Get the basics right to improve lorry drivers’ experiences

10 August 2022

They keep the country fed and supplied, but lorry drivers say getting food for themselves on the road is harder.

Lorry drivers play a vital role transporting goods to ensure we have everything we need as a society. They are key users of the road network and rely on roadside facilitates to do their job.

Earlier this year Transport Focus spoke to just under 2000 lorry drivers as part of its work in developing a new survey to measure the experience of lorry drivers when they are using roadside facilities on England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said:

“We all depend on lorry drivers to transport various everyday essentials. Like all drivers, lorry drivers need to be able to safely stop and rest.

“This insight will help ensure investment in new and improved facilities delivers the right results.”

This was a pilot survey where we visited a sample of sites, therefore is not intended to be representative of all facilities. However, there were some useful key findings, which we intend to explore further as we develop our plans to launch a full-scale survey:

Drivers told us:

• their needs are fairly straightforward – they stop because it’s a legal requirement, to rest, eat and use the toilet
• only one in five lorry drivers interviewed were satisfied with the number and quality of facilities available to them in the UK
• truck stops have a good reputation among drivers who say they are welcoming and meet lorry drivers needs
• a core driver of satisfaction is feeling valued, something that been eroded over time, particularly during the height of the pandemic
• they want improvements to factors that affect them such as food security and parking.

Ends

Read the report here.