As per the title, how do you do it? I’m going to a different place most days so I’m having to find somewhere to stop for the night in areas I don’t know. Firm will only pay £15 towards MSA so that’s basically out. My tactics so far have been to follow signs for an industrial estate and hope for the best but this doesn’t seem to be working out well, today I gave myself half an hour to get parked - I’ve gone 13 minutes over my hours, I’m right by a busy A road and I’m in a muddy layby that will probably trap me if it rains tonight 
There’s a Sainsburys half an hour away, I’m going to buy beer!
Best thing to do is speak to your fellow drivers and ask if you dont ask you will never know i use an hgv parking app if am stuck and its been ok but can tell lies about amoint of space but remember some ind est do not allow parking on ghem and if you do park anyway u could wake up to find a ticket under the wiper or some knob banging on your door telling you to move on
I’ve found that talking to other drivers that have local knowledge is best or use the motorway buddy app, that how I started to find places
if you no the area you will be finishing in a quick post on here will usually turn up something i have always found the people on here helpfull so around dinner time when you no where your likely to be post it sure they will help mate
Les Shoes:
I’m going to a different place most days so I’m having to find somewhere to stop for the night in areas I don’t know. Firm will only pay £15 towards MSA so that’s basically out.
Maybe “the firm” should do receipt based expenses, If it costs £200 to fuel up would they only pay out £150 ■■?
Parking really ■■■■■■ me off. It’s a cost of the job and comes off the tax. I’ve often thought the only reason to administer such a policy is so they can use your £25 receipt to hide a tenner missing out of petty cash. When I worked for Matthews at Hertford I managed to get a dispensation from such a policy, after having diesel nicked out of a lay by, then a missed booking at tesco because I did 13hrs 11 off parking at Lymm, rather than 14hrs and 9 off going to Stafford at my expense
I did a job with a guy a couple of years ago. Was a two man job from Glasgow down to Fareham. We picked up turf,fertilizer etc from a place near carlisle then headed down. We had 3 drops to garden centres the next day. We arrived in Fareham and needed to find somewhere to park up overnight. After driving about for 20 minutes trying to find somewhere to park an artic in a small village,we finally found a place big enough. It was empty so happy days. Parked up in the middle. Pub across the road so we had a pint then nipped over to the Chinese takeaway. Great. Went to sleep and woke at 7 next morning,ready to head to first drop for 8am tip. Opened the curtains and nearly had a heart attack. The empty area from last night had been replaced with a sea of cars,vans,motorbikes,tables,chairs and people. Lots and lots of people. We had parked in the middle of a market square! It was MOBBED. People had parked close to us on all sides. And the guy I was with turned to me and said “Do you want to drive first?” I said like ■■■■ I do pal! We got out with a lot of tooing and froing,a lot of head shaking from the locals and a lot of scornful looks 
when you put in a recite for parking if they dont pay all of it i write across it only paid ■■ by company so they cant claim the full cost only what they give me
The-Snowman:
I did a job with a guy a couple of years ago. Was a two man job from Glasgow down to Fareham. We picked up turf,fertilizer etc from a place near carlisle then headed down. We had 3 drops to garden centres the next day. We arrived in Fareham and needed to find somewhere to park up overnight. After driving about for 20 minutes trying to find somewhere to park an artic in a small village,we finally found a place big enough. It was empty so happy days. Parked up in the middle. Pub across the road so we had a pint then nipped over to the Chinese takeaway. Great. Went to sleep and woke at 7 next morning,ready to head to first drop for 8am tip. Opened the curtains and nearly had a heart attack. The empty area from last night had been replaced with a sea of cars,vans,motorbikes,tables,chairs and people. Lots and lots of people. We had parked in the middle of a market square! It was MOBBED. People had parked close to us on all sides. And the guy I was with turned to me and said “Do you want to drive first?” I said like [zb] I do pal! We got out with a lot of tooing and froing,a lot of head shaking from the locals and a lot of scornful looks
I was pretty ■■■■■■ off and stressed when I parked up and I didn’t have much for dinner so I figured a long walk to Sainsburys would do me good and I could get some grub. it was a bloody long walk but I spotted a rather nice looking pub on the way so after hitting the bargain shelf for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow I stopped in for a couple of pints on my way back. It’s been lovely but now I have to leave as people are looking at me funny after the snorty guffaw I let out when I read that
Go on the prossie forums,all the local lasses will tell you exactly where to park in any major town.
