Recently got a new job which will involve some (very short notice) nights out but having never actually done nights out its all a bit new. 
So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop or is it just a case of get somwhere near the tip/load address then look for somewhere.
And are there any doâs & dontâs? 
Donât forget a couple of large plastic bottles to keep your wine in when caught short 
Try and find an Industrial estate or business park, they are free to park in and usually they are close to things like shops and pubs.
If you have to stop in a layby try and park in one that has an island between it and the road, donât park in ones right next to the road unless you enjoy being violently rocked to sleep 
If you have a tomtom you can download industrial estate POIâs from the tomtom home software.
Robertthegreat:
Donât forget a couple of large plastic bottles to keep your wine in when caught short
Do you mean what I think you mean?
yep, white wine 
I enjoy nights out, just like camping but without the tent, field or facilities I take my little camp stove and something to cook so I can have a warm evening meal, I tend to use industrial estates if I can or them big laybys well off the road. I also have an app on my iphone called truck stop which has a lot of locations in it, as does âthe truckerâs handbookâ by lisa marie melbourne (iirc).
My tips, for what itâs worth;
Adjust suspension so bedâs level and sleep with your head at the higher end if youâre on a sideways slope.
If itâs an analog tacho, set both drivers to break because the whiringâs annoying
Use the night heater as little as possible as they make you unbelievably thirsty if you use them much.
Make sure everything really is off when you stop, I killed the battery on a truck because the heated mirrors didnât switch off with the ignition, which resulted in the night heater packing in at about 3am and me freezing until I could call for help first thing in the morning
If you sleep with two pillows at home, take two pillows in the truck - Iâve had several sleepless nights because my head felt too low.
No written rule, just try and plan ahead. If you get to an industrial estate and there are no other trucks overnighting ask yourself why, could be a really dodgy area. Try not to use msas, rip-off. Truckstops,some good ,some bad, some evil. Depending on what your carrying can depend on where you park,ie do you really want to park in a layby with a load of tvs,dvds etc. It really is a personal thing, I wont park in a layby for the simple reason I find the noise too much.
darkseeker:
:Use the night heater as little as possible as they make you unbelievably thirsty if you use them muchâŚ
And there`s me thinking that thirst was down to the copious amounts of alcohol consumed before crashing out!!!
thatâll be what Iâm doing wrong! never thought of that
darkseeker:
:lol: yep, white wineI enjoy nights out, just like camping but without the tent, field or facilities
My tips, for what itâs worth;
Adjust suspension so bedâs level and sleep with your head at the higher end if youâre on a sideways slope.
If itâs an analog tacho, set both drivers to break because the whiringâs annoying
Use the night heater as little as possible as they make you unbelievably thirsty if you use them much.
Make sure everything really is off when you stop, I killed the battery on a truck because the heated mirrors didnât switch off with the ignition, which resulted in the night heater packing in at about 3am and me freezing until I could call for help first thing in the morning
If you sleep with two pillows at home, take two pillows in the truck - Iâve had several sleepless nights because my head felt too low.
Cheers DS some really handy tips there
redbob:
Recently got a new job which will involve some (very short notice) nights out but having never actually done nights out its all a bit new.So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop or is it just a case of get somwhere near the tip/load address then look for somewhere.
And are there any doâs & dontâs?
Keep a bag in your truck handy if itâs short notice, just in it:
Do:
Use proper sleeping gear, just sleeping on the mattress and a coat rolled up as pillow is alright for a power nap,but not for a night decent rest.
Use every shower you can find, because you never know when the next one is available.
Ask customers if you can park in their premisses and use their facilities.
Donât
Donât sleep in your clothes, you smell in the morning like a home-less who sleeps rough 
Park on town squares, your not the first who is caught out with the market building around him.
Park in front of houses, or the entry of a housing estate, some bugger will wake you up.
redbob:
So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop:
i find this one particularly useful [zb]
chaversdad:
redbob:
So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop:
i find this one particularly useful
[zb]
Any facilities there? like showers etc. âŚor only Golden showers
i wouldnt know about the washing facilities, i only park there for the crack
chaversdad:
i find this one particularly useful [zb]
Just out of interest⌠Have you had much luck from this site?
Dont forget you need to sleep a certain distance from the steering wheel, and you cant have 2 nights out together in a flat cabbed truck!!!
Robertthegreat:
Donât forget a couple of large plastic bottles to keep your wine in when caught short
you mean âTruckerâs Tizerâ
if you work for who i think you do, you will be given a list of places you can and cannot park
And if you want a decent nights kip and your a light sleeper, donât sleep in laybysâŚ
Give yourself a good 45min to an hour before ya times up, if your in a big city youâll always find an ind estâ to park on within decent walking distance to get grub⌠There are still a lot of decent cafes and truckstops to park on but its a case of trial and error, depending on what area your inâŚ
Iâm new to all of this nights out lark. Iâve found the truckers handbook (by lisa marie melbourne) very useful, it has its faults and it misses out a lot, but better than having no clue at all.
Be straight with your employer on where they expect you to park with high value loads etc. Always best to plan ahead if possible, donât leave the mystery of where to park until the end of the day, especially if you have a load on. Secure truckstops all cost money, and if you canât open your back doors in a layby you are asking for trouble. For the sake of ÂŁ12 or so, I can not understand employers who wonât pay parking. It shouldnât have to come out of the drivers pocket.
Carry your sleeping gear all the time, 2 pillows and a sleeping bag, even if you arenât anticipating a night out, never know when things will take a turn for the surreal.
The most comfortable and simple nights out iâve had so far have always been industrial estates. Just as long as you have all you need in the cab with you, sleeping gear, wash gear, food and water (drinking + washing), dvd or book etc.
Take notes in your atlas of all interesting deep lay-bys and other places to stop on back roads.
I got my atlas full of them, so where I am somewhere, I look into, and leave the main road for the small one, having a quiet sleep with only few odd cars passing during the whole night.