I had occasion to take a 45 at Hopwood Park today (as I have done dozens of time before). In most service areas and truck stops, drivers normally reverse into the parking bays (unless it’s a drive-in, drive-out arrangement), but not at Hopwood Park. It seems to be normal practice to simply drive straight in to the parking bay, then reverse out afterwards. Why? The parking bays don’t seem to be different in size, shape or accessibility?
You just access the situation at the time, doesn’t matter what normally happens, one day you might think to yourself it would be more feasible to back in and drive out for whatever reason. What ever makes your life easier.
If ya short on time as in 4:28 when ya arrive at the services, it’s better to drive in the bay than to mess about reversing in and end up on 4:31 and an infringement.
We live in a real world, and ■■■■ happens.
Hopwood Park would be better if the lorry park was one way only counter clockwise, then those reverse in spaces would be on the easy side.
Juddian:
Hopwood Park would be better if the lorry park was one way only counter clockwise, then those reverse in spaces would be on the easy side.
toooo easy that juddian 
think of the poor trucker who’d think like that! 
Roymondo:
I had occasion to take a 45 at Hopwood Park today (as I have done dozens of time before). In most service areas and truck stops, drivers normally reverse into the parking bays (unless it’s a drive-in, drive-out arrangement), but not at Hopwood Park. It seems to be normal practice to simply drive straight in to the parking bay, then reverse out afterwards. Why? The parking bays don’t seem to be different in size, shape or accessibility?
I,ve seen that as well, I took a closer look, and when you go into the area and look directly forward its easier to drive straight in, then reverse out.Several trucks had reversed in and their lights and rear bar have hit the grass bank behind them. Different heights from the ground with lower type of trailers have problems.Just driving in forward stops any contact with the grass bank.
It gets a bit noisey on a night due to changeovers, so parking nose in makes for a less disturbed nights sleep.