← Back to Explore
'Big Bill,' a 31-foot-tall Paul Bunyan-style fiberglass Muffler Man, watches over Interstate 85 at Exit 86 (Belmont Road) at the independently-owned Bill's Truck Stop in Linwood, North Carolina, which has operated since 1968. Big Bill is the second towering roadside figure at the site: until 1987, a giant Sunoco 'Gas Man' figure stood in the same spot, first erected when the business was known as Piedmont Truck Stop, run by the current owners' grandfather, Clark 'Pappy' Thompson.
Private to your Passport.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
No recommended arrival yet
We have not checked a recommended place to arrive or stop here yet.
This takes you to the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.
© Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
Big Bill Pioneer giant (Bills Truck Stop)
This pin marks the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.
Site-level location · 35.7621° N, 80.2409° W
FIELD GUIDE
About this Big Thing
Only the summary above so far
A longer field-guide description will appear here once it has been researched and sourced. We would rather show you nothing than make something up.
Know something about this one? Tell us →Add a photo
PRACTICAL
Plan your stop
WHAT TO EXPECT
A freestanding roadside statue at a truck stop; visible from I-85 at any time.
ACCESS
Bill's Truck Stop, I-85 Exit 86 (Belmont Road), Linwood, North Carolina.
COMMUNITY
Visitor Log
TRANSPARENCY
Sources & research
Something not right?
If this Big Thing has changed, moved or gone, telling us keeps the guide honest for the next traveller.