robroy:
I have already gave my opinions on this on the “A5 Crick” thread, and I agree with a lot that newmercman says about the problem, maybe we should start some kind of petition, I,m not naive enough to be sure it would work, in fact I,m reasonably confident that it wouldn,t, but at least by rattling a few cages in high places it would be brought to their attention, and we would be at least seen to do something, instead of taking any old crap that they dish out to us drivers like they normally expect us to do.
God I never thought I would say this , but we should me more like the French.
Your comments on the other thread prompted this thread, needless to say I’m in complete agreement with you
billybigrig, yes the situation is different in the US, but that’s because drivers over there have a voice, they have that because they use it
I prefer parking in lay-bys rather than truckstops and MSA’s. Sleep better and the smell of ■■■■ is a little less overpowering. Plus with everything parked in a line rather than side by side there’s much less chance of other drivers talking at you.
I used to use the truckstop or services for a shower them go off and find a lay-by, and that wasn’t because of parking costs because I didn’t have to pay them.
robroy:
I have already gave my opinions on this on the “A5 Crick” thread, and I agree with a lot that newmercman says about the problem, maybe we should start some kind of petition, I,m not naive enough to be sure it would work, in fact I,m reasonably confident that it wouldn,t, but at least by rattling a few cages in high places it would be brought to their attention, and we would be at least seen to do something, instead of taking any old crap that they dish out to us drivers like they normally expect us to do.
God I never thought I would say this , but we should me more like the French.
Your comments on the other thread prompted this thread, needless to say I’m in complete agreement with you
billybigrig, yes the situation is different in the US, but that’s because drivers over there have a voice, they have that because they use it
A little, but the industry uses it’s voice more.A lot more is done for charity for example which brings with it good press. In return the press are happy to support “The Good Guys” that the public perceive them as. Stobbys have figured it out and how to work it, that’s why they get things done.
Where I worked we only had 7 trucks but still did a lot for local charities. Handicap ride-a-longs, collecting food for the local food bank, collecting clothes and furniture for the Katrina victims,hauling stuff down to the county fairgrounds or for the local schools. Our largest local haulier had 2 trailers painted up and dedicated to charitable causes. It was just what we did, nobody had to ask. Drive professionally and courteously, stop and help folk broken down or who had had an accident. It’s just what we do, it’s expected and doesn’t need to be asked for, demanded or enforced by rules or nimrods with clipboards.
As long as I’ve got a hole in my rear the average laybye loving, max hours, beans on toast, moany arsed, British general haulage driver will never get it.
Coffeeholic:
I prefer parking in lay-bys rather than truckstops and MSA’s. Sleep better and the smell of ■■■■ is a little less overpowering. Plus with everything parked in a line rather than side by side there’s much less chance of other drivers talking at you.
I used to use the truckstop or services for a shower them go off and find a lay-by, and that wasn’t because of parking costs because I didn’t have to pay them.
You do it through choice, that’s an entirely different matter than having to do it because there isn’t an alternative.
I’ve spent many nights in lay-bys, for many different reasons, for peace and quiet, to save a few quid, there’s a decent place to eat/drink nearby or best of all because I’m having a female visitor who should’ve been somewhere else, but that was my choice.
The best parking places were the old town center car parks, a nicker in the machine and you were set for the night, everything you needed was within walking/staggering home distance, these places still exist, yet they’re out of bounds, those are the places needed to ease the problems, the answer to the problem is already there
The lay-bys will still be full, but then nobody can moan that there isn’t any alternative
newmercman:
Since I posted this 39 people have had a look, but not one single comment
Is it any wonder we get [zb]ed over
So, without wishing to sound blunt, why haven’t you created a petition for us all to sign if you feel it’ll help rather than chucking the idea out and expecting someone else to do it??
newmercman:
I don’t park in laybys so it doesn’t affect me one little bit, just trying to sew a few seeds, if you’re not interested and wish to continue being treated like dirt, crack on driver
I don’t park in laybys either, I have to be near some facilties, food at least and I only park in such places if I have had a shower beforehand. I would occasionally when on the shows but thats is because the trailers had cooking equipment and hot running water and even then I needed to be near a pub
newmercman:
Since I posted this 39 people have had a look, but not one single comment
Is it any wonder we get [zb]ed over
So, without wishing to sound blunt, why haven’t you created a petition for us all to sign if you feel it’ll help rather than chucking the idea out and expecting someone else to do it??
