Is it just me, or has the situation recently and suddenly got much worse with truck stops being full very early? I didn’t get in to J26 M25 twice before 7pm last week, hardly late in.
I have noticed it, Cobham is full up by 17.00 , the same for Cklacket Lane with our EU cousins on rest periods or waiting for ferry or train bookings .
Some places you need to book a space.
The Red Lion and The Hollies fill up fast.
Lincoln farm the same .
More trucks on the road and less parking places = difficult to find parking space.
If drivers are starting at stupid o clock, their time will be up earlier in the day.
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right, as I don’t usually ever start before 5.30/6 am.
robroy:
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right,
Handy that your employer and customers supply everything you need FOC 
then rather than relying on others to provide it FOC
speedyguy:
robroy:
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right,Handy that your employer and customers supply everything you need FOC
You what?
robroy:
If drivers are starting at stupid o clock, their time will be up earlier in the day.
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right, as I don’t usually ever start before 5.30/6 am.
Didn’t realise you work nights Rob. 
I’m pushed to get up before 7 most days. I much prefer to drive an hour or two after the evening rush. I have my tea (dinner for posh people) during rush hour. I love watching the rats sit in their tin cans, crawling g by at 2mph, whilst I enjoy my home cooked meal ( fridge and microwave must be best inventions ever 
).
the nodding donkey:
speedyguy:
robroy:
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right,Handy that your employer and customers supply everything you need FOC
You what?
+1 
the nodding donkey:
robroy:
If drivers are starting at stupid o clock, their time will be up earlier in the day.
Don’t use MSAs ever, or truckstops often, but I would have no chance if what you say is right, as I don’t usually ever start before 5.30/6 am.Didn’t realise you work nights Rob.
I’m pushed to get up before 7 most days. I much prefer to drive an hour or two after the evening rush. I have my tea (dinner for posh people) during rush hour. I love watching the rats sit in their tin cans, crawling g by at 2mph, whilst I enjoy my home cooked meal ( fridge and microwave must be best inventions ever
You know what mate ? I’m at the stage now where I could not begin to raise the required amount of enthusiasm to make my arse do the move from bunk to seat any earlier than 5.30ish.
If that makes me lazy in any of the Haulageheroe’s eyes, …ok I’m ■■■■ lazy.
However I do not think that is so. I’ve done all the 2to3 am starts in my career that I ever want to do again, I now just laugh at these guys that treat the job as an endurance test 
, after having seen the light and aquired more sense as I get older.
In a nutshell, I just can’t be arsed 
I don’t know why large arable or dairy farms don’t make some extra cash for Lgv parking in their farms, most have acres of hard standing concrete aprons, the wives could set up a hot food van, Portaloo and a shower block or neither .
It would be secure as nobody can see you.
Most farms have a pub in walking distance, they could shuttle drivers back and forth for a fiver .
toby1234abc:
I don’t know why large arable or dairy farms don’t make some extra cash for Lgv parking in their farms, most have acres of hard standing concrete aprons, the wives could set up a hot food van, Portaloo and a shower block or neither .
It would be secure as nobody can see you.
Most farms have a pub in walking distance, they could shuttle drivers back and forth for a fiver .
I reckon that the farmers already have enough on their plates clearing up the crap from one set of animals without importing another set.
Probably.
toby1234abc:
I don’t know why large arable or dairy farms don’t make some extra cash for Lgv parking in their farms, most have acres of hard standing concrete aprons, the wives could set up a hot food van, Portaloo and a shower block or neither .
It would be secure as nobody can see you.
Most farms have a pub in walking distance, they could shuttle drivers back and forth for a fiver .
Yeh and if the required number of trucks did not turn up over the year, they could claim compensation from the EU and/or government, …they’re good at that are farmers.
Regularly start at 8am and the odd day it’s 6am and Iv noticed it can be hit and miss with most places.
Like now I’m in Carlisle truckstop, pulled in at 17:50 to find 6 spaces left weirdly only five Stobarts Iv seen here to.
Last couple months I picked a chosen few places I will park for the night as I know there will more than likely be a space or 2 by the time I get there, plus other reasons to park there as well.
On the subject of Truckstops, some of them are downright bloody dangerous. Lincoln Farm and Red Lion are 2 examples.
If one truck caught fire, they are so tightly parked up like sardines in a tin, that you would not be able to get out as it spread, especially sleeping drivers just waking up by it…if they do that is. 
Yeah that’s true or the other way the parking is bad that only have the place is actually got trucks in it!
Stopped at Tibshelf northbound today for my break and I was the only wagon that had is front bumper on the White line (or once was a white line) as seen everyone else was 4 - 8ft back from it into the space behind.
Then they moan they can’t pull straight out as someone has parked across from them along the roadway, well if you wasn’t half on each parking space maybe he would of parked behind you?
Got too rugby late last week , said no places so got them to haul a empty tri out , it’s a bloody joke the amount of tris dumped in there
robroy:
On the subject of Truckstops, some of them are downright bloody dangerous. Lincoln Farm and Red Lion are 2 examples.
If one truck caught fire, they are so tightly parked up like sardines in a tin, that you would not be able to get out as it spread, especially sleeping drivers just waking up by it…if they do that is.
I’ve thought that as well at jct 26 truckstop.
Depends on what day of the week it is. Was down at Cobham last week on Wednesday evening and it was dead. Managed to grab a real good spot that meant I could just drive out at 04:30am. Starting stupidly early can have its own set of problems.
Disco Street:
Regularly start at 8am and the odd day it’s 6am and Iv noticed it can be hit and miss with most places.Like now I’m in Carlisle truckstop, .
They’re doing groundworks in there so alot less parking space than usual.
toby1234abc:
I don’t know why large arable or dairy farms don’t make some extra cash for Lgv parking in their farms, most have acres of hard standing concrete aprons, the wives could set up a hot food van, Portaloo and a shower block or neither .
It would be secure as nobody can see you.
Most farms have a pub in walking distance, they could shuttle drivers back and forth for a fiver .
Yeah, like this would really go down well with the locals - fridge motors on still summer evenings and jams in the village.
Not to mention the teenage pregnancies.
I can hear the sound of pitchforks being sharpened as I write.
Nice try, Tobe, but not thought through. Really.