A new UK initiative is aiming to tackle one of the road transport industry’s biggest challenges by turning underused depot parking spaces into a nationwide network of secure HGV parking.
The Park Safe Network has been developed as a collaborative platform that allows haulage operators with spare secure parking capacity to share those spaces with other members. Rather than building new truck stops, the scheme makes use of existing secure yards, helping to increase overnight parking capacity while improving driver safety and reducing reliance on lay-bys and motorway service areas.
The concept comes at a time when the UK continues to face a shortage of secure lorry parking. The Department for Transport identified around 16,700 on-site HGV parking spaces in England in its last national survey and is carrying out a new assessment to understand current demand and capacity. Government has also invested millions of pounds in upgrading truck stops, highlighting the continuing need for more secure parking provision.
David McMurray, Managing Director of Park Safe and McMurrays Haulage, believes the answer is already sitting behind the gates of many transport depots.
“The concept is straightforward,” he said.
“Hauliers with spare secure parking spaces make them available to other Park Safe members through a simple online platform.
“Drivers can book a secure parking space in seconds, while integrated technology can automatically open secure site gates at authorised locations.
“Artificial intelligence is also being incorporated to make the booking process and driver experience as straightforward as possible.”
Making Better Use of Existing Infrastructure
Unlike traditional truck parking developments, Park Safe does not require the construction of new facilities. Instead, it connects operators that already have secure yards with businesses and drivers looking for safe overnight parking.
The platform is designed as a membership network where every participating company can both provide parking spaces and book them elsewhere when required. This reciprocal model aims to expand secure parking capacity across the country using infrastructure that already exists. During its launch phase, the platform has also been offered free of charge to encourage early adoption.
The approach could prove particularly valuable for operators running nationwide fleets whose drivers regularly need overnight parking away from their own depots.
How Park Safe Works
Park Safe has developed a cloud-based booking platform that enables transport companies to manage both their available parking spaces and their driver bookings through a single account.
Companies joining the network register their depots, specify the number of available parking bays and provide site instructions. Drivers can then search for available locations, reserve a parking space and receive booking confirmation before arriving.
One of the platform’s more innovative features is its automated arrival system. Rather than requiring drivers to wait for site staff, authorised drivers simply telephone the designated site access number on arrival. The system identifies their booking from their registered phone number and automatically alerts the yard, with compatible sites able to integrate automatic gate opening technology.
The platform also includes ratings and reviews, live booking management, maps, notifications and reporting tools for operators, while artificial intelligence is being introduced to further simplify the booking process.
Who Can Join?
Park Safe has been developed primarily for UK haulage operators, fleet businesses and depot owners with secure parking facilities.
Membership combines both parking provision and parking access, meaning companies can make unused spaces available to other members while also giving their own drivers access to secure overnight parking across the wider network.
The company says the registration process covers both the operator’s fleet and its parking facilities through a single application, creating one unified membership rather than separate accounts for parking providers and users.
Addressing a Long-Standing Industry Problem
Finding secure overnight parking remains one of the biggest operational headaches for HGV operators. Drivers frequently face full motorway service areas, expensive commercial truck parks or the prospect of parking in lay-bys or industrial estates when driving hours expire.
The shortage has implications far beyond driver convenience. Secure parking helps protect valuable freight, reduces the risk of cargo theft, improves driver welfare and supports compliance with drivers’ hours regulations.
By unlocking unused private depot capacity, Park Safe hopes to create a scalable alternative that benefits both site owners and visiting operators without requiring significant new infrastructure investment.
If widely adopted, the shared parking model could complement existing truck stops and government investment programmes while making better use of facilities that already exist throughout the UK’s haulage sector.
As McMurray concludes, the aim is simple: create an easier, technology-driven way for operators to help each other solve the UK’s secure truck parking shortage.
