Motorway Services

I agree that there is a problem with there not being enough spaces on motorway services. What I try to do is stop on one of the newer ones which seem to be better. I don't have a list but the M40 ones seem OK and I avoid all the older ones on the M1 and M6 

What a nice person getting someone the sack. Well done you.

We have very mixed results on motorway services. Some have specific Caravan parking but you often find others using it and some put you in with the lorries which in most cases works but some can be a problem.

If we need to stop and we do not know the ones ahead we would take one slightly early and check it out and move on if we do not like it. We have done that a few times as it looks the only way for us.

as a hgv driver I find safe and good parking a real problem the don't drive tired thing as been going on a while but nothing gets done we have to take breaks by law I see more hgvs parking on hard shoulder just outside motorway services because there is no room to park it will get worse not better in my opinion

I put on a previous motorway thread that we drove into Stafford North caravan parking area at lunchtime last year to find the area chock full of HGVs in fact we got hemmed in and couldn't leave. We could see there was a big problem for the drivers, not their fault and one of them apologised to us.

For us with our motorhomes or caravans it is probably better to time stops away from the main break times for drivers. I realise HGVers are driving 24 hrs but perhaps someone with HGV experience could suggest times to avoid, obviously 12-1pm is one of them! 

so as a hgv driver if I see a caravan parked in a hgv space who do I complain too hope your happy you got some one the sack

What utter garbage.... never happened. You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking it 

I would say that might depend on whether there actually IS designated caravan parking (HGV free) as it seems to me the majority of MWay Services don't have caravan parking.  I wouldn't complain even if I might spit!  But I would SO like to get those small cars banned from the caravan park! 

So apart from 12 - 1 are there any other busy times for us to avoid if possible?

I would think that any time is busy as HGV drivers have to take legal stops,so it could be anytime during the day depends on when they started after their previose break and traffic holdups

Last year I stopped at Taunton Deane (no designated Cvan spaces) at about 12.45 and it was totally chockablock lorries double parking and all sorts - I squeezed into a small space - but by 1.15 it was virtually empty.  Same applies at Leicester Forest too - but I realise they have staggered stopping times to a certain extent.