Has anyone here had dealings with the m20 when operation stack is on? I’m supposed to be getting the tunnel over to France, left base in Cornwall yesterday at 9:30pm, and got stuck in it at 5am today. Sat nav tells me I’m 11 miles from the tunnel junction, I don’t even know if that’s good or bad (assuming bad).
So I’ll have til midday to do 2 drops over there after a 40 minute drive, so hopefully this queue will move at some point, don’t really want to take a daily break stuck in traffic! Plus the night heater in this cab seems dodgy and has only come on once since sitting here an hour and half…
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
How do you go on if you need the bog or food and refreshments when stuck in this?
They put portaloos along the side of the motorway at intervals. It’s well publicised that it is operation long before you get there so you have warning to get food. When it’s really bad it has been known for sandwiches and things to be brought out.
Most drivers stuck in it will be used to being out for at least a few days at a time so will have supplies on board.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
How do you go on if you need the bog or food and refreshments when stuck in this?
Uh-oh. I can feel another unplanned night out thread coming on.
Not going to be too unplanned, he was going to have to have a night out at some point before getting back to Cornwall so the only unplanned big is likely to be the location.***
***Probaly still lead to an unplanned night out thread though.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
How do you go on if you need the bog or food and refreshments when stuck in this?
Well I have a stale scotch egg and 2 cans of monster, a crumpled bog roll at the bottom of my day bag, just hope you get parked near a good hedge.
I was only supposed to be dropping the trailer at fleet for someone else to take onwards but they’re delayed the other side and I always take my passport and basic night out gear whenever I get in a lorry, even if it’s just a short trip up the road, never know when a half a days run will turn into 2 nights out with the firm I work for.
Being 11 miles from the tunnel terminal isn’t as bad as it sounds, the queue doesn’t stretch for the full 11 miles, they hold the trucks back then real ease so many at a time to head into the tunnel.
You’ve still probably got a long wait on your hands and you might not get over before your time is up.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
How do you go on if you need the bog or food and refreshments when stuck in this?
They put portaloos along the side of the motorway at intervals. It’s well publicised that it is operation long before you get there so you have warning to get food. When it’s really bad it has been known for sandwiches and things to be brought out.
Most drivers stuck in it will be used to being out for at least a few days at a time so will have supplies on board.
I thought they may have portaloos but never been down that way when it’s been in operation, also my point about what you do for food and refreshments was more in relation to those drivers that work for companys that don’t allow gas stoves in the truck so you will be having to snack on stuff like the OP says such as scotch eggs, pastas, sarnies etc.
Its the build up of Freight after the Tunnel Fire…Stops the massive lines of traffic waiting in Dover, on the M20 at Tunnel entrance (11a) and hopefully keeps a semblance of order.
The usual problem is… that the level of communication between the Port / Shipping lines is poor so that the trucks cannot get down to the port fast enough for the boats once released…so they end up going with lots of space.
The idea is to build lorry parks… to take the traffic when this problem arises…But no one can agree exactly where so easy place is M20 right now.
Its pretty much unavoidable…and if you use any of the well known roads to avoid the stack… you will not get a Ticket from the Stack Contollers…so when you arrive in Dover tour most likely going to be sent to the back of stack anyway.
Get supplies before you join stack if possible.
7 and half hours and going nowhere. Looks like I’ll get a daily rest before even making it to the tunnel. Ferry side queue was moving freely but started backing up a bit again, tunnel side is pretty much standstill.
Neville 1:
Stops the massive lines of traffic waiting in Dover,
Its supposed too, but geuess what … It dont, and they block the round abouts so I cant get off… ■■■■■■■■■ I hope I dont get stuck out there in this, I dont have a sleeping bag…
can you imaging how happy the flipflops are in Calais with the backlog on that side■■?.dosent bear thinking about whats coming over in the trailers the next few days…
Well at 10.00 this morning…they were booking for the 17.15 Ex Calais… with at least traffic back to the A16
Good point dieseldog999… They cannot cope in normal conditions so its Christmas with all those waiting lorries.
you can only imagine…instead of 10 or 20 seconds as the trucks shuffle up the queue,then they must be having 5 or 10 hours to wriggle their way into the trailers and be better hidden…if only transmarck would start selling zyclon b it would make life so much easier…there will be so much of a backlog,the sheds will just wave everyone through unless your specifically wanting a check just to try and clear the place.and then that’s just the time itl be your turn for a dig,and happy days with the big interrogation,followed by a bigger fine,with the icing on your cake being able to watch your hideaway flipflops being shown how to go out of the gate to try again for the next victim.plus by this time your load will be condemmed as they’ve been living,sleeping and toilet duties all over your nice tomatoes…does anyone else look at the fruit on supermarket shelfs and think,i wonder how many Taliban wooshhed over these■■?..or is it only me again…
Coffeeholic:
They put portaloos along the side of the motorway at intervals.
Hmmm. Toilets exclusively used by lorry drivers. I bet they’re pleasant.
Well into hour 10 now and just stepped out to water my wheels and looks like some poor bloke had a dodgy kebab last night and left a puddle of the brown stuff by the crash barrier along with wipes, nearly stepped in it all, seems not everyone can make it to the portaloos…
Have to say this is a definitely an experience, and looks like it’ll extend into late night early morning unless eurotunnel pull their finger out.
