Thanks for the replies everyone, it seems mainly, like everything else, you get better at it with experience!
the maoster:
I stopped at an MSA last night. First time in nearly 30 years of tramping! Do I qualify or win anything now?
Yep,
you win a smile from the boss of Welcome Break, when he checks his bank balance & finds your Extortionate Payment for stopping in his Sh*#Hole Lorry Park.
A large arable or dairy farm has room to park trucks on concrete areas, the farmer could earn money, an outside loo and shower block won’t bankrupt him, we don’t ask for much.
Msa parking, you are paying for the directors private jets, yes, plural, more than one.
the maoster:
I stopped at an MSA last night. First time in nearly 30 years of tramping! Do I qualify or win anything now?
yes 50 lashes downt do it again 
Google maps/street view.
Works perfect for me as I am getting down the road quite late say 9-10pm and finding a space at services…no chance, or next to the fridge, not what I am fancy after 15hrs shift.
While on the break try to figure out how far you could get. Take a look at Google maps is there any Industrial Estates along your route. Street View will help you to see double lanes, is the road wide enough to get you out if you’re starting after 8am. Try to park closer to the junction/driveway to avoid being jammed by parked cars in the morning.
No point to rely on the laybys just off the motorway. Can end up with going over your time for a miles.
Hope that helps.
martinviking:
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.
This is what should happen 
toby1234abc:
A large arable or dairy farm has room to park trucks on concrete areas, the farmer could earn money, an outside loo and shower block won’t bankrupt him, we don’t ask for much.
This is what could happen which is similar to
above.
Have a think how bolloxed the farmers yard will look after a few trucks screwing around on it, and they don’t have to provide fuel or food etc.
toby1234abc:
Msa parking, you are paying for the directors private jets, yes, plural, more than one.
Could you put some links up to the directors private jets for me, I wonder if they bought them off Tesco or if they belong to the banks, property companies or private equity companies that may own some of the MSA companies or sites they sit on.
It wouldn’t surprise me if your parked up in an MSA car park in the near future and asked about your views on the facilities for truck drivers or how it might be improved or how much it should cost,
I doubt you will be asked who you think should pay for ‘the facilities’ though and why the user rather than general taxpayer shouldn’t pay for it
toby1234abc:
A large arable or dairy farm has room to park trucks on concrete areas, the farmer could earn money, an outside loo and shower block won’t bankrupt him, we don’t ask for much.
Msa parking, you are paying for the directors private jets, yes, plural, more than one.
That might work in Tobyland, but in the real world they’d need planning permission and some of the drivers would crap in the showers
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
the amount of times I’ve heard this story ffs 
Of course you did mate 
OllieNotts:
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 looksthe amount of times I’ve heard this story ffs
Of course you did mate
Yea ,seems to happen alot that my mate once woke up to a full blown carboot sale set up round his lorry 
yea right
seth 70:
OllieNotts:
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 looksthe amount of times I’ve heard this story ffs
Of course you did mateYea ,seems to happen alot that
That would be Wickham then
That’s nothing, I parked up one night, slept like a log, woke up next morning and they had built a town around me. Found out later it was Milton Keynes
Parked up near Gillingham kent last week the lay by was only a fffing dogging spot
blue estate:
Parked up near Gillingham kent last week the lay by was only a fffing dogging spot
And the problem being? 
Les Shoes:
Thanks for the replies everyone, it seems mainly, like everything else, you get better at it with experience!
That’s about it mate.
I never park in lay bys or MSA, on principle but each for different reasons.
When you do find your own little regular places, be careful who you tell, as there will always be some ■■■■■■ who will ■■■■ it up for you and everybody else by leaving their rubbish and/or ■■■■ behind. 
Any firm that won’t pay parking charges fully deserves the recovery company’s £ 200+ invoice for pulling the vehicle out of a muddy layby.
blue estate:
Parked up near Gillingham kent last week the lay by was only a fffing dogging spot
was it the big curved one on the left hand side heading up from the m20 towards the m2,or are you keeping the location all to yourself then so we don’t fill it up every night??.(actually its like oxford st during the daytime as well) . 
gezt:
That’s nothing, I parked up one night, slept like a log, woke up next morning and they had built a town around me. Found out later it was Milton Keynes
Pfffttt, you had it easy. I woke up once to find out I was underwater, someone had only gone and built a bloody dam
speedyguy:
martinviking:
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.This is what should happen
Sounds like a good idea, but many of the haulage companies I’ve work for are based down small country rounds, miles from the main routes. So might not be as practical as it sounds and I’m sure the locals wouldn’t be to happy with even more trucks heading past them to park up for the night.
But having parking areas on the large industrial/ distribution areas would be far better, the businesses on these areas rely on trucks, but often there are no facilities on many of them for parking, and some have security patrols to stop trucks parking on them.
speedyguy:
toby1234abc:
Msa parking, you are paying for the directors private jets, yes, plural, more than one.It wouldn’t surprise me if your parked up in an MSA car park in the near future and asked about your views on the facilities for truck drivers or how it might be improved or how much it should cost,
I doubt they’d listen to the answers though. but all they really need to do is get on a boat and have a look at some of the truck parking in other places in Europe.
speedyguy:
I doubt you will be asked who you think should pay for ‘the facilities’ though and why the user rather than general taxpayer shouldn’t pay for it
It’s not a problem in paying for parking, but even if you are willing to pay there is still a lack of spaces and poor facilities once you’ve paid.