Small point and maybe not valid if the fuel stations are francised out, but it would be nice not to have to queue twicw just to get fuel. When you go in and 4 of the 5 cash desks are unmanned, there is a queue of people buying thier bags of sweets, cans of pop and in extreme cases, wanting to payfor thier £40 of fuel. I’m going to spend 5 or 6 hundred quid on diesel, but I,ve got to queue up to hand my card in before they let me take any.
truckerjon:
Small point and maybe not valid if the fuel stations are francised out, but it would be nice not to have to queue twicw just to get fuel. When you go in and 4 of the 5 cash desks are unmanned, there is a queue of people buying thier bags of sweets, cans of pop and in extreme cases, wanting to payfor thier £40 of fuel. I’m going to spend 5 or 6 hundred quid on diesel, but I,ve got to queue up to hand my card in before they let me take any.
I never queue up, just push through and hand in my card, if they don’t want to serve me I will go to somewhere that does.
Another good question for the boss of any service area.
Would you eat this crap? 
I have some questions, the first of which I would genuinely like to see the answer to.
I won’t just bash them and say “Clean your toilets” etc as I think it could be a good chance to see what they think they are doing right and wrong.
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Would RoadChef be willing to set up a drivers consultation committee, with real drivers and people from the transport industry, regularly giving them feedback on their facilities and any concerns and constructive suggestions, and allowing RoadChef to give us updates on what they are doing as a company for what must be some of their most loyal customers, even if not always entirely by choice?
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I assume that RoadChef, as a company, is aware that the HGV drivers are a captive market and have no choice but to use their facilities if their hours are up, do they therefore feel that they are offering value for money when presenting drivers with what is essentially their home for the night. Are their facilities comparable, in RoadChef’s opinion, with what they would be happy to call ‘home’, especially with regards to the toilet and showering facilities?
Alex
Rob K:
Don’t bother wasting your time folks. Nothing will change except parking prices will go up.
I agree, they’ve been asking us what we want to see from an MSA for 25 years that I know of and they’ve never taken any notice of what we say.
According to this:
they are going to spend an average of £1.2 million per site over 10 sites initially, so certainly should be able to afford to do something for us in that budget.
I like the way they say the deal with McDonalds will create 400 jobs, then explain that this will be replacing the existing franchaise with Wimpy.
Surely 400 people at Wimpy will lose their jobs because of this?
Stanley Mitchell:
The “■■■■ up the tyre” brigade [on the services] dont really care about anyone or anything, a bit like those who leave a drive in MaccyDs looking like a landfill site, because they cant be bothered to get out of their car, and put their mess in the MANY bins that are provided very near to where they are parked
WRONG!!
The ■■■■ up tyre brigade may just not have the duty time left to stop, park truck, lock truck, walk 20 mins to the building, fight through to the toilets, ■■■■, and return… a 45 min break for a ■■■■ is ok unless you’re runnin’ close to your 13 / 15 on duty time by time you get back and just need a ■■■■.
I will ■■■■ up my wheel in layby’s or services if I’m bursting and not due a break - whether it be because of a booking time or limited duty time or just because I want to get home. I don’t litter though, so they’re clearly not the same, I just value my limited life time more than that hike.
waynedl:
Stanley Mitchell:
The “■■■■ up the tyre” brigade [on the services] dont really care about anyone or anything, a bit like those who leave a drive in MaccyDs looking like a landfill site, because they cant be bothered to get out of their car, and put their mess in the MANY bins that are provided very near to where they are parkedWRONG!!
The ■■■■ up tyre brigade may just not have the duty time left to stop, park truck, lock truck, walk 20 mins to the building, fight through to the toilets, ■■■■, and return… a 45 min break for a ■■■■ is ok unless you’re runnin’ close to your 13 / 15 on duty time by time you get back and just need a ■■■■.
I will ■■■■ up my wheel in layby’s or services if I’m bursting and not due a break - whether it be because of a booking time or limited duty time or just because I want to get home. I don’t litter though, so they’re clearly not the same, I just value my limited life time more than that hike.
