New Safe Truck Park Regulations
Road transport is an important part of European supply chains with Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) transporting goods worth billions of euros every day. The economy of Europe relies on these transportation systems to maintain consistent supply of goods and services. Despite the importance of this sector, there seems to be a lack of quality standards when it comes to working conditions for drivers and security level of truck parks. These problems lead to a decrease in job attractiveness, and thus, demand for recruitment, which is a negative influence on the industry. To solve these issues, The European Union has attempted to improve the quality of European truck parks. The European Commission (EC) introduced the EU-Parking Standard for Safe and Secure Truck Parking Areas (SSTPAs) in 2018, including points regarding both security and service. In April 2022, they proposed even more measures to get closer to their goal. It seems like truck parks will need to tick a lot of boxes to be considered safe and secure, as well as to obtain funding.
What are the new measures?
The EC has introduced new measures that truck parks need to comply with in order to obtain necessary assessments and certifications. These are in alignment with the Mobility Package, which are the newly approved rules aiming to enhance the working conditions of drivers, avoid illegal activities in road transport, procure fair competition, and ensure equal pay. The EC intends to lay a strong foundation of minimum standards for truck parks and coordinate consistent and satisfactory operations all over Europe. This interconnected framework will also involve compatible information communication and technology (ICT) solutions to modernize the systems.
Here are the five main measures that the EC will require from truck parks:
- Food and beverage options: In addition to snacks and drinks that are available 24/7, dining areas will be required as well.
- Gender-friendly sanitary facilities: These include gender-specific toilets and showers, along with hot water taps and hand soap. Daily cleaning and inspection are also mandatory for these facilities.
- Communication connections: Internet should be free to use for drivers.
- Availability of emergency contact points and procedures: Precautions should be taken to assure safe traffic movement. Plus, the emergency contacts should be provided at least in English, also demonstrated with easily understandable graphics.
- Power supply: Power outlets should be accessible for personal use. Moreover, there should be electric charging stations compatible with refrigerated vehicles by December 31, 2026.
Furthermore, four security levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze) are introduced as well, which will be dependent on factors such as entry & exit procedures, security guards, and CCTV cameras. These will help clarify how secure both new and existing parking areas are.
“The EU-Parking Standard provides measures for truck parking areas which give a minimum requirement of service and security measures for drivers. The idea is to have safety, security, quality, connectivity and care in providing services to professional truck drivers when using safe and secure truck parking areas. It is why we push our members to certify their truck parking areas according to the EU-Parking Standard and have used it as a basis criteria for our ESPORG Excellence in Truck Parking Award.” says Dirk Penasse, General Manager of the European Secure Parking Organisation (ESPORG), which was one of the driving forces behind the study that created the EU-Parking Standard.
What can you do about it now?
It is important to fulfill these requirements as early as possible. While the first four of them are relatively easier to complete, the fifth one, i.e. electric charging infrastructure for refrigerated vehicles, is the one that will make a difference. Refrigerated vehicles are a core element of the supply chain, as they are responsible for delivering frozen and refrigerated products in compliance with health and safety rules on a daily basis. Due to their crucial importance and the current lack of available parking places for them, the EC decided to prioritize their operations and expect all the safe and secure truck parks to offer electric cooling stations for these vehicles.
What you can do now is find out what type of refrigerated vehicle charging infrastructure would be the best option for your truck park, and start planning their installation. This is an important step to not only earn the title of a “safe and secure truck park” by the EU, but also to attract more drivers to your location. 2026 might seem like a far date, but early birds are always rewarded.
How can NomadPower help you?
NomadPower offers complete installation and mobile payment services for refrigerated vehicles and e-truck charging infrastructure. In addition to finding the ideal pedestal for your park, we will guide you on how to install and show you how to best administer your system. Our pedestals do not require any employee support, drivers can easily activate them through a click on our app, pay for their usage, and stop it when they are done. All you have to do is sit back and see the revenue coming in via your own operator portal. You can stay in control of all the sessions by checking real-time energy consumption through your account.
NomadPower can help you earn the qualification of a safe and secure truck park, as well as preparing you for the future of the industry. Electric trucks are coming in fast, and they will start dominating the sector before we know it. By investing in NomadPower charging stations, you can be ready for this revolution and be one of the first truck parks to offer e-truck charging.
If you are interested in our service, but do not have the means to make the investment yourself yet, we would be happy to invest as well. In that case, we would bear the cost of the pedestals and install them in your park, while you can enjoy a cut of the revenue and receive more guests as a result of the NomadPower brand recognition. You can reach us at info@nomadpower.eu and +31 85 2012781 to discuss business opportunities more in detail.
Source: