Why Do Truck Stop Buildings Matter For Long Haul Drivers?

The United Kingdom would grind to a halt without the work of the hundreds of thousands of HGV drivers who operate across the country, including those that travel in and out of Continental Europe.

There are roughly 270,000 HGV drivers according to data from the Office for National Statistics, and given the difficulties of long-distance driving, having adequate rest facilities is vital for safety and comfort reasons.

Over the past few years, particularly when social distancing rules limited their use, truck stop buildings have become a major point of contention and discussion, and it is clear that more buildings with more comprehensive facilities are essential for the future of logistics in the UK.

To understand why, it is important to know what a typical truck stop looks like, what amenities they contain and why none of these facilities are optional.

What Is A Truck Stop?

Officially a designated rest stop, the broadest definition of a truck stop is that it is a place where drivers can legally stop their trucks and rest.

Whilst the term has more firm definitions and a level of service in other parts of the world, in the UK there is no distinction between truck stops and other rest stops and service stations.

This means that the quality and availability of services can be particularly variable, particularly for HGV-facing services. This can be a problem at motorway services but is even more of a problem at rest stops on A-roads and lay-bys.

What Do Truck Stops Need?

Officially, motorway service stations are required to provide the following:

• A fuel station supplying petrol, diesel and electricity.
• Free parking, with a separate area for HGVs and abnormal-load lorries.
• Free toilets, hand-washing and shower facilities.
• Breastfeeding and baby-changing areas.
• Access to a free-to-use telephone
• Hot drinks and hot food.
• WiFi internet access and charging points for electronic devices

However, beyond these legal requirements, an adequate truck stop also requires several other facilities in order to ensure that drivers are accommodated for as much as possible.

There needs to be adequate changing facilities, which are often connected to the toilets and shower facilities, as well as a lounge area for drivers to relax in.

Alongside these, a laundrette or other facility for washing clothes is essential, as well as an area for drivers to comfortably and securely wait for their clothes to finish washing and drying in the machine.

As well as this, adequate security in the form of perimeter fencing for the HGV area, on-site security, CCTV cameras and adequate lighting is essential for protecting valuable HGVs and their cargo.

Finally, a sleeping area is important, as whilst some HGV fleets feature a sleeper cab and some drivers prefer to use their own facilities, not every driver will have access to this, and day cab drivers will not be allowed to sleep in the cab.

Beyond these required facilities, many truck stops and service stations go further, offering fitness rooms, recreational areas or nearby walking areas.

Why Do Good Services Matter?

Besides the more universal rule that every working person has the right to the facilities they need to do their job to the best of their ability, there are many pragmatic reasons why providing adequate rest facilities for HGV drivers is essential.

The first is legality; aside from the facilities service stations must legally provide, drivers are only legally allowed to drive for a certain number of hours without taking a break and can only drive a certain number of hours a day and must have “adequate rest” before driving again.

Drivers cannot rest without the facilities which enable them to do so safely and securely, which means that a lack of available facilities may force them to break the law in order to find somewhere they can stop.

Tiredness can be extremely dangerous, and anything that contributes to this fatigue is increasingly unacceptable in a world more reliant on a constantly moving supply chain.

Facilities have been improving in recent years to accommodate technological benefits as well as the growing needs of the 24-hour logistics world.

A notable example of this is that until 2013, service stations were not required to offer hot food at all times. They needed to provide hot drinks to ensure drivers stayed warm and stayed alert, as well as snack options, but it took until just over a decade ago for round-the-clock food to be available at major service stations.

They also enable a community of peers to develop; many of the first transport cafes were essential for meetings between lorry drivers unions and having adequate facilities allows drivers to network.