I like to pull into a B&Q car park if I can, its usually after they close and Im away before they start. Slightly off topic here but a warning. Long time ago I stopped in a large empty car park in Leeds, in the morning went to fire up the truck and the battery was dead. Then it dawned on me that people were starting to come into the car park to park their cars, oddly they were dotted about all over the place. I found out they were allocated spaces and pretty soon it was going to be impossible for me to drive out. I managed to find a local garage and they were brilliant, fitter rushed down with jump leads and we got the truck fired up, another 10 minutes and I would have been stuck there all day.
One other recollection of a car park in a tiny village in ■■■■■■■■ empty. Parked up had my grub and hit the sack. At 11.00 a circus turned up (really) a very irrate man pointed to a tiny sign on the wall which said that the car park was reserved for the circus to park up if required. It was impossible to see it unless you hunted for it so I went into bolshie mode and told them I could not legally move the truck. Made them get a (very nice but confused) copper, got him to write and sign on my tacho that he was authorising me to move a mile down the road, which he did.
Phil
A couple of years ago, i was working for a subbie pulling Acumen trls out of Purfleet and Dartford. If i was at Dartford in the evening, and next days trl was not in, used to go solo to asda store at Dartford and park on carpark,along with all Dutch / Belgian units.Was told on the grapevine that the manager didn’t mind as long as you didn’t take trls in,and kept the area tidy.most of us went in ada to do shopping.don’t know if this is still the case.I agree, all these park & rides could be used as truck parks.Did i not hear, there was talk of using the one at Norwich, as they were closing the cattle market park ?
KW:
I also think large parking area’s like the NEC are wasted,all that parking area empty overnight as well as between exhibitions.
Surely places such as football stadiums could also open up their large parking areas.
When I was on the buses I very often used to stop on Morrisons car-park in Crewe on my way back to the yard after the morning part of my ‘split’ shift, for something to eat/whatever. I’d leave the bus well out of the way etc etc, but after a couple of weeks Morrisons got on the phone saying that the car park wasn’t designed to support the weight of heavy vehicles, and that First Bus would be receiving the bill if I damaged anything.
Maybe it’s the weight issue more than anything? I see where they’re coming from with it.
I have seen in Ashford Tesco J10, popular shopping for betz drivers! 
Tesco have banned the lorries for enter car parking so they instead stay parking in bus laybay then running over to Tesco for quick shopping then return jet off but again traffic warden always be there and fine for parking in bus laybay. i notice betz lorries parking M20 J10 exit slip (heading Dover) the drivers walk sneak the bush for throu to tesco for shopping. now Police add the concrete block on hard shoulder exit slip mean no more parking for lorries!!!
Ashford J9 Sainsbury Car Park, its popular for irish lorries and some Eastern bloc lorries. no problem so far at moment. they parking in backyard delivery bay loading area not in customer car park
there is now a height barrier in place at asda dartford, certain elements of drivers took their trailers in & made a mess with rubbish etc, although a polish driver went in there one night & didnt look up, they soon replaced the barrier, so thats another parking place lost.
paul