I’ve been thinking at opening a truckstop in my hometown for a while now and as I don’t do that many night outs (4 in 2 years), I’m wondering what you’d want as a essential.
Obviously 24h toilets/showers but what else would make you travel the 5 miles from the m6? Would no bar put you off from visiting? Do no hot meals mean you won’t entertain the night stop or would the site have to use Snap or one of the other parking accounts?
Thanks
Rich
Hot food/drinks
I hardly ever eat at truckstops. For me security is the main issue, then it needs to be reasonably clean, not a swamp like Lincoln Farm.
Good showers are a bonus and fridges expelled into a far corner away from the rest.
Decent parking surface, nice wide bays so your not banging your door on your neighbours mirror (also helps me back in coz I’m crap).
CCTV with plenty of anti theft measures to put off our lite fingered friends.
The ability to pre-book a spot if your running late, obviously if the driver doesn’t turn up he will still be charged.
Accessible outside taps for water.
Well lit but not so well lit that you get caught sneaking down the side of the truck for a ■■■■.
Shop with basic essentials reasonably priced, ■■■■ etc.
Vape juices could also be a nice side line.
Free cash point.
Strippers
Worth pricing in a food voucher as its fair for those who eat and the tight buggers like me who cook in the cab still pay (or the company does).
Said food voucher could have a 1 month life span for the tight buggers like me to pop in for brekky at a later date.
I don’t expect the facilities of formula truckstop which is the epitome of all fur coat and no knickers due to its crap parking.
Just somewhere secure and friendly.
Oh and sell beer.
As a bench mark Skelmersdale is one of my favourites but could do with a shop.
Chippenham is by far the best in the UK.
Oh and if there’s room a fuel pump could add to the profits.
All the above seem good to me. The less you offer the less custom youll attract, and the less people will be willing to pay. Even getting charges repaid, forking out for bad facilities will stick in many drivers craws: We dont want to feel like were being taken for mugs. More investment in security will attract companies; good food, showers and beer n ■■■■■■■ will attract their drivers. Im no businessman but imagine itd take a big investment to get off to a flying start. Beginning with a mud patch and hoping to invest profits wont go too well. A visit that doesn`t impress will soon get drivers warning each other off. a good experience will get talked about too.
Good luck if you go for it, we need good parking facilities for sure.
Yep return trade is the magic word, you want drivers heading for you as first choice, calling ahead to reserve a guaranteed spot takes all the pressure off.
Getting on the Snap system will allow this. Or just take card payments in advance.
Space reserved till say 10pm will allow double selling if the driver can’t make it.
A truckstop without Hot Food? Not sure about that.
Ok I don’t use UK truckstops, but when I have and what I like from other places in Europe are.
Clean toilets and shower facilities.
Decent parking with a proper surface and secure.
Decent food (not so much in terms of portions size, but quality food, properly cooked)and served in a place that doesn’t feel like a canteen but more like a restaurant.
A shop would be good.
I do have some concerns about your plans:
5 miles off the M6, what are the roads like to and from the M6?
Will a 10 mile detour be a problem for those who are tracked to the metre?
Will you get objections from those living along the route?
Are you prepared for the costs of maintaining the facilities, when they get damaged by the minority who don’t seem to respect anybody else’s property?
How much will the overnight parking charge be?
And free wifi just in case the stripper blobs. 
muckles:
I do have some concerns about your plans:5 miles off the M6,
Crewe is about that and it gets busy. Nothing special there (at Crewe)… just security, a fence, bogs, showers… never eaten there… but there is food.
Location will be critical.
Jingle Jon:
And free wifi just in case the stripper blobs.
Not sure if it happens these days, but I remember stopping at various truckstops in the Uk that had various entertainment, including strippers, but also live music.
I found it quite a nice way to relax after a days work, sat in a bar with a pint, watching the entertainment, maybe chatting to some of the other drivers, better than sitting on your own in the cab, but this seems to be the normal night out these days.
My company who demand secure parking especially as we have Snap and accounts virtually everywhere don’t mind me going off route a bit.
My rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes but will go to 30 if caught short.
Had to park unsecurely the other week and it caused a kaffufle in the office. Warned em 3 times it was going to happen.
Jingle Jon:
muckles:
I do have some concerns about your plans:5 miles off the M6,
Crewe is about that and it gets busy. Nothing special there (at Crewe)… just security, a fence, bogs, showers… never eaten there… but there is food.
Location will be critical.
Fair point on both count about Crewe and about location.
Pipe dream fella, unless you have access to a very large amount of dough.
Build it and they will come.
Have a stripper night (usually Thursday) and they will come again.
Dipper_Dave:
Build it and they will come.
Have a stripper night (usually Thursday) and they will come again.
Yip, I reckon you could put one at the side of any of the main drags and people will come… just get the offer right… job jobbed.
By the way… my ■■■■■■■ are bigger than the wife’s… if it’s cash in hand… I’ll be the stripper. 
Dipper_Dave:
Build it and they will come.
Have a stripper night (usually Thursday) and they will come again.
Strippers will get em in for a look. Good clean showers and good food will keep em returning. Easy.
All you need is a big area of paved land, buildings, planning permission, no nimby neighbours, and enough cash to pay your chefs, waitresses, bar staff, cleaners, parking/security bods atc. Like I said, easy.
But if you`re up for it, good luck to you, mate.
Yep, quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.
Best of luck.
If you want a business loan to set up your venture, forget the banks, try these peer to peer lending schemes such as Funding Circle .