Transport Focus has just published the results of its latest Lorry Drivers’ Facilities Survey showing increased dissatisfaction among HGV drivers and reveals a strong connection between how safe drivers feel when parked up and their ability to rest properly.
Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director, provides his analysis of the current situation and outlines what still needs to be done:
Image: RHA
Lorry driver dissatisfaction with roadside facilities has jumped from 49% to 62% in the last year, a new Transport Focus report reveals. The independent watchdog also found that 61% say there aren’t enough suitable places to stop (up from 49% last year).
More safe and secure parking remains one of our key priorities, and we’ve made some headway over the last couple of years through campaigning for government funding and planning reform.
Yet, perception and lived experience are king, and by that measure this survey tells us we’re losing ground.
The connection between security and driver wellbeing couldn’t be clearer: nine out of ten truckers who rated security as good said they could rest properly, while six out of ten who saw security as poor said they couldn’t.
This insight comes as freight crime continues to plague our industry, with the value of goods stolen from lorries soaring by nearly two-thirds in 2024 to £111.5m. The more truckers forced to park in unsecured locations – including some poorly appointed lorry parks – the more opportunities for organised crime gangs to target them. Simple equation.
We must prioritise driver wellbeing. Truckers deserve to feel, and to be, safe out on the road. No one should go to work fearing they could be robbed or worse. Having access to decent toilets, showers and food choices when they pitch up for the night shouldn’t be too much to ask either. Yet as this report reminds us, there’s a long way to go.
We must also acknowledge the impact poor roadside facilities have cumulatively as we face a huge recruitment and retention challenge. Worryingly, around 100,000 working-age lorry drivers have allowed their Driver Qualification Card (DCQ) to lapse in the last year – that’s one in six – and not enough people are coming in behind them.
We warned in February that we need 40,000 new lorry drivers a year for the next five years to meet demand. Last month we revised that figure up to 60,000 as the challenge to get more people behind the wheel increases.
Yesterday, we published a report we co-authored with Women in Transport which examines generational expectations about the workplace and career paths. The headline is that the industry needs to adapt – and quickly – to better match people’s aspirations amid these challenges, which is why we issued a number of concrete recommendations businesses can take to make themselves more attractive to would-be recruits.
Poor driver facilities are part of that problem, and something government, industry and others must solve together. There’s been progress, but the pace of change isn’t fast enough. Reluctant local authorities still drag their heels on giving the green light to new facilities as planning red tape continues to frustrate developers, while thousands of lorry drivers will have nowhere safe and secure to sleep tonight.
The true test of the progress we’re all making is the driver perspective. This survey tells us loud and clear that truckers are far less satisfied with roadside facilities than they were even a year ago. This is a timely warning against complacency and inertia – and we must all heed it.
