Was in Warwick southbound services today, I watched a Spanish guy sweep out the back of his trailer, the effort he put into making sure none of the debris fell on the floor and it all went into a bag which he then took to the bins was an example to everyone, why can’t every body be like that,
The MSA’s would be a far cleaner enviroment to use then.
About 2 miles past Cobham this morning, under a bridge was a flip flopski with curtains around. Are they blind or stupid?
Muckaway:
About 2 miles past Cobham this morning, under a bridge was a flip flopski with curtains around. Are they blind or stupid?
This really gets on my wick. Apparently they get shafted for tacho infringements back home, so they pull up where they like.
Clamp them, £200 release fee.
Normally Wab’s or Betz all over the M25.
Matt Hopkins:
Hello all,I’m an Architecture Student currently looking at Motorway Service Stations and the life of the Trucker, been told this is a good place to get started.
So a couple of questions:
What doesn’t work with current Service stations?
What do Truckers need/want to have at Service Stations?
I’m currently concentrating on Membury Services along the M4, if anyone has anything particular about that area.
Any thoughts, suggestions or photos would be great.
Just to finish I would like to say Truck drivers are a bloody important cog in the UK economy and I think they should be better provided for on the roads.
Thanks
Matt
What’s wanted?
Lots of surrounding land (for parking the truck!), so we can take a 45 openly, and not ■■■■ about taking a sneaky break on the derv pumps. 
Winseer:
What’s wanted?
Lots of surrounding land (for parking the truck!), so we can take a 45 openly, and not ■■■■ about taking a sneaky break on the derv pumps.
How much is land per acre round the M25 to extend the service areas 
The old service areas are landlocked and held to ransom on price buying the land next to them to expand no?
One thing that bugs me is the road markings. Why do they seem to set up traffic flow to make life harder for wagons? I will never understand why, at the exit from the fuel station, it is usually the HGV that has to give way to cars 
I have to stop, then haul 44 tonnes up to motorway speeds before joining the motorway. Wouldn’t it be easier for the cars to stop and let us keep rolling?
dafpower:
Cut the kid some slack mike this guy could potentially change msa’s.
As far as i can see i havn’t been in anyway derogotary, harsh, rude or anything?
An architect could potentially change MSA’s ? How, they only need to be a level layer of tarmac, with a bog, fuel, spares and some basic essentials like drink, food?
speedyguy:
Winseer:
What’s wanted?
Lots of surrounding land (for parking the truck!), so we can take a 45 openly, and not ■■■■ about taking a sneaky break on the derv pumps.How much is land per acre round the M25 to extend the service areas
The old service areas are landlocked and held to ransom on price buying the land next to them to expand no?
The compulsory purchase option seems to be able to knock house prices down to what the developer wants to pay. It should be the same in this scenario?
Mike-C:
speedyguy:
Winseer:
What’s wanted?
Lots of surrounding land (for parking the truck!), so we can take a 45 openly, and not ■■■■ about taking a sneaky break on the derv pumps.How much is land per acre round the M25 to extend the service areas
The old service areas are landlocked and held to ransom on price buying the land next to them to expand no?
The compulsory purchase option seems to be able to knock house prices down to what the developer wants to pay. It should be the same in this scenario?
Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen, I could do a bit of digging to find out why, The govt ain’t interested as they got rid of most of their interest to the private sector in '92.
Any bits of undeveloped land left or unbuilt from compulsory purchase have to be disposed of under Crichel downs rules. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichel_Down_affair
Good signage, I will admit I have driven into MSA’s and sat there eating my KFC and realised I have not got a clue what way is out 
speedyguy:
Mike-C:
speedyguy:
Winseer:
What’s wanted?
Lots of surrounding land (for parking the truck!), so we can take a 45 openly, and not ■■■■ about taking a sneaky break on the derv pumps.How much is land per acre round the M25 to extend the service areas
The old service areas are landlocked and held to ransom on price buying the land next to them to expand no?
The compulsory purchase option seems to be able to knock house prices down to what the developer wants to pay. It should be the same in this scenario?
Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen, I could do a bit of digging to find out why, The govt ain’t interested as they got rid of most of their interest to the private sector in '92.
