M6-toll road

[jonah_1]

I decided to give it a go the other day as I was hearing reports on the radio & cb of bad traffic at the road works northbound M6 and there are two things I would like share with you.

I noticed it was near deserted for trucks so as an experiment I thought I would count the ones going southbound (sad I know ) bearing in mind this was in the evening rush hour i saw,

1 BOC M & S fridge wagon
1 plain curtainsider
3 Dutch fridges
3 James Irlam’s

Now I’m sure the dutch motors don’t mind paying a £10 toll as they are used to tolls and baring the dartford tunnel this likely the only money they will pay on our road system I would think they will see it as cheap.
Also James Irlam’s is known to get a “concessionary rate” as he advertises it on the rear of his trucks.

Now just to show how really sad I am I counted the trucks going northbound on my way back on the old M6 and it was 672.

the other thing I wanted to point out was that I pulled into Norton Canes services whilst on there for a Wimpy.Two things struck me immediately

the truck park was completely empty
how far away it was from the services building.

I read in interview recently in which the M.D of Roadchef (the msa provider at Nortn Canes) in which he specifically said he wanted to encourage more truck drivers to use this msa.

Well I’ve got a some of advice for him

Dont build the lorry park so far away from the buildings
Dont build a moat (well river but may as well be a moat) inbetween the lorry park and the building
Dont tell your fast food providers to refuse the meal voucher ( I’m assuming that you own the Wimpey franchise on this site)

[thebear]

Trucks aren’t using this road due to cost … so what chance do they think they have off getting trucks onto the proposed link to Manchester? and if it is a tenner to use the link, what cost the one to Manchester?

[jonah_1]

At the moment it is a tenner no matter how far you go along it.
If they kept it the same ( ie £10 the full length from M42 to Manchester) then it may be worth it

[kitkat]

if company’s want there drivers to use this toll then they pay the charges not the driver,i certainly would not pay the 10quid asked.hey if our company don’t get tickets for the 4th rd bridge then i’ll go kincardine,and i don’t care how desperate there customer is.why should i be out of pocket.as for the services,well i think that you should direct the complaints about the lay out direct to the owner himself,and explain to him the reasons you know why trucks won’t use there facilities,( apart from the toll charges).i know they won’t rearrange the layout but will give them food for thought.

[truckyboy]

Most drivers will not pay this toll…simply because the way transport companies work in this country drivers have to pay out of their own pocket and claim it back by the end of the week, normaly on a friday…dont know about monthly paid drivers…i have always believed that i should not have to subsidise someone elses trucks…so if it cost me money i dont use it…
have a nice day

[cabhopper]

I am stupid enough to think that for the M6 Northern Relief Road to work properly it should be FREE for trucks. Let’s be honest, any truck needing to go into Birmingham is going to use ‘old’ M6, so anything using new road is going straight past Brum, and surely that meets the purpose of the road.
Must go, the nurse is calling me for my medication

[jonah_1]

kitkat:
well i think that you should direct the complaints about the lay out direct to the owner himself,and explain to him the reasons you know why trucks won’t use there facilities

Sorry I forgot to mention in original post that I tried to ring and complain,
I rang 118-500 for the number but there is no listing for them so I said can I have the number for roadchef stafford which I was given.

I rang stafford and after about 10 mins sombody answered I asked for the phone number for norton canes which I was given.

I rang the number but it just rang with no answere then redialed and after about 15 rings sombody answered I asked to speak to the manager and this is how the conversation went

them “who is it calling”
me “a customer”
them “who”
me “just a customer”
t “hold on a minute”
m “ok”
t “hello who is it”
m “is that the manager”
t " no i’m team leader"
m “can i speak to the manager”
t “who is it”
m " a customer"
t “hello”
m “is that the manager”
t “yes who is this”
m “I’m a customer,Iwant to make a complaint about your facilities” -see above post for rest of this part
t “who you ringing”
m “roadchef services on toll road”
t “sorry mate we are an injection moulding firm”
m “sorry mate giveb your number by mistake”

so if anybody wants some injection moulding done the number is 01543 2725240

[neil46]

roadchef.com/locations/nortoncanes.asp

now you have all the info

so complain away

[simonrs2k]

north surrey haulage:
I rang the number but it just rang with no answere then redialed and after about 15 rings sombody answered I asked to speak to the manager and this is how the conversation went

them “who is it calling”
me “a customer”
them “who”
me “just a customer”
t “hold on a minute”
m “ok”
t “hello who is it”
m “is that the manager”
t " no i’m team leader"
m “can i speak to the manager”
t “who is it”
m " a customer"
t “hello”
m “is that the manager”
t “yes who is this”
m “I’m a customer,Iwant to make a complaint about your facilities” -see above post for rest of this part
t “who you ringing”
m “roadchef services on toll road”
t “sorry mate we are an injection moulding firm”
m “sorry mate giveb your number by mistake”

so if anybody wants some injection moulding done the number is 01543 2725240

Im on the floor laughing my socks of here cheered my day up no end

simon

[kitkat]

teach you for making a complaint,

so b.t. really works got your number (not)

