The thing that annoys me is if you are driving at night you cannot get into any lay by for a break,they are full of overnighters.
Even the lay bys with no grass or kerb between them and the road are full. This is illegal if the parked vehicles do not have their lights on,which they don’t.
Made even worse when their trailer sticks out into thr road a couple of inches.
If someone did run into them I think they would be in trouble.
one thing to ad is that although the firms i did work for paid parking if you handed to many tickets in theyd give you a right earful.example 1 city transport would only pay if it were classed as a secure load ie soft drinks or alcohol,another firm i worked for would only pay the value of the ticket that was for parking now not many msa,s do the parking only ticket now and one guy i worked for would give me 100pound float. one week i spent 60quid on parking and he said dont ever do that again.when i were tramping i had a fridge full of food so as long as mr thief left me alone in my cab i couldnt careless what went from the trailer if boss,s arnt concerned where you park why should you be concerned about there load
disgo:
The thing that annoys me is if you are driving at night you cannot get into any lay by for a break,they are full of overnighters.
Even the lay bys with no grass or kerb between them and the road are full. This is illegal if the parked vehicles do not have their lights on,which they don’t.
Made even worse when their trailer sticks out into thr road a couple of inches.
If someone did run into them I think they would be in trouble.
According to the Derby Evening Telegraph Derbyshire Police are having a crack down on Trucks parked in layby’s overnight without lights, so beware!
now not many msa,s do the parking only ticket now
Actually, they all do. You just have to specify “parking only” when you pay. I self-cater, therefore rarely get the voucher (the exception to that being when I’m on an 8-hr break after working a split.).
Quinny:
I take on board all what you say,and I know Lucy has mentioned of her experiences in the past,but what I’m trying to get at,is that if you park in a lay by,especially the majority of the ones that are in this country,then surely,with all the traffic passing you within inches,you cannot possibly get a decent nights rest.As you quite rightly say,your load is not safe,no matter where you park,but your own personal safety is,but how can you park up,and feel safe within such a small distance of the Queens highway?
As for parking in truckstops…
Well I must say Carl,I personally have always been able to get in early enough to find a nice quiet spot,away from the through traffic that moves around these places,but in fairness,there is less traffic moving through the average truckstop at night,than what there is on somewhere like the A1 for example.And even if I wasn’t eating there,as long as I’m not paying for parking,I would rather stay in one,than risk my life.
Ken.
I came down the A1 from Berwick a few moths ago, and every roadside lay bye was full, I knew where I was headed, and pulled into a huge off road lay bye, it’s actually the route of the old A1, at Causey Park, just above Morpeth. There was only one other truck there, and I enjoyed an excellent barmeal in the Oak tree or Green tree, or vwhatever the pub was called, and an undisturbed nights kip. Either other drivers didn’t know it was there, or they had to run their time out till the last minute. Either way, it was both sad and disturbing 
disgo:
The thing that annoys me is if you are driving at night you cannot get into any lay by for a break,they are full of overnighters.
Even the lay bys with no grass or kerb between them and the road are full.
yepp, its a disgrace, youre right, woe betide you if you need a break, where the bloody hell do you take it? im as mad as ■■■■ about the entire thing concerned with hgv parking in this ■■■■■■■■ country! the lot needs sorting out root and branch!
Carl:
one thing to ad is that although the firms i did work for paid parking if you handed to many tickets in theyd give you a right earful.example 1 city transport would only pay if it were classed as a secure load ie soft drinks or alcohol,another firm i worked for would only pay the value of the ticket that was for parking now not many msa,s do the parking only ticket now and one guy i worked for would give me 100pound float. one week i spent 60quid on parking and he said dont ever do that again.
i feel your pain carl mate, ive worked for them types of skinflint ■■■■■ myself. though i will add that the tax allowance is also pitifull, i wonder, how many reps in 40-60 quid a night rooms would put up with all food and hygiene allowances, and a ■■■■■■■ great hgv to park ,on around 22 quid?? why can they (if indeed they can) have a greater allowance than a hgv driver, anybody know 
Mal:
Carl:
one thing to ad is that although the firms i did work for paid parking if you handed to many tickets in theyd give you a right earful.example 1 city transport would only pay if it were classed as a secure load ie soft drinks or alcohol,another firm i worked for would only pay the value of the ticket that was for parking now not many msa,s do the parking only ticket now and one guy i worked for would give me 100pound float. one week i spent 60quid on parking and he said dont ever do that again.i feel your pain carl mate, ive worked for them types of skinflint [zb] myself. though i will add that the tax allowance is also pitifull, i wonder, how many reps in 40-60 quid a night rooms would put up with all food and hygiene allowances, and a [zb] great hgv to park ,on around 22 quid?? why can they (if indeed they can) have a greater allowance than a hgv driver, anybody know
You can claim back whatever you want, as long as you have receipts, as other ODs I’m sure will confirm. I can book into the biggest poshest hotel I can find, and claim food and accomodation as an expense, as long as I get the said receipt. But I can’t claim a penny against tax even sleeping in the cab, without one. 
I agree with you Mal, But how is it going to get sorted, land is expensive, any land earmarked for industrial development near main routes is worth much more as warehouse space, no chance of getting them built on greenbelt land and Nobody wants a truck park near them. Basically trucks parking has zero priority, in fact more consideration is given to closing them.
