name" brands, and why Pilot locations typically have very robust fuel operations, relatively smaller truck parking lots, and relatively fewer on-site amenities than their competitors.
TravelCenters of America (the famous TA brand -- formerly Truckstops of America), on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite. That company is owned by Hospitality Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on travel-oriented properties such as fast-food restaurants, hotels, etc. So their focus is mainly on providing a very high level of amenities to all kinds of travelers on the highway system (not just truckers -- which is why they changed their name from Truckstops of America to TravelCenters of America).
The "Taj Mahal" of truck stops is the world-famous Iowa 80 location (part of the TA chain) just west of the Quad Cities area in eastern Iowa -- which proclaims itself as the largest truck stop in the world. It has parking capacity for about 900 trucks on site (there are probably no more than a half-dozen truck stops in the U.S. with even half that many spaces), and houses not only the kinds of amenities typically found in large truck stops, but also a 50,000 square-foot retail store for road travelers (it's big enough that they roll a show truck in there every now and then), and even doctors' and dentists' offices.
I can’t really argue with what you’ve stated - though I run the northeast and see those old run-down truck stops all the time.
I’ve made quite a few runs out to southwestern PA and have stopped at the TA you mentioned. Yes, it’s nice, but it’s still a matter of finding parking (at times) and you still find the usual troubles in the parking lots. That isn’t going to go away - as the truckers bring them in.
I don’t like Pilot at all; too many drivers fuel up, leave their truck at the island, and go in to get something to eat. Meanwhile, you’re waiting in line for the fuel pump to come open. Time is money and I don’t have time to wait 40 minutes cause some idiot was too lazy to pull his truck out of the way.
I have my favorite places to fuel up, eat (when I don’t’ take my lunch/dinner)and, on occasion, sleep when needed. Very few of those are truck stops; too many idiots playing too many games. It only takes one idiot to open one of the valves on my tank and the whole place is shut down for hours on end (and I’ve had a real bad day).
Mine is a different business from most other trucking jobs; weight is extremely important so I usually buy fuel every day - just enough to get me back home so I can fuel up in the morning. I generally don’t make really long trips; usually only 2-300 miles out and back, so careful planning avoids most of the pitfalls found in truck stops.
Back in the day, when I hauled freight (reefer and box) I ran all over the place, so I had to make use of the truck stops. It’s different now, so I choose not to stop if I don’t really have to.