TruckerWannabe123:
I’ve heard of UK truckers having to wash themselves with wet wipes and take a crap in a bucket because they just park alongside the road and not at a dedicated truck stop, is this true?
Hmmm ok, genuine post or wind up…
I reckon option 2, but I’ll humour you anyway.
All I’ll say to you is don’t believe everything that you have heard.
Yes it’s a genuine question. If truckers just park alongside the road during the nights then where do they wash and do their business? Are there dedicated truck stops with laundromat, showers, canteens etc in the UK like in north america? In north america is virtually unheard of to just park on the side of the street.
Can you tell me of some truck stop companies like Flying J or Petro Pass?
As Harry says, the facilities are crap over here compared to mainland Europe, and presumably the US.
There are a few truckstops around, but most are below average to what would be considered ideal, …but that is depending on your own personal standards I suppose,…some are better than others, put it that way.
There is an acute shortage of proper parking places as well as proper truckstops.
Not ALL truckers as you said… ‘just park beside the road’
The ones with more initiative, imagination and idea will make the most out of a bad situation, and find their own ‘little places’ near facilities, such as ind ests near a town, retail parks and the like, where they can buy a decent meal, and for shops pubs etc, and get a shower at one of their delivery points, or use an MSA for such.
The ones with little initiative, imagination and idea just settle for over expensive poor food MSAs, or unsuitable lay bys as a first and only option,( neither being option for me personally unless I find myself totally desperate,).so I cannot answer your question on how they deal with toilet and washing issues, you best ask one of those guys.
Have not got a clue what you are referring to in your last paragraph…and still not fully convinced you are genuine tbh.
When he says find somewhere to park near facilities what he means is using the likes of a McDonald’s or Tesco toilet to go and have a shave in and chuck some water over your face etc. Would you call having to walk 5-10 mins to a public toilet to wash yourself in facilities cos I wouldn’t. Nah, truckers aren’t looked after in the U.K. by the government, the hauliers they work for, or the industry as a whole.
Not at.all bud, your name just rang a bell…I’ve a good memory.
While you’re on can I ask you how you feel that you are qualified to speak up for me when you don’t even know me nor anything about me, other than what I’ve posted on here.
But…
Seeing as you’re interested, (and to correct you), I’ve never washed at either Tescos or McDs in my life.
If you’re really interested, I’ll get a shower, shave and bog at an unloading point, or an MSA on route to park up.
The facilities I referred to were pubs cafes or restaurants to get a good meal.
Hope that helped.
Any more info you require on my life, do not hesitate to ask…(just to keep your posts accurate you understand )
chester:
a lot of Lorry drivers don’t grasp social skills as easily as infants.
Sadly I cannot disagree with that point, and unfortunately for those of us who do not act like tramps and pigs whilst out on the road, we are all unfairly tarred with the same brush.
One of the many reasons, (if not the main one,) why there is an acute shortage of parking places, and an explanation as to why there is a reluctance amongst the powers that be to provide new ones.
Just look at all the crap, rubbish, ■■■■ bottles and general mess left in lay bys and ind ests, which illustrates my point.
whilst I totally agree with your comment about all the crap left in lay bys, the one that pee’s me off is when there are bins there and they are overflowing and surrounded by rubbish where people have done the right thing but the councils cant be arsed to empty them
TruckerWannabe123:
I’m guessing because the UK is nowhere near as large as north america, there isn’t really much demand for these kinds of services?
There is plenty of demand for these services, as soon as a new truck stop like Leeming Bar or Glews at Goole is built it is rammed full every week night within a couple of weeks of opening once word spreads.
What there is plenty of is a lack of is local authorities willing to grant planning permission for such places, the locals often objecting to any planning application even though, like Glews, it may be nowhere near their town but even a couple of miles away is too close for them.
spike78:
Not sure if it’s me being a bit simple here …
But what the hell is OTR trucking ■■
Over The Rainbow?
On The Rob ?
Over Time Ruined ?
