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This post should ring a familiar bell with most, if not all of Great Britains Truck drivers. Where to park overnight and be safe in the knowledge that yourself and your load still be there untouched the next morning. The facilities in our great nation are far inferior to those of our European cousins, in fact I would describe our facilities, or more the lack of them, downright disgraceful for a country which is supposedly the third largest economy in the world.

For an ever increasing number of HGV’s on our roads due to the expansion of the European Union, we do not have anywhere near the amount of facilities to cater for 5% of the Trucks which ALL need somewhere to park up overnight, preferably somewhere the driver can find the most basic of lifes requirements like a toilet, washing facilities and a hot meal. When we do find somewhere that we can actually find a free space, we are charged an extortinate rate just to park there, and with little if anything in the way of food vouchers or a free shower as in bygone days. Personally never in a million years would I pay the obscene amounts found at the motorway services. For anyone in the long distance game, the costs would amount to a third or more of your weekly wage to actually go to work if you found yourself using these places every night.

So what are the real alternatives? As most of our traditional Transport cafes and few Truckstops are either too small or closed down, The usual options are Layby’s or maybe a quiet Industrial estate somewhere en route. Not a good option in my opinion as this country has overtaken any other european country in what I will call "Highway Robbery". The above picture was taken a couple of years ago,the morning after I had parked up on a busy 24hour industrial estate near Penistone. The whole area had CCTV and many of the businesses were operating 24hours. I woke up with a banging headache due to being gassed through the air vents of the cab with what was probably a can of Bradex Easy Start(Ether). The theives had managed to handball 5 full pallets of Dishwasher Tablets out of the trailer without me even waking up. What good did the CCTV camera’s do? No good at all.

This type of occurence has become so commonplace that the Police don’t even bother to attend, and instead just give you a crime number for the benefit of your employers insurance. A couple of years back we must all remember the poor driver who had to park near a DIY store in Grimsby. A gang of youths had built a heap of pallets around his cab and set fire to them. Unfortunately the driver could not get out of his cab and perished in the burning truck.

I have spent a good few years driving in continental Europe and never had any problems with finding good places to park with most excellent facilities, and usually FREE parking. Some of the Autohof’s in Germany will have a charge, but in return give you the same value of stamps back, which you can spend in the restaurant,garage,bar or shop. So really they haven’t charged you, instead just making sure that you use the facilities they have provided and get the custom from people taking up a parking space. Most of the motorway service areas in europe have a huge parking area for HGV’s and some I have seen have over 700 spaces.

For sure the robberies and gassing still happen abroad, but not on the same scale as the UK any more. The benefit in their countries is that you do have enough facilities to find a safe parking area which is either free or very good value for money.

DRIVE SAFELY FELLOW TRUCKERS