Because a petition with only my signature on it would be as much use as mudflaps on a tortoise
Maybe if I’d had more positive feedback I would be prepared to invest some of my time in bringing this matter to the attention of people that could possibly make a difference, I already outlined a method that would require only a little more time than signing ‘my’ petition, email and the internet can be used for more than dicking around on trucknet and watching ■■■■ you know
you will get no joy out of your union for anything, those jobs at the unions are just like euro mp’s… there for an easy life and the gravy train.
i think the percentage of over nighters in layby’s is extremely small, i have done it maybe a dozen times in the past 10 years proberly less.
i will stop in a layby seperated by a kerb, but no curb no way. there is no excuse and if the company dosent pay parking then ive no problem spending maybe 30 mins driving round off route for somewhere decent to park.
another thing i do which is pretty sad, when im out and about ive always got my eyes open clocking places to park and delivery points with parking outside all go upstairs for future referance.
9 times out of 10 if you ask a driver they will point you in the right direction for somewhere to park anyway.
I heard something on the radio yesterday that a council or the Government are giving so many hundreds of thousands of pounds to build a new Gypsy camp and maybe install solar panels.
How the hell do they get this amount of money when they contribute sweet FA to the country.
Yet we as professional drivers have no facilities an pay our tax and NI !!!
Time the RHA & FTA Plus Rikki on our behalf got onto this bandwagon
bedgar047:
I heard something on the radio yesterday that a council or the Government are giving so many hundreds of thousands of pounds to build a new Gypsy camp and maybe install solar panels.
How the hell do they get this amount of money when they contribute sweet FA to the country.
Yet we as professional drivers have no facilities an pay our tax and NI !!!
Time the RHA & FTA Plus Rikki on our behalf got onto this bandwagon
Have you not realised yet that we are looked upon as being on the same social scale, I once saw a sign on a newly cleared bit of waste ground, " No travellers or lorries to park here" implying one category, you wouldn,t get that today because it would offend THEM
you will get no joy out of your union for anything, those jobs at the unions are just like euro mp’s… there for an easy life and the gravy train.
they MP’s are all elected and still need to chase votes.
Pester them, what have you got to lose?
As far as union leaders are concerned there is an element of truth in what you say, but only because no one is making them earn their pay. They do what they have to do and nothing more.
Some however are committed and to pretend different shows only your lack of knowledge of these men /women.
comments have been made that other industries get more action from their unions and that is true, there is a good reason for it.
Union meetings generally take place during the week at the workplace, drivers historically are spread all over and because of this their meetings are usually on a weekend and most are reluctant to give up time at home to attend
OK, so you don’t want to give up your Sunday morning once a month to go to union meetings, but the link I posted above DOES get your letter to your MP and also has a feedback to check wether your MP has replied. It takes less than a the time it takes to have a smoke and MAY (if enough do it) cause them to start thinking about the issues.
The alternative is to do nothing except come on here and moan.
If you are prepared to go to union meetings (Ha Ha!) then you can eventually make a difference but YOU have to make the effort, no one is going to put themselves out for you if your not prepared to do something yourself.
I watched a clip on the TV where a spokesman for the RTA (or one of the other bosses orgs) was being interviewed about this and it was clear from his words that they were not prepared to go to any great effort and were quite happy to let the theft of derv continue. He made no comments about the safety of the drivers or the facilities on offer to them.
Hiya… the layby near jct 15 (M6)on the A500 has been closed because to many cars have run into parked lorries,
last year about 9 people was killed of seriously injured…3 killed in one car.
John
If you really want to know why Tesco etc don’t want trucks parking there even in ample space it’s because some of us have let the others down with disgusting behaviour such as leaving cans of pee on the site and some disgusting pigs taking a dump behind their trucks. It happens everywhere, it’s the main reason they are stopping us parking behind Walmarts over here. Who would like to take their family to the supermarket and have their kids stepping over, or much worse picking up a bottle of pee ?
The good and careing drivers are let down by the pigs in the industry.
, but we should me more like the French.
That’s no fun 
