muckles:
The thing is Robroy, I assume these places you know aren’t really official truck parking places, but places you know you can park where it’s not a problem, which is great for a few trucks and I’ll admit when I was tramping I often liked the quiet spots I’d found as opposed to the official places, but really there needs to be a proper parking plan for the UK,
Could not agree more about UK the truck parking problem, but our voices are not loud enough for anything to be done about it, and drivers are far too docile, so they just accept it and pay now 40quid for the dubious pleasures of an MSA parking experience.
As for ‘official’ parking places they are far too thin on the ground, so unless you want to resort to a ■■■■ lay by, you need to note places while on your routes, also not be afraid to go (slightly) off route to find a suitable place.
robroy:
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
No…
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m agreeing with you. MSAs are over-priced [zb] holes but many drivers don’t know where the alternatives are. The good places are kept secret for good reason. As soon as the masses arrive, the litter appears, the ■■■■ bottles appear, the knocked over street lights appear and so on. Then out come the double yellow lines and the no parking for lorries signs.
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
Ok, you’re right about mess left, but I’d like to think that those tossers among us are in a minority, but that is why I’m very sective as to who I tell about a park that aint widely known.
Still can’t accept that all, or even most of the trucks parked every night on MSAs are manned by inept new drivers though. …Some drivers will just accept absolutely anything in every aspect of the job, that is why on the whole it has virtually turned to crap.
yourhavingalarf:
Where did you first park up when you were a new driver?
How tf am I expected to remember that, it was 1979.
I can still remember the bit of general haulage that I did in the mid 1980’s requiring nights out ( not according to the guvnor ). Breaks or daily rest was usually near the limits of 4.5 or 9 hours driving and certainly no time for messing about looking for the local Carlsberg truck park resort.
The difference was that then I don’t remember any charges to park at MSA’s and usually no aggro parking at or near tipping or loading points.With London then as now being hell to take a truck into.With plenty of time needed on the tacho to get in get tipped or loaded and get out again at least without using some creative blurring of tipping/loading and break.But certainly no one with any sense would expect to be able park a truck for a night out in that zb hole even then.Maybe with the exception of the outer London Boroughs which have in large part now been turned more or less into inner London ones.
Ridicules really when I have stayed in the Holiday Inn at Durham services for £45 and the one at Lymm truckstop for £40 and I get a double bed and an en suite for that
mrginge:
Ridicules really when I have stayed in the Holiday Inn at Durham services for £45 and the one at Lymm truckstop for £40 and I get a double bed and an en suite for that
I’ve mentioned this before…
If you book ahead, you can get a room for £40/50 and the parking for the lorry is included in that price.
Nice clean sheets, warm shower, telly, tea and coffee which the boss is paying for.
robroy:
I can never understand some of you guys why you choose these [zb] holes as a first option.
The usual 20 quid or whatever tf it is to park now is bad enough, but this is a severe urine extraction excercise at 40+…is there not a sublime message in there somewhere that they don’t really want us, and/or they are cashing in on those daft enough to pay it whatever the charge.
Absolute last resort for me those places, I can count on one hand and have plenty fingers left as to how many times I’ ve overnighted on one in last 20 yrs.
Ok, I confess to being a regular parker at Charnock Richard on a Thurs night in the 80s, the fact that there was a night club (Park Hall) across the back field had nothing to do with it oh, and nobody bothered paying in those days.
Here here! Even when working for companies that refund parking I still refuse to park in the hell holes. In a 20 year career Im probably not even in double figures counting the amount of times I’ve overnighted and paid in a UK services*.
*Funnily enough I wrote this before I read your whole post! Great minds and all that
robroy:
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
No…
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m agreeing with you. MSAs are over-priced [zb] holes but many drivers don’t know where the alternatives are. The good places are kept secret for good reason. As soon as the masses arrive, the litter appears, the ■■■■ bottles appear, the knocked over street lights appear and so on. Then out come the double yellow lines and the no parking for lorries signs.
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
It’s easier than ever to find new places to park with Google maps. I often go into the satellite imagery to check to see if I can park somewhere, followed by street view. All the tools are there, you just need to use them
At peak periods they will reduce the truck parking space by 50% to accommodate all the cars using nearby Stanstead Airport .
They know that truck parking within a 30mi radius is very limited so they can do as they please .
