Almost half of lorry drivers are unhappy with the quality and number of HGV truck stops across England, according to a new survey from independent watchdog Transport Focus.
It’s Lorry Driver Facilities Survey found that another 50% believe facilities have got worse over the past 12 months, writes Carol Millett, with drivers revealing that they often don’t feel welcome, safe or able to get a decent meal or proper rest at many truckstops.
Researchers surveyed more than 7,000 lorry drivers about their experience at a third of all motorway services, ‘A-road’ services and truck stops in England. The remaining sites will be included in the next two years of the survey.
Top performing site was the Formula Truck Stop in Ellesmere Port, followed by three other independent lorry parks – Skelmersdale Truckstop, Sutterton Truckstop and Junction 23 Lorry Park.
Moto sites made up the bottom five worst sites; Moto Woolley Edge North, Moto Severn View, Moto Lancaster South, Moto Birch East and Moto Chieveley.
Less than two in five lorry drivers said they were satisfied with the number of stopping places available in the UK, which often meant using roadside laybys and trading estates without access to welfare facilities.
One lorry driver said: “I’m shattered when I get to truck stops and want a nice shower, healthy food and good sleep. Some truck stops offer only unhealthy food, and the showers and toilets are dirty so it’s just making my life so upsetting and stressful and I end up not getting any sleep and I feel terrible.”
Another lorry driver commented: “We need more safe and secure parking. There is a massive shortage of available parking and certainly secure parking. Load and fuel thefts are at an all-time high and nothing seems to be getting done about it.”
One female lorry driver commented: “The only shower is in the men’s bathroom. More and more female lorry drivers are driving now, we shouldn’t have to go in the men’s bathroom to shower.”
Alex Robertson, Transport Focus chief executive, said: “Lorry drivers are crucial to the economy, transporting goods across the country to fill supermarkets shelves and get medical supplies to hospitals.
“Many of us take for granted our ability to use the toilet, make a hot drink and get a proper rest when we need to. But for lorry drivers, these basic needs often aren’t being met.
“Our new research shows the scale of the problem that persists and that’s why we are bringing government and industry together to develop a long-term solution so we can keep our lorries, and the people who drive them, moving safely.”
Transport Focus is calling for four key areas to be addressed:
- Better and consistent quality of services – work must be done to drive up standards and ensure consistent quality of facilities across sites.
- Parking capacity that meets demand – there should be a sustained focus on increasing parking capacity and lorry driver facilities in the right places to ensure that availability meets the growing demand.
- Safety and security for drivers and vehicles – standards must be improved, particularly at sites where there are security concerns, so that drivers and loads are safe and feel safe.
- Providing a welcoming environment – the approach of some services, which leaves lorry drivers feeling less valued than other customers, must be challenged.
These results come ahead of a roundtable next year, hosted by Transport Focus, which will gather government, truck stop owners, motorway service operators, trade associations and the wider roads industry to develop a long-term solution to keep lorries, and the people who drive them, moving safely.
Best Truckstop
- Formula Truck Stop in Ellesmere Port
Worst Truckstop
- Moto Woolley Edge North
