The enterprising family team who operate the Chippenham Pit Stop on the M4 in Wiltshire are on a mission to make it the most outstanding commercial vehicle rest area in the UK as far as hard pressed and often unappreciated drivers are concerned.
And while a new outside exercise area has just opened for those wanting to fight the flab after sitting in a cab all day, trial new flexi fitness classes are being considered subject to demand.
Work is also in hand to upgrade the pit stop restaurant, the convenience store is being extended and there is even a resident barber on site.
It is the Chippenham Pit Stop’s positive response to the crisis in the transport industry which is facing a 50,000 to 60,00 shortfall in the number of licensed heavy goods vehicle drivers urgently needed to keep Britain’s domestic, commercial and industrial economy on the road.
Managing Director David Hatherell said the trouble was that with long unhealthy hours behind the wheel, high levels of stress involved in reaching destinations on time plus nights spent away from home, nobody wanted to be an HGV driver any more.
“Now we are doing all we can to ease the pressure on drivers by making our Chippenham Pit Stop just off junction 17 of the M4, a real home from home for all our customers,” he said.
“Provision of piping hot showers in a spotless environment followed by a good quality, good value meal in spacious, comfortable and friendly surroundings are our customers top priorities, said David.
“But there has to be more to life on the road than that which is why we are adopting a more holistic approach by introducing the exercise equipment and will arrange yoga and tai chi,” if there is a demand,” he said.
His wife and fellow director Lisa, a former nurse, said a decision to change their name from the Truck Stop to the Chippenham Pit Stop had not been by chance.
“The pit crew have to work as an integral team to get that car back out there so likewise every member of our team, be it family owners or staff need to focus and deliver what our customers need,” she said.
“Most of us are probably at best indifferent to professional drivers or at worst we discriminate against them as the perpetrators of transport problems and misery on our roads yet most of what we are looking at right now was delivered by one of them,” said Lisa.
“When they drive into the Chippenhan Pit Stop we appreciate that most have had a long, hard, tiring and stressful day and that some can understandably be irritable and that is why we always give them a warm and courteous welcome,” she said.
The family ethos certainly seems to be working because overnight stopovers are currently running at around 80 per cent capacity.