Another section of our transport system that wasn’t designed with truck facilities in mind .
As our reliance on trucks has increased the building of facilities catering for their legal breaks has not kept pace , in fact it has declined or been removed .
I can see the illegal parking in the area substantially increasing in the future.
Some companies insist on parking in MSA’s, if no other secure alternative is available. If you carry a valuable load, parking on a quiet industrial estate can see your load nicked, or at worse, your truck hijacked (our company has had a few). Of course if you have solid steel cojones and a steel rod for a spine, you’ll ignore the office instructions, and park where you like. Which at best leaves you to explain why you did so, after (part of) your load’s been nicked, or you find yourself arguing with mister crowbar and mister baseball bat…
robroy:
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
No…
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m agreeing with you. MSAs are over-priced [zb] holes but many drivers don’t know where the alternatives are. The good places are kept secret for good reason. As soon as the masses arrive, the litter appears, the ■■■■ bottles appear, the knocked over street lights appear and so on. Then out come the double yellow lines and the no parking for lorries signs.
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
It’s easier than ever to find new places to park with Google maps. I often go into the satellite imagery to check to see if I can park somewhere, followed by street view. All the tools are there, you just need to use them
That’s if your company will let you. Our place insist on “secure” parking so I can’t use my usual spots as they would accept them. I’ve only ever had my curtains slashed in services but the company are ok with that, the insurance will pay out. It’s not all, we have accounts with everyone but Welcome Break so we don’t have to pay.
robroy:
Are you about to tell me that the list I made was rubbish?
No…
That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m agreeing with you. MSAs are over-priced [zb] holes but many drivers don’t know where the alternatives are. The good places are kept secret for good reason. As soon as the masses arrive, the litter appears, the ■■■■ bottles appear, the knocked over street lights appear and so on. Then out come the double yellow lines and the no parking for lorries signs.
As I said earlier, I wouldn’t know where to park overnight now.
Where is a driver who’s newly passed with no road experience at all going to head for first?
It’s easier than ever to find new places to park with Google maps. I often go into the satellite imagery to check to see if I can park somewhere, followed by street view. All the tools are there, you just need to use them
That’s if your company will let you. Our place insist on “secure” parking so I can’t use my usual spots as they would accept them. I’ve only ever had my curtains slashed in services but the company are ok with that, the insurance will pay out. It’s not all, we have accounts with everyone but Welcome Break so we don’t have to pay.
Oh, you’ve done it now. You mentioned the ‘i’ word…
Indeed so that’s a different kettle of fish altogether. I don’t think I’d work for a company that insisted on parking in services every night to be honest
switchlogic:
Indeed so that’s a different kettle of fish altogether. I don’t think I’d work for a company that insisted on parking in services every night to be honest
I don’t stay in services every night, I prefer truck stops like tonight I’m in Rugby. Since we have accounts with nearly all the major MSAs and SNAP etc it doesn’t come out of my pocket.
Not deliberately wanting to ■■■■ on anyones carrots here but so glad i dont have to put up with what you guys have to,being treated like a leper in some places and ripped off in others. It was pretty ■■■■ poor when i was driving in the UK 25 years ago, appears not much has changed. The very worst two places that sick out in memory was ‘Truckers’ on the A38 when i tipped at a Stobarts depot just before the Toyota plant was built and the Roadhouse cafe at Red Lodge, both absolutely disgusting filthy ■■■■■■■■■■
Supply and demand, pure and simple. It will still be full.
So here’s an idea. Ask your planner to plan an overnight stop into your run. Make sure he knows he has a duty of care to unsure your welfare is paramount. That includes somewhere to wash, eat and toilet.
the nodding donkey:
Some companies insist on parking in MSA’s, if no other secure alternative is available. If you carry a valuable load, parking on a quiet industrial estate can see your load nicked, or at worse, your truck hijacked (our company has had a few). Of course if you have solid steel cojones and a steel rod for a spine, you’ll ignore the office instructions, and park where you like. Which at best leaves you to explain why you did so, after (part of) your load’s been nicked, or you find yourself arguing with mister crowbar and mister baseball bat…
Cheers ND for stating the bleeding obvious.
I would only park on an ind est when loaded with a valuable cargo if I was either irresponsible, totally stupid, or both.
Fortunately I am none of the above.