[jonah_1]

SimonRS2K:
Im on the floor laughing my socks of here cheered my day up no end

simon

glad to be of assistance

[jonah_1]

I am going to email a complaint in the form of an open letter so I can post it and any replies on here.

Does anybody know how I can put a copy of one of my emails on here?

[andymac]

Err…sorry, changed me mind. Not 100% sure if I was right

[rob_k]

north surrey haulage:
I am going to email a complaint in the form of an open letter so I can post it and any replies on here.

Does anybody know how I can put a copy of one of my emails on here?

Yeah you grab your mouse, click and hold at the start of the mail, highlight it all to the end, then right click and choose “copy”. Then comes in here, click on new reply and then right-click again and select “paste”. Job done

[jonah_1]

andymac:
Err…sorry, changed me mind. Not 100% sure if I was right

[jonah_1]

Ta Rob

[flatbedman]

nsh, let me know when you get your quotes in, they might be worth compereing?

cheers
paul

[jonah_1]

Dear Mr Neil Byard

Having read recently in the transport periodicals that you are trying to encourage more H.G.V drivers to use your facilities I find it hard to see why you are at a loss as to why they don’t.

I used the toll road for the first time this week and decided to visit your site at Norton Canes as you seem so proud of it in the press.On arrival I saw that the H.G.V parking area was completely empty which for professional driver is never a good sign.When I parked I saw the reason why.

A, The H.G.V parking has been put as far away from the building structure as you can get it.

B, You have put in a moat with only one small footbridge (that I could see) to cross it

C, When you eventually get into the services building and queue for 10 minutes at the Wimpy franchise you are told the food voucher is not accepted.

May I make a few suggestions that may help in your plight to attract the professional drivers you seek.

A, If you wish to segregate the professional drivers from your occasional users (car drivers) why not build the H.G.V parking area to the rear (or opposite) side of the building to the occasional users with it’s own entrance.This way the professsional drivers will not have to do a hike to use the facilities especially the toilets

B, Instead of putting in a moat which is a physical and psychological barrier between the parking area and the facilities, Why not put up some security fencing and cctv so that operators using the site feel they are getting somthing for their money?

C, Why is it that your Wimpy franchise does not accept the meal voucher when it is common practice for all the other M.S.A’s to do so.I’m assuming that you own the franchise to the Wimpy onthe site so I cant really see a problem why the meal voucher is not accepted.I will assume that your defence will be that hot food is available from the On-Route restaurant, but the variety on offer is usually minimal and you normally have to make a contribution on top of the face value of the meal voucher when paying,Whereas with the fast food franchises you get a meal with a drink at no extra cost.

Please note this is an open letter and will be posted on trucknetuk.com in the drivers roundtable section as will any replies recieved from yourself.

trucknetuk.com is a free internet forum which is visited by more than 31,000 visitors a month

yours Sean Phillips

proprietor

North Surrey Haulage

[wheel_nut]

Are you really expecting a reply?

And:

the other thing I wanted to point out was that I pulled into Norton Canes services whilst on there for a Wimpy.Two things struck me immediately

the truck park was completely empty
how far away it was from the services building.

I read in interview recently in which the M.D of Roadchef (the msa provider at Nortn Canes) in which he specifically said he wanted to encourage more truck drivers to use this msa.

Well I’ve got a some of advice for him

Dont build the lorry park so far away from the buildings
Dont build a moat (well river but may as well be a moat) inbetween the lorry park and the building
Dont tell your fast food providers to refuse the meal voucher

Dont try to use Oxford Services on the M40 then. Its a 20 minute walk to the services, 30 minute Queue at the MacBurger Fish and Chicken shed and 20 minute route march back to the lorry, you will be accosted by 17 italian watch sellers, 3 insurance salesmen and 2 credit card women. By the time you leave you will have a bloke in an ARCO yellow vest asking you for parking money because you have outstayed your welcome.

[carl]

m6 toll is now 6quid for trucks heard on radio news this week