The pain of dialing up to connect to the Internet was replaced just a few years ago by the simplicity and ease of high-speed connections. But now the addition of high-speed wireless Internet access at certain truckstops is making it even easier for you to get online.

Instead of dragging your laptop out and trying to find an open Internet connection in the truckstop, you can stay right in your cab as you surf the web. All you need to get connected at the participating truckstops is a wireless notebook adapter card that works with the 802.11 standard, and a subscription with that location’s particular provider.

Wireless notebook adapters are simple to get. Just about any electronics store you can think of - Circuit City, Best Buy, Radio Shack - has them in stock, with prices ranging from $30 to $75. In most cases, you just have to plug the card into your laptop’s expansion slot, and you’re ready to surf the web from your sleeper.

And if you want to get out of your truck, you can do that, too. According to Petro Stopping Centers director of marketing David T. McClure, you can pick up the service anywhere within the property lines.

So hypothetically, you can take a shower while reading your e-mail, eat in the restaurant as you check on finances or check on loads while you check on your laundry. And on a nice autumn day, you can sit on a grassy knoll and check the latest trucking news at driversmag.com.

The use of Wi-Fi in retail settings is not completely new, it’s already been done in airports, Internet cafes and your neighborhood Starbucks. But the use of Wi-Fi at truckstops lets truckers do their computing business without being tethered to a wall.

McClure says three Petro locations are equipped with Wi-Fi. The Flying J chain of truckstops, which is in the Travel Plaza Alliance Network with Petro and SmartStop Wireless Solution. Flying J has about 100 locations ready for wireless Internet users. IdleAire Technologies, which is known for truckstop shorepower systems, is planning to deploy Wi-Fi at 200 select truckstops.

David Everhart, IdleAire’s senior vp of strategic relationships, says one of IdleAire’s primary advantages in Wi-Fi deployment is that the infrastructure to provide the additional service is already integral to the IdleAire system, which includes wired high-speed Internet, satellite television and computer services.

Flying J, however, warns that large obstacles such as other trucks may impact your use of the system relative to the location of your wireless antenna. For best results, the truckstop chain says you should avoid using Wi-Fi in areas where your wireless card or antenna is blocked by other vehicles or buildings.

Like everything that is updated in life, once you try it, you won’t want to turn back. The same goes for Wireless Internet. Once you have it, you won’t want to go back to dial-up or T1 access.