All the sites where you have to walk “20 mins” ( ) to the main building have toilets in the petrol station, so I’m afraid your excuses are BS. It’s people like you that give us normal human beings a bad name. But you don’t litter though, so that makes it alright.
waynedl:
Stanley Mitchell:
The “■■■■ up the tyre” brigade [on the services] dont really care about anyone or anything, a bit like those who leave a drive in MaccyDs looking like a landfill site, because they cant be bothered to get out of their car, and put their mess in the MANY bins that are provided very near to where they are parkedWRONG!!
The ■■■■ up tyre brigade may just not have the duty time left to stop, park truck, lock truck, walk 20 mins to the building, fight through to the toilets, ■■■■, and return… a 45 min break for a ■■■■ is ok unless you’re runnin’ close to your 13 / 15 on duty time by time you get back and just need a ■■■■.
I will ■■■■ up my wheel in layby’s or services if I’m bursting and not due a break - whether it be because of a booking time or limited duty time or just because I want to get home. I don’t litter though, so they’re clearly not the same, I just value my limited life time more than that hike.
Im not saying Im an angel regarding having a crafty ■■■■■, but, its got to be a pretty desparate situation 
And, where is this 20 min walk, which service area is that big ■■?, Ive been around most UK MSAs, and 20 mins is a long walk which I cant pin point 
I do agree, and have often thought, that a toilet block on an HGV parking area would`nt go a miss, even if nothing else gets done
Is it folkstone services on the M20 that has a toilet block in the truck park? every time i stop for my break there, the toilet is closed/blocked/full of s*it, and it is all down to the “people” who use it.
Personally i can’t see any MSA paying to build a toilet block that will get trashed every day, and can’t say i blame them.
If your really the desperate and have a bladder like a five year old girl then you could always pull onto the forecourt and use the toilet there. Not rocket science is it?
I fully understand if your in the middle of nowhere then pull into a lay-by and at least try and walk away from the parking area and ■■■■ in a field or at least on the grass. But as for ■■■■■■■ in car parks in msas there is no excuse other than the fact your a fat lazy knuckle dragger and belong in the zoo with all the other animals rather than mixing with the rest of civilised society.
Even motorway lay-bys in France have toilet blocks in them and don’t seem to suffer such problems, presumably because they are serviced several times a day.
i would ask him to have some dinner from the " hot plate " and then go for a shower. and see what he thinks.
jessicas dad:
i would ask him to have some dinner from the " hot plate " and then go for a shower. and see what he thinks.
Short, simple & excellent! … and don’t forget to relieve him of £20+ for the dubious pleasure of parking over 2 hours.
Oh, I forgot one thing.
Information what fuel company runs the garage BEFORE you enter the service area, as in all civilised countries is.
And fuel noozles which can be locked, that you do not have to press them all the time.
And windscreen washing facilities - how much the bucket and a sponge on the stick cost?
orys:
Oh, I forgot one thing.And fuel noozles which can be locked, that you do not have to press them all the time.
I’ve never found a fuel nozzle which couldn’t be locked open… A tin of Mr Sheen does the trick quite nicely.
Harry Monk:
orys:
Oh, I forgot one thing.And fuel noozles which can be locked, that you do not have to press them all the time.
I’ve never found a fuel nozzle which couldn’t be locked open… A tin of Mr Sheen does the trick quite nicely.
Actualy I meant one which can be locked without using Mr Sheen, stone of certain size, paper clipper, key hanger or wooden brick 
Thank you everyone. There are some great questions here.
Just out of interest, it was actually me who suggested this interview, not Roadchef. And unfortunately I won’t be getting a free lunch as it’s going to be conducted over the phone.
I agree, 99% of the stuff you suggest will never happen - but it will still be interesting to hear his answers.
I will be challenging him to spend a night at the services, including dinner, a shower and sleeping in a truck. I’ll let you know his response.
Cheers, Will
If you see anyone ■■■■■■■ up there wheel BAN the whole company from using the services 
Will Shiers:
I will be challenging him to spend a night at the services, including dinner, a shower and sleeping in a truck. I’ll let you know his response.
Cheers, Will
Will, to complete the experience may be you could ‘arrange’ for 2 reefers to pull up either side of his truck at about 11pm and park there all night with the fridges kicking in every 10 mins all night.
and also ‘arrange’ for a t-cab driver with side pipes to check his rev counter works at 5am in the morning 