In Europe they have respect for the driver, and in some rest areas they have a seperate rest lounges with large leather sofas and a Tv to watch, some have free internet access or pay a small fee for it.
The room is in a quiet area away from the tourists and a coach load of excited school kids on the way to the Alps on a skiing trip.
In the UK, they have a sign on a table to say reserved for coach/bus drivers or a little corner reserved for them, nothing for the LGV driver, and at the prices for parking it will not cost them much.
And why have the UK government dropped their plans for free rest areas on the motorways, in France they are called “aire de repos”,
built away from the road noise, in a forest, by a lake, or a scenic area, with free loos.
They know there are no parking spaces , and Nimbies do not want us in their back yard.Happy Easter to you all.
The huge truck stop in Brescia Italy, has car hire for drivers on their 24/45 off, you can tour the lakes like a tourist, and they have a motel with a discount for drivers, all rooms with air con for the heat of the summer.
There is a large gym, several bars and restaurants,super market,laundry room and driers.
The owners of these MSA `s in the UK only want your money, full stop,tell them you want a gym in your parking fee, they will say buy some running shoes and jog on driver.
If i remember right, Claket lane and Watford Gap used to.
i think you are correct, they must have done away with it , most likely try to charge us all to use it.
The UK MSA sites do not give a ■■■■ for the LGV driver they want money which coaches bring in so they are treated better and ■■■■■■■■ to the LGV driver when its always a lorry which brings in something. Without us the country would be screwed. Its about time the LGV driver was better catered for.
Once upon a time many many moons ago MSA’s actually had Truck Drivers only areas where the only people allowed in were Lorry Drivers, We even had café style meals at café prices 
we even had notice boards where you could leave messages for drivers that you knew and pass letters etc on Yes shock horror that anything like that cold have existed 
Well it did and ts a shame its been done away with 
…
On the other hand Use your Truck stop. If it’s any GOOD pass the word
If it’s crap tell TELL THEM ITS CRAP and WHY then let everyone here Know till it improves .
And we all lived happily ever after .
The End
Ain’t there one at folkestone service 
Hilton Park and Forton used to be have them … so much for progress , used as storage rooms now … grumble ,grumble…
frankley svcs had the drivers cafe’s. northbound is now the site offices and southbound was just left to gather dust and the occasional storage. they also had the drivers lounges but they only lasted about 2yrs then disappeared
Nobody gives a ■■■■ about truck drivers, people need to accept that & move on…
Discodave:
Without us the country would be screwed.
That old chestnut again?
There are many other professions without which the country would be screwed. I wonder if they also have the false belief that they are the most vital cog in the machine we call society and go around saying “without us, the country would be screwed” at every given opportunity? 
Contraflow:
Discodave:
Without us the country would be screwed.
That old chestnut again?
There are many other professions without which the country would be screwed. I wonder if they also have the false belief that they are the most vital cog in the machine we call society and go around saying “without us, the country would be screwed” at every given opportunity? [/quote
Quite agree,everything we touch is delivered by truck somewhere, but without every single other job out there there would be nothing to deliver.
Also there are drivers lounges, truckstops, only think is they are no longer only for trucks. Have you tried getting a meal at Tebay around lunch time this time of year onwards. The ■■■■ place is full of coaches loaded with either the blue rinse set or the next load of auditioneers for Jeremy Kyle.
cypry0:
If i remember right, Claket lane and Watford Gap used to.
And Aust services next to the old Severn Bridge.
Really its disrespectful that so many service stations are Non-HGV
I can imagine the pen pushers walking in… after a hard day of typing and dozing about…
Smug as can be…
I remember Watford Gap when they had a separate drivers services, they said that it was too expensive to run, what with the extra staff needed etc, and fewer and fewer drivers were using it.
It is very annoying when you are taking a 45, and 30 minutes are taken queuing up and getting a meal, only for you having to scoff it down, there should be a separate queue for truckers, at least they will give a priority, maybe the gods that deal with these things, can approach the MSA`s to tell them of our plight.
bald bloke:
cypry0:
If i remember right, Claket lane and Watford Gap used to.And Aust services next to the old Severn Bridge.
iirc Leicester forest and the one on the M61 near Bolton had them aswell
ferrybridge had one early 2000s iirc so did a few motos in that era but were abused and to be honest i wouldnt use them because you would get the d ick heads in there like in the rdc waiting rooms
If you dress reasonably you can mingle with the reps and BMW drivers without letting on you are only a lorry driver 
Driving without a company uniform has it’s benefits if it singles you out for an RDC driver to spot
There’s a special separate area for the incoming drivers at Didcot too, but I don’t feel privileged somehow being offered it…
Standing room only yesterday in “Colditz Solitary”. No sitting in cabs? No access to canteen food 'cos of cashless system?
And they talk about Health and Safety!
Reduce the steam coming out of ears, and reduce global warming first. 