HTH.
Thetaff2:
Go on the prossie forums,all the local lasses will tell you exactly where to park in any major town.HTH.
Doesn’t that work out potentially more expensive than stopping at MSAs?
The-Snowman:
I did a job with a guy a couple of years ago. Was a two man job from Glasgow down to Fareham. We picked up turf,fertilizer etc from a place near carlisle then headed down. We had 3 drops to garden centres the next day. We arrived in Fareham and needed to find somewhere to park up overnight. After driving about for 20 minutes trying to find somewhere to park an artic in a small village,we finally found a place big enough. It was empty so happy days. Parked up in the middle. Pub across the road so we had a pint then nipped over to the Chinese takeaway. Great. Went to sleep and woke at 7 next morning,ready to head to first drop for 8am tip. Opened the curtains and nearly had a heart attack. The empty area from last night had been replaced with a sea of cars,vans,motorbikes,tables,chairs and people. Lots and lots of people. We had parked in the middle of a market square! It was MOBBED. People had parked close to us on all sides. And the guy I was with turned to me and said “Do you want to drive first?” I said like [zb] I do pal! We got out with a lot of tooing and froing,a lot of head shaking from the locals and a lot of scornful looks
That’s quite funny ,I remember going with my dad and parking at porthcawl waking up to be surrounded by the radio 1 roadshow .
OVLOV JAY:
Parking really ■■■■■■ me off. It’s a cost of the job and comes off the tax. I’ve often thought the only reason to administer such a policy is so they can use your £25 receipt to hide a tenner missing out of petty cash. When I worked for Matthews at Hertford I managed to get a dispensation from such a policy, after having diesel nicked out of a lay by, then a missed booking at tesco because I did 13hrs 11 off parking at Lymm, rather than 14hrs and 9 off going to Stafford at my expense
They’re not doing it to hide missing petty cash, they are doing it to defraud HMRC. They are also doing it because they are undercutting their rivals and working for peanuts.
Colin_scottish:
Best thing to do is speak to your fellow drivers and ask if you dont ask you will never know i use an hgv parking app if am stuck and its been ok but can tell lies about amoint of space but remember some ind est do not allow parking on ghem and if you do park anyway u could wake up to find a ticket under the wiper or some knob banging on your door telling you to move on
Or some woman banging on the door asking to use your phone to call a taxi. When you get a taxi number and go to call it she suddenly needs to call her friend.
■■■■ off love I may be a driver but it doesn’t mean I’m thick. Then she went and knocked on some poor sod’s door. Curtains closed at midnight and everything.
If you’re on Facebook, do a search for safe parking and postcodes. Join the group and tell them where you are likely to end up. Normally get some good suggestions. Has helped me out a few times now.
Vid:
Thetaff2:
Go on the prossie forums,all the local lasses will tell you exactly where to park in any major town.HTH.
Doesn’t that work out potentially more expensive than stopping at MSAs?
It can yes unless you tell them to go away.
I ALWAYS park on small industrial estates. I usually carry enough food to eat or stop at a takeaway on the way. Admittedly after quite a few years of this I know where they all are but I never pay for truckstops and havent stopped in an MSA since around 1985. Often deserted and quiet, and only once in nearly 30 years have I had my diesel stolen. That was Scunthorpe 
It’s even easier now to find somewhere to park up at night in a place your unfamiliar with,with the invention of Google maps.
We are part of the TA/Transport Association & there’s an agreement between companies to park up overnight, I usually get my office to book me in to the nearest/on route depot (if I’ve got a high value load on board) some times have to go a good half hour off route, but at least you get a safe quiet nights sleep.
Other than that, like Lonewolf I stop on small industrial estates or deep lay-bys. Make a note of them as you deliver or drive past, you’ll soon build up a database & start using the same places time & again.
You can be a bit cheeky sometimes, get to a drop the evening before & ask them if it’s alright to park up, I did that at Boughy’s near Nantwich the other night & they said no problem, just dropped the trailer in the trailer park & tuck myself in round the back, nice & quiet.
I stopped at an MSA last night. First time in nearly 30 years of tramping! Do I qualify or win anything now?