Any bits of undeveloped land left or unbuilt from compulsory purchase have to be disposed of under Crichel downs rules. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichel_Down_affair
No , i’ll take your word for it. I don’t mean to take this too far off topic but what happened or is happening to the “rest areas”, “picnic areas” or whatever they where called as an alternative too, or alongside what we know as an MSA, has that been shelved now? Just wondering if you’ve heard any updates on it?
Does not matter if the best truck stop ever is built, the drivers will mess it up…
rambo19:
Does not matter if the best truck stop ever is built, the drivers will mess it up…
Thats exactly the reason for throwing ideas around. If people are ■■■■■■■ in the car park then it might be considered to have the toilets more accesible. If people are breaking taps, then yes you might get the automatic things that we just put our hands under like now. They’re crap to fill a sink up and don’t even have a pug if you want to get a shave etc…
So yes thats why any input does matter.
what would make a difference to me would be…
- inexpensive food of reasonable quality.
- decent amount of showers (free with parking)
- urinals in the parking area.
- separate parking for reefers.
- design the service area in the centre like a hub with parking areas around it so no one has to walk far to get to it.
- free wifi that covers the parking area.
Drift:
Good signage, I will admit I have driven into MSA’s and sat there eating my KFC and realised I have not got a clue what way is out
KFC Cobham - they don’t seem to have a clue what you ordered either. More than once I’ve walked back to my truck, opened my daddymeal box, and found a kiddy meal with popcorn chicken or whatever those orange plinker-like balls are supposed to be. 
First on my list would be pull through parking spaces, lots of them too. This will minimise the risk of damage and stop drivers reversing into spaces with their reversing beeper (which has the same sound as an alarm clock) blaring out.
The parking should be behind a gate and fenced off to offer some security, cctv cameras and regular patrols to prevent the wrong people getting in and also to ensure those inside behave in a civilised manner should also be a priority.
A café style food outlet, woth a decent variety on the menu, where you can get reasonably priced, freshly cooked food and sit at a table to eat it.
Maintained showers that are cleaned after each use.
Not strictly MSA related, but the change that would make me happiest would be if we were allowed to park overnight in town centre car parks again, as we always used to be. I never used to use MSAs at all, preferring to come off the motorway and find somewhere to park within reach of pubs, restaurants and public loos. But I suppose that’s outside the remit of this thread.
Mike -C, i think they have shelved the rest area idea.
On the French Autoroute they are called “Aire de repos” and are located every 20 or 30 miles.
Free parking,loos and the site is set quite far from the motorway,so you can sleep in peace.
Most are in a forest and have footpaths.
They knew about driver fatique and huge gaps between the main service areas so built these handy little stops.
As normal,the UK is 20 years behind the times.
I agree with the post about wetherby services, last time I parked in there for a 45 it took me nearly as long to get out of the place as the queuing wagons for the diesel pumps back up into the parking area and you can’t get out
My main annoyance is the state of the shower facilities in most services. You pay through the nose to park up for the night and then have to put up with showers I probably wouldn’t wash my dog in. Not to mention if there are one of 2 drivers waiting you have to stand around in the toilets looking like a ■■■ while you wait.
The walk doesn’t really bother me but how about in the winter months when you never see a coach enter the services, can’t the coach parking areas be used by lorries? Burtonwood services on the M62 is a prime example,go in there probably twice a week at least coming out of Liverpool,I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coach in their parking area.
Glad you’re looking at Membury. It’s a good example of a cramped parking area with narrow parking bays. I’ve seen a number of mirrors damaged and more near-misses, where drivers have struggled to get out of a space with other trucks either side and infront. I avoid the center of the hgv parking area at Membury as if it were quick sand!!
So, more thought is needed in planning parking spaces.
I’d also like to see hgv parking and fueling areas concreted, rather than tarmaced. Although more expensive, longer to lay and requiring better drainage, I think it would save money in the long run.
A good point I find with Membury is the easy access from both car and hgv/coach parking areas from either side of the main building.
Showers are a largely neglected area of msa’s. The shower rooms should be cleaned regularly and properly (including drains), the rooms large enough and preferably divided so you can keep your clothes dry and there should be enough showers to cope with busy times. Chippenham truckstop is a great example of how the showers should be (imo). Good value too, I don’t mind paying a reasonable amount to use a good clean shower.