The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said opening new fulfilment centres without sufficient HGV parking will put lorry drivers at even greater risk of being targeted by criminal gangs, writes Carol Millett.
Amazon is to open two centres in Hull and Northampton in the next 12 months with two more due to be completed in the East Midlands in 2027.
Greggs and Tesco have also announced plans for major fulfilment centres in Wellingborough and at DP World London Gateway, respectively.
RHA managing director Richard Smith said there are concerning reports that there won’t be sufficient HGV parking facilities built in support of Amazon’s four new fulfilment centres.
“Sites in Hull and Northampton will open in the next twelve months, with two more due to be completed in the East Midlands in 2027,” he said.
“But a lack of parking facilities in the plans means more truckers being left without safe and secure spaces overnight, and vulnerable to attacks by organised gangs.
“There are also plans for similar ventures for Greggs in Wellingborough (2027) and Tesco at DP World London Gateway (2029).
“There’s already a shortage of 11,000 safe and secure lorry parking spaces across the country as freight crime continues to thrive. More than £110m of goods were stolen last year alone as the total cost of freight crime to the economy has topped £1bn since 2020.
“Lorry drivers deserve to feel safe at work yet they remain easy targets for gangs looking to make good money from stealing goods and fuel.
“With a dearth of parking in many parts of the country, drivers are left parked in isolated, insecure spots like laybys and industrial estates, making them a low-risk, high-reward option for these criminals.
RHA has joined forces with The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) and the All Party Parliamentary group (APPG) for Freight and Logistics to campaign for better protection for truck drivers from freight crime, and the APPG chair Rachel Taylor MP is set to present the second reading of her Freight Crime Bill in Parliament in September.
He said: “We continue to call for a specific freight crime code to help the authorities better tackle it, stiffer sentences and increased funding for NaVCIS.
“We have also campaigned for and subsequently backed the government’s policy to ease planning rules, which will ensure facilities can be delivered quicker.
“But in the meantime, thousands of drivers every night are still left without somewhere safe and secure to park. And our industry should be concerned when large distribution centres are being built without the facilities to support the drivers delivering to and from them.
“Industry, government and local authorities must accommodate the needs of the drivers who play a vital role in making these centres work – and ensure that sufficient safe and secure lorry parking feature as a non-negotiable in their plans.”
