Campaign highlight September 2025 – driver facilities

The sector contributes £170 billion to the economy each year, is one of the UK’s largest employers, providing good jobs with strong career progression – 2.7 million people (8% of the UK workforce) are employed in logistics roles1. The road freight sector facilitates 80% of billion tonne kilometres of domestic freight2, with drivers essential in making this happen. Drivers deserve to be able to go about their vital work without risk to their safety, their health and their mental health, and as part of this having access to parking and facilities is critical.  

In 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) reported in the National survey of lorry parking that the provision of lorry parking at on-site facilities was nearly atcritical level, having reached 83% utilisation level across the network3. In the same year, a DfT study by Aecom looked at overnight lorry parking within five kilometres of motorways and major A roads in England. They reached an average of 21,234 parked lorries each night, which was 4,473 more than the then capacity of secure lorry parks (16,761)4.  

As a highly compliant and regulated industry, HGV drivers are required to adhere to strict rules around driving times and rest provision, but due to a lack of safe and secure parking, they are often forced to take their rest periods in their vehicles at the side of the road or at unsuitable locations where there is no access to hygiene facilities, nor safety provision.  

This has a significant impact on the mental health of drivers, increases risk, and creates a barrier to entering the profession and decreases the retention of trained individuals. Therefore, resolving this issue is critical.  

Looking at findings from the more recently published Logistics and Coach survey annual report 2024/25, published by Transport Focus, data shows overall, satisfaction with England’s motorways and major A roads remains low. Over five years of the survey, satisfaction has declined from 55% to 36%.  

Yet, whilst overall satisfaction is declining, the number of stopping places for drivers received the highest positive rating, though still only 19% (vs 52% ‘poor’). For value for money, facility quality and vehicle security, nearly half of respondents rated these as ‘very poor’. 

These findings demonstrate that facilities are still falling short of the standard where they need to be.  

To address this, since December 2023, National Highways, jointly with industry, has invested £26 million in improvements to lorry parking facilities through its Lorry Parking Facilities Improvement Fund. By March 2025, this investment delivered 323 additional parking spaces nationwide, directly responding to feedback about the need for safe, secure rest areas.  

Last month, Logistics UK held a Scottish Parliament round table on driver facilities, chaired by Sue Webber MSP, Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport. Other attendees included Dr Claire Baker MSP, Scottish Labour Transport Spokesperson, Transport Scotland, and Scottish logistics operators. 

Logistics UK is calling for a national review of lorry parking in Scotland, integration of lorry parking into planning policy, a freight crime code so we can better understand the nature and scale of freight crime, and working with members to develop mutual operator networks for drivers to take their rest breaks.   

There are examples of excellent facilities, where drivers feel valued, have access to healthy food and a good standard of hygiene facilities, but we need to see even more of them across the strategic road network. We need safe and secure facilities and a crime code for freight crime, to prevent organised crime and to protect drivers.   

It is also critical to have clean, fit for purpose facilities, because that is what drivers deserve. 

Logistics UK will continue to work with key stakeholders and members to tackle the issue of improving driver facilities and put an end to freight crime.

The sector contributes £170 billion to the economy each year, is one of the UK’s largest employers, providing good jobs with strong career progression – 2.7 million people (8% of the UK workforce) are employed in logistics roles1. The road freight sector facilitates 80% of billion tonne kilometres of domestic freight2, with drivers essential in making this happen. Drivers deserve to be able to go about their vital work without risk to their safety, their health and their mental health and as part of this having access to parking and facilities is critical.  

In 2022, the Department for Transport reported in the National survey of Lorry parking that the provision of lorry parking at on-site facilities was nearly at critical level, having reached 83% utilisation level across the network3. In the same year, a DfT study by Aecom looked at overnight lorry parking within five kilometres of motorways and major A roads in England. They reached an average of 21,234 parked lorries each night, which was 4,473 more than the then capacity of secure car parks (16,761)4.  

As a highly compliant and regulated industry, HGV drivers are required to adhere to strict rules around driving times and rest provision, but due to a lack of safe and secure parking, they are often forced to take their rest periods in their vehicles at the side of the road or at unsuitable locations where there is no access to hygiene facilities, nor safety provision.  

This has a significant impact on the mental health of drivers, increases risk, and creates a barrier to entering the profession and decreases the retention of trained individuals. Therefore, resolving this issue is critical.  

Looking at findings from the more recently published Logistics and Coach survey annual report 2024/25, published by Transport Focus, data shows overall, satisfaction with England’s motorways and major A roads remains low. Over five years of the survey, satisfaction has declined from 55% to 36%.  

Yet, whilst overall satisfaction is declining, the number of stopping places for drivers received the highest positive rating, though still only 19% (vs 52% ‘poor’). For value for money, facility quality and vehicle security, nearly half of respondents rated these as ‘very poor’. 

These findings demonstrate that facilities are still falling short of the standard where they need to be.  

To address this, since December 2023, National Highways, jointly with industry, has invested £26 million in improvements to lorry parking facilities through its Lorry Parking Facilities Improvement Fund. By March 2025, this investment delivered 323 additional parking spaces nationwide, directly responding to feedback about the need for safe, secure rest areas.  

Last month, Logistics UK held a Scottish Parliament round table on driver facilities, chaired by Sue Webber MSP, Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Transport. Other attendees included Dr Claire Baker MSP, Scottish Labour Transport Spokesperson, Transport Scotland, and Scottish logistics operators. 

Logistics UK is calling for a national review of lorry parking in Scotland, integration of lorry parking into planning policy, a freight crime code so we can better understand the nature and scale of freight crime and so sentencing guidelines accurately reflect the organised nature of these crimes. We are alsoworking with members to develop mutual operator networks for drivers to take their rest breaks.   

There are examples of excellent facilities, where drivers feel valued, have access to healthy food and a good standard of hygiene facilities, but we need to see even more of them across the strategic road network. We need safe and secure facilities and a crime code for freight crime, to prevent organised crime and to protect drivers.   

It is critical we have clean, fit for purpose facilities, because that is what drivers deserve. 

Logistics UK will continue to work with key stakeholders and members to tackle the issue of improving driver facilities and put an end to freight crime.