Trucking Magazine – July 2019

OPERATING ADVICE SECURE PARKING

16 TRUCKING Summer 2019 http://www.truckingmag.co.uk

SECURE

PARKING

CRISIS

According to shocking cargo theft statistics, Britain is in the

grip of a grave shortage of secure truck parking sites. Here,

we look at what operators and drivers can do to keep

themselves, their trucks and their cargo safe

By Andrew Goodwin, Certas Energy

PHOTOGRAPHY CERTAS ENERGY

There’s much operators

and drivers can do to

boost cargo safety

T

he UK is facing a secure

parking crisis. Nearly 40 per

cent of HGV drivers park off-

site in lay-bys or industrial/

retail parks, and government

has identified over 1411 parking spaces

are required immediately to cope with

current demand. As well as exacerbating

Health and Safety concerns, the lack of

available parking and rest spaces is

making drivers vulnerable to crime.

Cargo theft overwhelmingly occurs in

off-site locations such as lay-bys or

industrial estates, where thieves employ

slash-and-grab tactics to steal from

parked HGVs with soft-sided trailers.

With 56 per cent of all cargo thefts

within Europe occurring in the UK, and

road freight crime costing the UK

economy up to £250 million a

year, it is clear more

must be done to address

the secure parking

shortage and help keep

trucks, drivers and

their cargo safe.

These figures may paint a bleak

picture, but growing awareness of this

national issue points to a brighter future

• one where transport operators,
  drivers and haulage industry
  stakeholders all have a part
  to play. So where are the
  greatest parking
  pressure points, what
  can drivers do to stay
  safe, and how can
  transport operators
  reduce the risk of
  cargo theft?

The state of

the nation

Developed for the Department of

Transport in 2017, the most recent study

on capacity and demand for truck

spaces across the UK’s strategic road

network is the National Survey of Lorry

Parking. The survey reveals that while

the number of vehicles parked overnight

has risen by 36 per cent, the amount of

on-site spaces (located in truck parks

including motorway service areas

(MSAs)) only increased by 14 per cent.

While the demand and utilisation of

truck parking varies across the country,

it is clear capacity is struggling to meet

demand. Spaces in the East of England,

West Midlands and South East are

road freight crime costing the UK

economy up to £250 million a

must be done to address

• one where transport operators,
  drivers and haulage industry
  stakeholders all have a part
  to play. So where are the
  greatest parking
  pressure points, what

reduce the risk of

cargo theft?

The state of

the nation

Andrew Goodwin is

national bunker manager

at Certas Energy