Almost two-thirds of truckers are unhappy with the number and quality of facilities in the UK, according to a new Transport Focus survey.
The increase in dissatisfaction compared with the previous year, comes as the commercial fleet sector faces significant staffing challenges and despite Government investment in facilities.
The UK logistics industry contributes around £170 billion to the national economy, employs more than 8% of the workforce and plays a crucial role in supporting the Government’s growth objectives.
With freight crime estimated to cost around £700 million annually, ensuring drivers have consistent access to secure, high-quality facilities is essential for protecting this vital sector and sustaining economic growth, says Transport Focus.
Its Lorry Drivers’ Facilities Survey, which has gathered insights from over 13,000 HGV drivers over the past two years, highlights the strong connection between drivers’ ability to rest and how safe they feel.
Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, said: “Lorry drivers play a vital role delivering goods we all rely on right across the country. They need access to high quality facilities to rest for their own wellbeing but also because of the safety critical nature of that role. These findings clearly show the link between feeling safe and secure and being able to rest properly.”
However, while welcoming recent investment in improving security at services, she explained that ‘things can take time to make an impact’.
“It is important that the industry maintains focus and continues working together to introduce improvements which will help change driver perceptions,” she added.
