The recent closure of the long established and popular Jack’s Hill cafe was a blow to those of us raised on “proper” transport cafés. But as I sit here tonight I wonder if we are sometimes out own worst enemies?
I’m currently parked up at the Salt Box at Hatton, Derbyshire; loads of room in the lorry park, and when I went in at six o’clock there was only me and two other drivers in there. Cafe is open 7 till 7, food is cheap, hot, and tasty, lots of choice and the place is immaculately clean. Parking is fifteen quid, and if you pay that in the cafe you get £2.50 off your grub. The parking area is well lit and it’s in a nice village. So why is this place almost deserted, yet every stinking lay-by on the main drag is rammed full… and not with EE lorries either?
Admittedly the Salt Box does require a couple of miles detour to get to it if you’re going up the A38 or the A50 but are drivers really that pushed for time that they can’t make the effort; or are operators so parsimonious that they’d rather risk a lorry curtain being cut or diesel nicked than spend fifteen quid parking in a safe place?
The bottom line is this; if we don’t start using the good cafés they’ll all go the way of Jack’s Hill.
Maybe the trucks parked in the ‘stinking lay bys’ are unaware of it.
The old road used to run alongside it so everybody knew where it was and it got a lot of passing trade.
I used to park there years ago, but sometimes I mealed in the pub opposite, they did particularly good steaks I remember,
I then used my voucher on the way back from Burton on Trent for breakfast.the next day.
Times I’m afraid , how many of the younger generation have a Sunday roast , they’d rather have some foreign muck or a kfc / burger , sad but it’s the way it’s all going ,it will get knocked down and a load of rabbit hutches will get built on it
Sidevalve:
The recent closure of the long established and popular Jack’s Hill cafe was a blow to those of us raised on “proper” transport cafés. But as I sit here tonight I wonder if we are sometimes out own worst enemies?
I’m currently parked up at the Salt Box at Hatton, Derbyshire; loads of room in the lorry park, and when I went in at six o’clock there was only me and two other drivers in there. Cafe is open 7 till 7, food is cheap, hot, and tasty, lots of choice and the place is immaculately clean. Parking is fifteen quid, and if you pay that in the cafe you get £2.50 off your grub. The parking area is well lit and it’s in a nice village. So why is this place almost deserted, yet every stinking lay-by on the main drag is rammed full… and not with EE lorries either?
Admittedly the Salt Box does require a couple of miles detour to get to it if you’re going up the A38 or the A50 but are drivers really that pushed for time that they can’t make the effort; or are operators so parsimonious that they’d rather risk a lorry curtain being cut or diesel nicked than spend fifteen quid parking in a safe place?
The bottom line is this; if we don’t start using the good cafés they’ll all go the way of Jack’s Hill.
Discuss.
Don’t ever remember being raised on paying 15 quid to park at a transport cafe.Also bearing in mind that tachos long ago removed the freedom to stop for a break get parked and wait for and eat a fry up without the guvnor knowing about it.
Sidevalve:
The recent closure of the long established and popular Jack’s Hill cafe was a blow to those of us raised on “proper” transport cafés. But as I sit here tonight I wonder if we are sometimes out own worst enemies?
I’m currently parked up at the Salt Box at Hatton, Derbyshire; loads of room in the lorry park, and when I went in at six o’clock there was only me and two other drivers in there. Cafe is open 7 till 7, food is cheap, hot, and tasty, lots of choice and the place is immaculately clean. Parking is fifteen quid, and if you pay that in the cafe you get £2.50 off your grub. The parking area is well lit and it’s in a nice village. So why is this place almost deserted, yet every stinking lay-by on the main drag is rammed full… and not with EE lorries either?
Admittedly the Salt Box does require a couple of miles detour to get to it if you’re going up the A38 or the A50 but are drivers really that pushed for time that they can’t make the effort; or are operators so parsimonious that they’d rather risk a lorry curtain being cut or diesel nicked than spend fifteen quid parking in a safe place?
The bottom line is this; if we don’t start using the good cafés they’ll all go the way of Jack’s Hill.
Discuss.
When did you last see a advert for the salt box though,plus how many younger drivers have heard of it ,it changed hands some years ago and was never really the same after .
Stayed in the Salt Box last year. It was a good meal. As has been said before, the youngsters will not know most of the old transport cafes that are now off route.
Further, a lot of companies wont pay for there drivers to park for the night hence why laybyes are rammed.
msgyorkie:
Stayed in the Salt Box last year. It was a good meal. As has been said before, the youngsters will not know most of the old transport cafes that are now off route.
Further, a lot of companies wont pay for there drivers to park for the night hence why laybyes are rammed.
