Not for me but for all those cheapskate day-drivers who’d rather sleep in a roadside lay-by and therefore depriving me, a night-trunker, of somewhere to take a 45.
read and digest Andrew Leitch
Why should i pay for parking when my empolyer refuses
to pay for parking, IF the UK was so intrested in ensureing
that commercial drivers were able to take the time to rest
as requred by various rules ,regulations and laws, THEN
they would BUILD more free parking, even abroad with the
large amount of free parking, all eu countrys are starting
to build even more parking areas which are FREE for trucks
it is only the UK which does not even contemplate this idea
why, because it would save lives that are ended due to driver
fatigue ,Free parking on the services up to 24hrs, after this
period a fee should be imposed,
I know the above answer is slightly off topic,but I whole heartedly agree.
If I was doing nights out,and the company refused to pay for parking,for their vehicle and load,which would be worth £■■?,then I wouldn’t be working for them,as I wouldn’t be sleeping without proper facilities for myself.
I would then be asking the gaffer if he would be prepared to sleep without somewhere proper to eat,sleep,drink and wash,and I know what the answer would be.
Thinking about it to make it a good truckstop it should have a charge for parking, and a decent amount at that, say £20. As parking fees are not a driver issue ,or something a driver even pays out of his pocket anyway, by charging for parking it should ensure it doesn’t get full by about 16:00 and leave opportunity for the later arrivals to find a space.
Clean showers/toilets.
Good food at a reasonable price.
Good tv/dvd room.
The obligatory shop.
Outside tables would be nice for summer use.
Seperate fridge area and change over area.
i agree with all these good suggestions. My perfect truckstop would be next to the motorway network but within easy walking distance to local village pub 1 mile each way.
if you want to be charged 20 why not pay extra and go in travel lodge in a proper bed away from the truck to have real rest,your boss does not sleep under his desk does he
£20 parking
Includes:
Free truck wash
Free meal with carafe of wine or * (Restaurant open 05.00-22.00)
Waiter/waitress service. Decent decor, not those f-in’ plastic coated tables with bolt on f-in’ plastic chairs!!!
Free Gym,- (or shag including condom if that’s your preferred exercise )
Free shower
Free ■■■■ bucket emptying station strategically placed around parking area
Free first two pints of beer or bottomless tea or coffee (for you know who )
No changeovers or movements after 23.00 and before 05.00 (Not my fault you sh’… ould be taking pills for your insomnia )
fuse:
if you want to be charged 20 why not pay extra and go in travel lodge in a proper bed away from the truck to have real rest
In my experience a truck cab is a far more comfortable, restful place than a Travel Lodge and if given the choice I would choose the truck every time. In years gone by I can think of two or three occasions when on exhibition work I was offered the option of a room in a hotel and on every occasion I turned it down.
What I would like is the government to take note of ALL the other european states who have and are building more places to park your truck at night.
As for showers, food, safety, and all the other stuff mentioned, that should be par for the course…Shouldn’t it■■?
I’m glad there are other people who think the gym is a good idea …
Laybys are NOT a place to spend the night, they are there just for a temporary rest, not for you to get your head down for 9 or 11 hours. ( I’m just playing devils advocate here guys) We should have and desparately need more parking areas. We thought we had the begining of things when BP built Truckstops, but they seem to of gone down the pan for one reason or another…
If we want to improve our lot we need to show that we are not all thuggish louts who Pish all over laybys, and some of us do wash, and we don’t all throw excrement into the trees in Tesco bags (something you don’t see abroad funilly enough)
It is an uphill struggle but it is getting there, we need to improve the image even more, that way I do believe we will get better facilities for us, we could do with more women in the proffesion that way we will lose the stereotypical tag that we all have at the moment.
Next week I will try hard to be nice to a Darling rep who cuts me up in the roadworks by giving him a cheery wave and not the 2 fingered salute!!!
Have I gone of thread???probably but I do believe it is all intertwined somehow.
Some comments on this little lot would be good…
Smc
Deepinvet:
and we don’t all throw excrement into the trees in Tesco bags (something you don’t see abroad funilly enough)
do they have tescos abroad do they?
sorry… but seriously, how hard would it be for someone to buy an old part of an industrial estate, within easy reach of the mototway network, and have security fencing with regular patrols and a shower block and toilets like a camp site. there doesnt even have to be a shop, maybe just the security guard with a van load of stuff, and like someone said a restriction on movements say after midnight. maybe a 240 socket so you an plug in an extension lead (hired from the security for a quid plus fiver deposit) for your tele instead of draining the batteries on the wagon.
Now the French and Total in a joint venture are spending a fortune building yet more free parking in Coquelles. Even the plentiful laybys are provided with maintenance free toilets, some even have hot water. They are generally stainless steel and steam cleaned every morning, but then every one complains about having to pay road tolls in Europe.
At least my french boss also pays road tolls for his lorry and lets me have a wee for nothing
Adequate space to manouver into a space when others park badly.
Seperate area for refridgerated wagons, preferably simply seperated by a little traffic island with some trees to cut the noise that floats about - but this is blind idealism.
Then it’s just clean well maintained toilets with somewhere to wash hands in water that isn’t cold - somewhere to shower for those who need those facilities.
Good CCTV coverage and security patrols would be good.
Low-intensity lighting with a neutral colour to stop cab curtain glow making it impossible to sleep if you can only get parked under a lamp post would be good.
brit pete,
you might know this place i stopped at thursday. on a44 east of dortmund by steinhausen. took my dad with me and he was amazed at the place, free parking cheap food (currywurst mit pommes) which you could see being cooked, showers for euro 2.50, we had a couple of beers and had a enjoyable night talking to the friendly staff,dad was made up. fast forward 24 hours and at a uk services where the member of staff complained about him being on his own and couldnt leave the counter when dad asked for cheese on toast! followed by breakfast this morning listening to an older female member of staff fing and blinding about her mortgage rate!, toilets and sinks were in pooh state! all for £20 of the bosses money! on another point on the a44 there are two huge layby areas and said truckstop within a distance of 10 km’s on the west bound side why oh why cant it happen over here too?.
)
