just heard from a employee there that their parking is going up
£24 with a shower, £26 meal and shower £5 just a shower
try to avoid them myself 
Every time i have been into one of these service stations the parking has been over priced and the food has been undercooked. Half the people on the food counter seem to speak broken English and anyone who does communicate with you properly is about as useful as a choclate teapot.
Then, after a long day and a long awaited shower you are confronted by what sometimes resembles a sess pit. ■■■■■ over the floor, snot up the walls and dirty razor blades, AND IVE PAID £26 FOR THE PRIVALIGE.
I dont understand why these places run in the state they do. I wouldnt feed my dogs some of the muck they serve up in these places. God knows what the foreign drivers think of these so called rest areas over here, what an embarresment. Its no wonder some of them ■■■■ in a bag and hang it of their mirrors.
£5 for a shower? 
I have often stopped at Orwell just for a shower, and been happy to pay. But that’s because the showers are very good - always mopped after each use, a good size, powerful enough, and space to put all your gear without having to swim for it. No way would I pay to use a MSA shower unless they seriously clean up their act.
So that would put paid to popping in for a shower before heading off to a lay-by. Soon it will be too expensive to shower and we will all start living up to our reputation as smelly truckers. 
i never stop at MSA’s unless im really stuck. i use the snap account or customers premises, not only are msa’s a rip off but the disdain shown to drivers is appalling
I’ve never ever had a night out in a MSA and I never will. I don’t get why drivers/company’s pay these prices, it’s not even secure!!! Madness.
I think you’ll find the £5 fee is actually the deposit for the key.
As for paying to park, sod that. what they going to do? Clamp your lorry? 
The only msa that I enjoy stopping at is tebay on the m6
Never paid to use the showers at an MSA yet - and don’t intend too - they are a last resort
Booked a travelodge on Sunday at Wellington near Taunton it was brand new and cost £19.00 for the night with plenty of room for Tractor Unit. Whilst I realise this isn’t the answer for everyone, I would much rather pay for the Room, TV, Shower + Towels, Bed, Heating etc. than pay a fiver more to stand in someone else’s mess in my crocs, whilst a trickle of cold water runs down my neck, then try and get dressed in a puddle full of floating hair. After which you can eat food that was cooked 5 hours ago, retire to your cab as you walk through the outdoor latrine and then be woken up every 20 minutes by the night trunkers practising their trailer change !
MSA’s are the biggest health hazards in the UK today, If you kept livestock in those conditions before they were slaughtered you would get 2 years and your name all over the papers. The Owners and Department for Transport should be ashamed that they can present this filth and squalor as an acceptable standard of living for a working man.
The men & women in charge should spend a WHOLE WEEK touring all their sites, eating, washing & sleeping in a cab or motorhome to get a realistic view of the unspeakable service they provide and not just one gimmicky night with the Transport press fawning over them as they tell everyone who is prepared to listen that it really is good value.
MOTO, Roadchef, Welcome Break, Extra: Listen very carefully,
“The UK haulage industry (Your Customers) think your services are Disgusting, sort it out !!!”
now the law has changed, i’m surprised anyone would pay to park in any msa.
i’d use one as a last resort for overnight parking, but would make sure i’d eaten and showered else where that day on my travels.
MSA operators do not want to provide services for lorry drivers. They have to as part of their agreement with the Department for the Environment (or whichever government body is responsible these days). They make far more money from motorists, franchises, etc which is why they are so keen to claw back some of the expense of providing facilities by charging exhorbitant prices and giving minimal service. They have got so used to the “charge what you like” mentality that, unless there is legislation (unlikely- we’re only drivers) thing will not change.
Personally, I would advise taking the kaiser’s route regarding Travelodge. Keep the receipts and, if your company won’t pay the extra, chuck them into the taxman.
what nobody else has picked up on in these posts is that coach drivers show their paperwork when they take a coach load of people in and get fed for free and free vouchers just for bringing in extra business.few years ago stopped at toddington services and paid around 12 quid for fish and chips and mushy peas(been stood a while).
Dirty toilets, washroom, disgusting showers or tripped in a pothole? Demand to see the site manager, or who ever else is in charge, get their name, insist he comes with you for an inspection and show him the complaint. Take pictures on your mobile of the mess or whatever and get the name, address and email of the company managing director.
No cleaners on duty at 9pm? Tell the manager he has just been delegated to clean the mess himself.
Not satisfied with the reaction? inform the manager of your intention to email the pictures to the MD along with the location and his name.
Regarding the comments on dirty/messy shower areas.
Do you clean up after yourself. I usually get a load of toilet paper and give the place a quick once over.
moto services at lancaster £10.16 for a sausage and bacin rool and regular coffee when i got to the till and found the true price told em to stuff it, bacon roll costs £4.59 add to sausages and those sausages will cost you £1.20. have sent an e-mail to moto to complain still awating reply last person I know who complained to moto was told if you don’t like don’t come here and we don’t want lorries anyway
cav551:
Dirty toilets, washroom, disgusting showers or tripped in a pothole? Demand to see the site manager, or who ever else is in charge, get their name, insist he comes with you for an inspection and show him the complaint. Take pictures on your mobile of the mess or whatever and get the name, address and email of the company managing director.No cleaners on duty at 9pm? Tell the manager he has just been delegated to clean the mess himself.
Not satisfied with the reaction? inform the manager of your intention to email the pictures to the MD along with the location and his name.
I would imagine the MD would promote the manager immediately as he/she was saving money by not employing a cleaner and discouraging those filthy lorry drivers at the same time.
the kaiser:
Booked a travelodge on Sunday at Wellington near Taunton it was brand new and cost £19.00 for the night with plenty of room for Tractor Unit. Whilst I realise this isn’t the answer for everyone, I would much rather pay for the Room, TV, Shower + Towels, Bed, Heating etc. than pay a fiver more to stand in someone else’s mess in my crocs, whilst a trickle of cold water runs down my neck, then try and get dressed in a puddle full of floating hair. After which you can eat food that was cooked 5 hours ago, retire to your cab as you walk through the outdoor latrine and then be woken up every 20 minutes by the night trunkers practising their trailer change !
MSA’s are the biggest health hazards in the UK today, If you kept livestock in those conditions before they were slaughtered you would get 2 years and your name all over the papers. The Owners and Department for Transport should be ashamed that they can present this filth and squalor as an acceptable standard of living for a working man.
The men & women in charge should spend a WHOLE WEEK touring all their sites, eating, washing & sleeping in a cab or motorhome to get a realistic view of the unspeakable service they provide and not just one gimmicky night with the Transport press fawning over them as they tell everyone who is prepared to listen that it really is good value.
MOTO, Roadchef, Welcome Break, Extra: Listen very carefully,
“The UK haulage industry (Your Customers) think your services are Disgusting, sort it out !!!”
+1
Bang on…
limeyphil:
as for paying to park, sod that. what they going to do? Clamp your lorry?
I’ve seen clamps on lorries at Knutsford and Clacket Lane!
Born Idle:
limeyphil:
as for paying to park, sod that. what they going to do? Clamp your lorry?I’ve seen clamps on lorries at Knutsford and Clacket Lane!
not for some time though. it’s illegal now.
Born Idle:
limeyphil:
as for paying to park, sod that. what they going to do? Clamp your lorry?I’ve seen clamps on lorries at Knutsford and Clacket Lane!
Bet you aint seen one since the law change! I’d love to get clamped now.