Experienced long-distance truckie Sonja White has had enough of being fobbed off by service stations and local councils failing to police truck parking policies.
The latest servo in the truckie’s cross-hairs is the busy Epping BP in Melbourne where the jostling for slots has got so bad, White and her two-up partner Craig Brumpton, were forced this week to detour 15km away to the Bunker Hill Shell for a shower.
They then had go even further up the road to another parking bay for the fatigue break because that spot was too noisy to park up their B-double for the night.
“It’s just bullshit and no one is doing anything to stop it,” said a frustrated White, who drives from Brisbane to Melbourne each week.
“BP Epping is full of local trucks and large work vans blocking interstate truck drivers from parking up for our rest breaks because they have parked up and gone home.
“In the mornings, they come back to the BP to get their trucks and vans, then park their cars in the same spot while they are work leaving us, the interstate truck drivers with nowhere to park.”
White said when she confronted one tipper driver about the issue this week he told her his boss had an arrangement with the BP for parking.
“This isn’t just happening here, it’s all over Australia. How are we supposed to have our fatigue breaks when this is going on?”
When Big Rigs called the Epping station for answers, the manager was away until Sunday, but we understand that the issue has been on-going for a number of months, and has only worsened during Covid.
Big Rigs also understands that the BP station authorised the local Whittlesea Council to police the parking restrictions – trucks are allowed for eight hours – but they are a no-show, leaving staff no choice but to look the other way.
Whittlesea Council has been approached for comment.
“A couple of weeks ago, I rang BP head office to tell them about it and was told they’d address the issue and get back to me,” added White.
“I never heard a word from them.”