As a new member to the website, i’m fairly sure this will have been discussed before, but having worked for some fairly large companies over the past 10 years (TDG, Hoyer , Sutton, Dachser), I find it very hard to believe that in this day and age that companies don’t pay for there drivers over night parking? With the government pushing to make people stay on “safe” overnight parking lorry parks, I was wondering what the general thoughts were on this subject?
I think the majority do pay nowadays but there is nothing to say that the services are that much safer
Apart from the obvious economic arguments, that being some smaller companies can’t afford these charges and indeed paying out might mean the difference between their drivers getting poor or reasonable pay.
Not everyone wants to park on a lorry park, which are often no more secure than sensibly chosen alternatives despite charging nearly £30 to park, the noise smell and general polution in a MSA lorry park makes them a horrible place to be.
Despite working for companies who never questioned parking charges, my ideal choice of parking would be somewhere quiet and as safe as possible, but within 2 miles walking distance of a nice country pub or a Toby or similar, have a sit down a proper meal of real meat and veg and a pint of my favourite and a couple hours reading a good book, or chat with the locals, plus of course clocking the passing totty.
Anything to get away from the bloody lorry for a few hours, some MSA’s you can walk to decent pubs from and i have done this many times where finding safe alternative parking wasn’t possible.
Don’t get me started on the crap that MSA’s (and some lorry type cafes) amusingly call food.
I don’t like people sleeping in their lorries on the side of busy roads, however when i’ve parked within distance for the Mrs to pick me up, invariably the lorry woudl be in a narrow layby right beside the dual carriageway with an offside fuel tank (so close to the road the offside mirror had to be folded in), anybody stupid enough to get the fuel out there was most welcome.
The only time,that i can recall, or noticed, ever losing fuel was when parked in a layby opposite Tescos Northampton when i nipped over the road into the supermarket for a 45 minute break, broad daylight very busy road, Police headquarters 1/4 mile away, layby well used by passers by too, some bugger nicked about 1/4 tank, never lost any of the load that i can recall, had some lorry equipment nicked over the years though, in lorry parks, no doubt by our fellow drivers.
Tenster:
As a new member to the website, i’m fairly sure this will have been discussed before, but having worked for some fairly large companies over the past 10 years (TDG, Hoyer , Sutton, Dachser), I find it very hard to believe that in this day and age that companies don’t pay for there drivers over night parking? With the government pushing to make people stay on “safe” overnight parking lorry parks, I was wondering what the general thoughts were on this subject?
They do pay. It’s called night out money?
They do pay. It’s called night out money?
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Maybe were you work most good firms pay parking on top of night out money
senior50:
They do pay. It’s called night out money?
Maybe were you work most good firms pay parking on top of night out money
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Don’t do nights out now. But a lot of firms will tell you to use your night out money for parking if you want to park up somewhere “proper”. Never been a fan of MSA type places myself always prefer to find some other alternative.
We get night out money a meal allowance and parking paid and that’s how it should be
DrivingMissDaisy:
But a lot of firms will tell you to use your night out money for parking if you want to park up somewhere “proper”.
And that is a ■■■■ take in my eyes. Night out money is not for parking, it’s payment for sleeping away from home in a tin box & the greater productivity you offer the company in return as a result.
Night out money has morphed into part of the wages now in the eyes of too many.
When we stopped in digs, by the time you’d paid for your bed and breakfast, had an evening meal and a pint you’d spent it all, and often more.
The advent of sleeper cabs saw drivers being able to pocket most of the night out money, indeed those who did nights out made the same decent money as day trunkers, but took home another £60 to £100 a week due to N/O allowances, the rates i see being discussed here it seems most doing nights out end up taking no more home than those sleeping in their own beds at home.
A few firms I know are paying €75 a day plus €25 night out , but if your parked for a 24 or 45 you just get paid your night out money, on the plus side you get a nice motor to drive.
On the subject of night out money…
Why do drivers think that it is part of the wage they draw each week?
Friend of mine does on average 3-4 nights out per week, and the following week when he’s drawn his wage, he always says, “I drew £500 this week plus my night out money of 3 nights at £20, making a wage of £560.”
“Errr… no. You drew £500.”
We always have the same argument whereby I always tell him if he was on holiday, or doing day runs, he wouldn’t get the night out money as part of his holiday pay, but he can’t seem to grasp it, and argues about it every week. 
Ken.
bigtruck:
A few firms I know are paying €75 a day plus €25 night out , but if your parked for a 24 or 45 you just get paid your night out money, on the plus side you get a nice motor to drive.
That’s good of them, your 75 yoyos day rate is taxable and your 25 yoyos night out money is tax free which equates to roughly 75 yoyos a day including nights out, not great if you are doing 9 hours a day but really bad if you are doing 3 x 15s a week and 25 yoyos a day for being weekended, fantastic. Where do I sign up to drive a “nice” motor! 
We get £25 for a night out plus what you paid for parking in cash when you get back to the yard which isnt bad considering the places I have worked on the agency.
Jeff.