When planning permision is given for an industrial estate it should include, parking facilites for commercial vehicles. Instead of this the opposite happens, security guards come round and move on trucks that park on the estate.
muckles:
I agree with you Mal, But how is it going to get sorted, land is expensive, any land earmarked for industrial development near main routes is worth much more as warehouse space, no chance of getting them built on greenbelt land and Nobody wants a truck park near them. Basically trucks parking has zero priority, in fact more consideration is given to closing them.
When planning permision is given for an industrial estate it should include, parking facilites for commercial vehicles. Instead of this the opposite happens, security guards come round and move on trucks that park on the estate.
Here Here!
With one aside, when we park in an industrial estate, lay bye, customers premises or wherever. Take your rubbish with you, don’t do that U turn full freighted and rip their tarmac up. If they let you use your facilities leave them clean, and don’t nick their bog roll. You never know, they might let you back.
This is not aimed at anyone in particular, as I know all Truck drivers who post on here are gentlemen and scholars 
I have stopped parking at msas because frankly very u nhappy at people turning my fridge off even when i go to great lenghts to park out of the way and some pondlife goes and turns it off the fridge when they pull up next to me coz they dont want kept awake on there 45 min break and then i have to explain why the load has gone bad or more so some one s kid gets food poisening rant over any way later all
i know of one truckstop that never seems to be full day or night and thats the one on the a38 northbound just before burton now youd think with the 38 being as busy as it is that truckstop would be packed but it never is yet the laybys north and south of burton are always full.
Carl:
i know of one truckstop that never seems to be full day or night and thats the one on the a38 northbound just before burton now youd think with the 38 being as busy as it is that truckstop would be packed but it never is yet the laybys north and south of burton are always full.
Is that Oakamoor Carl, or am I getting confused? If so it is a very old site. A better one used to be before that on the same side called The Trees, but it closed many years ago.
In France I always parked at routiers if possible, no point in eating and then moving on, when the meal takes 3 hours and includes quite a lot of wine. 
Having said that, I like laybys, and would prefer them in England to MSAs, in any case I refuse to, and haven’t paid, a parking fee in many years.
The noise of passing traffic does not bother me but fridge motors do. If my fridge had to go all night I used to park it away from others, often in a layby, and bobtail back to the routier, or park behind it.
Salut, David.
Carl:
i know of one truckstop that never seems to be full day or night and thats the one on the a38 northbound just before burton now youd think with the 38 being as busy as it is that truckstop would be packed but it never is yet the laybys north and south of burton are always full.
I’m past there at least once a night Carl, there are never any trucks parked in it. I’m buggered if i can park at the Jet garage just up the road to get a paper and a coffee though.
Tell a lie, there was one truck there tonight, but, he was parked on the service road 
Whats a night out?..
Can you folks parking up for the night in laybys give a bit of consdieration to night trunkers who need a pee, just leave us a little bit of space to pee in ;););)…
renaultman:
You can claim back whatever you want, as long as you have receipts, as other ODs I’m sure will confirm. I can book into the biggest poshest hotel I can find, and claim food and accomodation as an expense, as long as I get the said receipt. But I can’t claim a penny against tax even sleeping in the cab, without one.
i allways paid myself the maximum allowed when i ran my own. but youre right, its a scandal how things go vis sleeper cabs, and no mistake!
muckles:
I agree with you Mal, But how is it going to get sorted, land is expensive, any land earmarked for industrial development near main routes is worth much more as warehouse space, no chance of getting them built on greenbelt land and Nobody wants a truck park near them. Basically trucks parking has zero priority, in fact more consideration is given to closing them.
When planning permision is given for an industrial estate it should include, parking facilites for commercial vehicles. Instead of this the opposite happens, security guards come round and move on trucks that park on the estate.
thats right muckles, thats the way it really is. which is why i blame the govt, they have overall reponsibility for the road network. and have responsibility about moving good around the uk. they get well paid for the task too!
there needs to be provision in law, to run alongside the laws which create the need for us to be away from home performing tasks that are to the genereal wellbeing of the public. that law needs to address the need on a national basis for lorries to be parked in accordance with laws passed dictating they must. all we have right now, is they stick their heads in the sand, and let the driver sort it out! then ■■■■■■■ moan and prosecute when we dont sort it out to their liking!
since the freemarket will never solve this, as you say land prices are horrendous, the govt must! if they want land, they compulsory purchase it, they had no compuntion about doing it for the toll road not long ago! i say we are every bit as worthy as a bloody toll motorway!
also, many a time summat is planned for a truckstop, objections are raised and councils cow-tow to the ignorance of the public, BUT when them same public rear up about a new housing estete that same bloody council stonewalls them and just goes ahead and grants permission anyway and that is because the govt has dictated what will be built and where.
it is a thourough disgrace that driver need to stratch about industrial estates and the like where the only other creatures sleeping are rats and the odd security man! is this a third world country? i blame the authtorities fair and square for this state of affairs.
Spardo:
Is that Oakamoor Carl, or am I getting confused? If so it is a very old site. A better one used to be before that on the same side called The Trees, but it closed many years ago.
Salut, David.
i just caught the trees when i first started dave, it turned into a little chaef wich immediately banned hgv. and sadly the oakamoor has closed as well, last time i went by there was a burger bar in the truck park.
if it is the oakmoor its between barton under needwood and burton.its been open for a year or so.the Q8 further up always seems full but its a garage with parking spaces and i think its free parking.the next one up used to be the one next to atkins yard and im sure the was one right opposite but they got ripped down years.
i think the oakamoor is before barton carl, on the left after alrewasas you go up. they closed it in 2004, so has it reopened?
the atkins caff the one in the building was a good one as well, thats been closed for years, there was the airport cafe as well. god im dizzy! 