Over The Road. I think the nearest equivalent translation we would have is “long-distance continental work”. OTR describes driving all across the USA rather than doing local work.
spike78:
Not sure if it’s me being a bit simple here …
But what the hell is OTR trucking ■■
Over The Rainbow?
On The Rob ?
Over Time Ruined ?
Over The Road. I think the nearest equivalent translation we would have is “long-distance continental work”. OTR describes driving all across the USA rather than doing local work.
I think that link does give a fairly good description of OTR, a fantastic experience for a young single driver with no home commitments who wants to see as much of the US as possible.
I’ve been there myself before the kids came along, albeit with ultra long haul European work rather than in the US and to be honest they were the happiest and most memorable times of my 30+ year driving career. If I come back in the next life I might give the US a go.
TruckerWannabe123:
I’m guessing because the UK is nowhere near as large as north america, there isn’t really much demand for these kinds of services?
There is plenty of demand for these services, as soon as a new truck stop like Leeming Bar or Glews at Goole is built it is rammed full every week night within a couple of weeks of opening once word spreads.
What there is plenty of is a lack of is local authorities willing to grant planning permission for such places, the locals often objecting to any planning application even though, like Glews, it may be nowhere near their town but even a couple of miles away is too close for them.
100% right with that. Even the dreadful truckstops are full every night, you don’t need to actually provide anything decent, just parking (can be like a quarry or a quagmire, doesn’t matter) and a plate of beige food will do.
No one cares about truck drivers and what they need except truck drivers.
TruckerWannabe123:
Yes it’s a genuine question. If truckers just park alongside the road during the nights then where do they wash and do their business? Are there dedicated truck stops with laundromat, showers, canteens etc in the UK like in north america? In north america is virtually unheard of to just park on the side of the street.
There are a few truckstops in the UK but generally facilities are very poor. I’ve never been to the US so I can’t comment about that, but in mainland Europe it’s a totally different world when it comes to driving a truck, with excellent facilities everywhere, Centre Routiers in France, Autohofs in Germany etc.
I’m not sure why it is so different in the UK, possibly the price of land makes it uneconomical to operate a truckstop?
I can say for certain that I won’t do nights out any more, not because facilities have become any worse but simply because I have become too old to tolerate them.
Because in Eu most motorway have tool road.Every singly truck pay 100-200eiro per day.In Uk truck pay just Ved tax some 500 per years.All shower in Eu 3 quid.Wc 0.70.
I think that link does give a fairly good description of OTR, a fantastic experience for a young single driver with no home commitments who wants to see as much of the US as possible.
I’ve been there myself before the kids came along, albeit with ultra long haul European work rather than in the US and to be honest they were the happiest and most memorable times of my 30+ year driving career. If I come back in the next life I might give the US a go.
I think you answered this on the first page but I just wanted to double check. In today’s trucking scene, is it very difficult to get a tramping / OTR job in the UK which takes you all over Europe? Or perhaps just France and Germany for example? I’m thinking perhaps delivering cars?
I think that link does give a fairly good description of OTR, a fantastic experience for a young single driver with no home commitments who wants to see as much of the US as possible.
I’ve been there myself before the kids came along, albeit with ultra long haul European work rather than in the US and to be honest they were the happiest and most memorable times of my 30+ year driving career. If I come back in the next life I might give the US a go.
I think you answered this on the first page but I just wanted to double check. In today’s trucking scene, is it very difficult to get a tramping / OTR job in the UK which takes you all over Europe? Or perhaps just France and Germany for example? I’m thinking perhaps delivering cars?
Yes, very difficult. In fact it’s virtually impossible. Even UK drivers with 30 years experience driving in Europe would find it virtually impossible, it’s all done by eastern Europeans now. Whether this might change in the future I couldn’t say, but for now that is what it is.
Thats bit weird you said that. I just been called last week by my agency to do a run into France in a class2 lol. Had to turn it down though, dont fancy leaving missus with the kids for too long on their own
Oh and mind You, I consider myself as a new driver only passed a year ago