Couldnt agree more about the youngsters not knowing about where the old cafes (whats left of them) are but they would probably get a rolliking for going off route to go to one. As for companies not paying for parking …
robroy:
Maybe the trucks parked in the ‘stinking lay bys’ are unaware of it.
The old road used to run alongside it so everybody knew where it was and it got a lot of passing trade.
I used to park there years ago, but sometimes I mealed in the pub opposite, they did particularly good steaks I remember,
I then used my voucher on the way back from Burton on Trent for breakfast.the next day.
There’s always Google! And IIRC there’s always an ad in the free truckstop paper.
I wonder if it’s because some just can’t be bothered. For myself, I like to get out of my cab after a day’s driving if its only for a walk to the loo. Not too bothered I chat with other drivers or not, as in all walks of life some are a pleasure and some a pain. But a break from the usual place behind the wheel is good for the soul.
If they haven’t got a postcode for it they’ll never find it and unless they happen to pass a cafe and happen to glance out of the little window and spot it they’ll remain blissfully unaware of its existence. Welcome to our brave new world.
Sidevalve:
I’m currently parked up at the Salt Box at Hatton, Derbyshire; loads of room in the lorry park, and when I went in at six o’clock there was only me and two other drivers in there. Cafe is open 7 till 7, food is cheap, hot, and tasty, lots of choice and the place is immaculately clean. Parking is fifteen quid, and if you pay that in the cafe you get £2.50 off your grub. The parking area is well lit and it’s in a nice village. So why is this place almost deserted, yet every stinking lay-by on the main drag is rammed full… and not with EE lorries either?
Possibly it’s to do with the changing age demographics of drivers, specifically that as a person ages they are less inclined to eat a large meal in the evening? I know I can’t any more.
msgyorkie:
Stayed in the Salt Box last year. It was a good meal. As has been said before, the youngsters will not know most of the old transport cafes that are now off route.
Further, a lot of companies wont pay for there drivers to park for the night hence why laybyes are rammed.
Couldnt agree more about the youngsters not knowing about where the old cafes (whats left of them) are but they would probably get a rolliking for going off route to go to one. As for companies not paying for parking …
It’s never bothered me going off route for a decent place to park.
If the unlikely event of a bollocking ever came up I’d be saying you have all proper facilities at night at home, so I’m going to have the same.
As Maoster says, if they ain’t got a postcode they wont be able to use their sat navs to find somewhere …the days of drivers using and relying on initiative and nous are long gone .
msgyorkie:
Stayed in the Salt Box last year. It was a good meal. As has been said before, the youngsters will not know most of the old transport cafes that are now off route.
Further, a lot of companies wont pay for there drivers to park for the night hence why laybyes are rammed.
Get the app Truckfly will tell you most sites all over Europe am sure there will probably be a dedicated UK too.
Lot of firms now tell you where you will be overnight. Not the case anymore where you just park up some place you like and go to the local pub to chat with Mike who you like to play Darts with at least once a week.
All to do with insurance and other such crap.
I dont do tramping but when I worked for Argos. I was only allowed to take my break at a MSA or at an Argos store. We would get in trouble for taking a break at a layby or anywhere thats not an offical rest area as stupid as that sounds.
Trouble is with some unless they have a post code for the sat -nav or if some still use the traditional road map with a blue line to follow to get from A-B they are scared to venture away from them.
Years ago I was partnered with a young guy on a job,I did the driving he did navigating, he was following the blue lines I followed by my knowledge we cut 12 mile of the trip and had a good dinner at a cafe I knew,which he did`nt know existed,irrespective that he had done the run before.
All the places i found for food I asked the goods in staff where they went. but as it was daytime i didnt have to park up for at least 9 hours. The few weeks i worked for a company that wanted me to do over night always put me up in a hotel only once did they manage to book a hotel that i couldnt get the small 7.5 tonner in. then they paid for me to park in a hgv/coach park and a cab both ways to the hotel.
Not just younger drivers that require a postcode.
Just last week we were doing some work in Milton Keynes and we used the football ground to transhipment cabins. One of our older drivers was going ■■■■■■■ as I didn’t have a postcode for the stadium. I told him the road name but that wasn’t good enough he was going mental that his sat nav couldn’t find it.
He got a few sharp words in his ear from me about his abilities as a Lorry driver!
New “fully equipped” cabs. Fridge, microwave and table so why bother with a cafe when a £3 ( more luxurious versions available) microwave meal will do?
Probably operators not offering night-out money, in my early days as a driver I never had this offered, I only discovered it years after I stopped doing that kind of work.
…the days of drivers using and relying on initiative and nous are long gone .