Susie Jones
Nyheder og opdateringer • 2 min læsning

Inde i Formula Premier Truckstop: Udforskning af deres succes og forhold til SNAP

Oprettet: 07.08.2025

Opdateret: 07.08.2025

I Ellesmere Port, et stenkast fra M53, ligger [Formula Premier Truckstop] (https://www.formulaservices.co.uk/). Stedet blev kåret til UK's Truckstop of the Year 2023 og er blevet en fast favorit blandt lastbilchauffører. Som en hyldest til deres forbindelse til Formel 1 (stedet leverede engang brændstof til racerbiler over hele verden) er truckstoppet indhyllet i den ikoniske røde farve, og der er masser af sportsmemorabilia, som kan holde de besøgende beskæftiget i timevis.

De fejrer 10-års jubilæum, og vi har sat os ned med driftschef Ash Evans for at tale om alt fra nye faciliteter og bæredygtighedsmål til chaufførernes velfærd og deres forhold til SNAP.

"Vi har fungeret som truckstop i de sidste 10 år. Vi er åbne for alle lastbilchauffører, store som små, rigide og arktiske. Vi har en tankstation, der er åben, så længe du har et brændstofkort," forklarer Ash.

Faciliteter

Pladsen er vært for en række fantastiske faciliteter, der giver lastbilchauffører et hjem væk fra hjemmet.

"Vi har omkring 150 pladser, en restaurant på stedet, et fitnesscenter og toiletter til både mænd og kvinder. Vi forsøger at inkludere så meget som muligt i prisen for parkering," siger Ash.

Da vi bliver vist rundt på pladsen, går vi gennem et dedikeret spillerum, der er udstyret med pool og bordtennisbord, et loungeområde med massagestole og et væld af spillekonsoller, der kan hjælpe chaufføren med at slappe af efter en lang vagt. På den mere praktiske side tilbyder stedet vaskefaciliteter, et fitnesscenter og et køkkenområde, hvor man kan lave hjemmelavede måltider. De, der ikke har lyst til at lave mad efter en dag bag rattet, kan benytte sig af stedets restaurant, som nu tilbyder SNAP-måltidskuponer.

"De er altid på udkig efter måder at forbedre stedet på. De faciliteter, de har, gør det til et behageligt sted for chaufførerne. Det gør chaufførernes rejse meget sikrere og lettere, når de ved, at de har den slags faciliteter for enden af rejsen."

- Stuart Willetts, UK Business Development Manager hos SNAP.

For nylig renoverede stedet sine kvindefaciliteter med topmoderne, spa-lignende vaskerum. Opgraderingen omfattede også et kønsneutralt toilet- og bruserum - begge områder er aflåst for at sikre tryghed og sikkerhed.

*"Vi har fået rigtig god feedback på de nye faciliteter og en stor stigning i antallet af kvindelige chauffører på stedet, hvilket er godt at se", forklarer Ash.

Oplev de nye faciliteter hos Formula gennem vores quickfire Q&A med Ash.

Hvordan SNAP har gavnet Formula

Ash og teamet har et tæt forhold til Stuart Willetts, en af SNAP's UK Business Development Managers, som altid er klar ved telefonrøret til at gennemgå eventuelle spørgsmål.

*"Det forhold, vi har til SNAP, og som vi har haft i en årrække nu, afspejler virkelig, hvor gode I er til det, I gør", siger Ash.

Ash forklarer, hvordan det at tilbyde SNAP-måltidskuponer ikke kun har været til gavn for chaufførerne, men også for stedet:

*"I de senere år har noget af det bedste været indførelsen af måltidskuponer gennem SNAP. Det plejede at være lidt negativt blandt bilisterne ikke at have dette tilbud. Det er en stor fordel, at de kan få et måltid sammen med deres parkering og ikke selv skal betale for det.

*Det har været rigtig godt med hensyn til kundetilfredshed og opbygning af omsætning."

Chaufførens velbefindende

Chaufførernes trivsel har været et varmt diskussionsemne i branchen i lang tid. Med en selvmordsrate blandt lastbilchauffører, der er 20 % højere end landsgennemsnittet, spiller truckstops en vigtig rolle i at forbedre chaufførernes velfærd. Noget, som Ash mener, ikke burde være svært for et truckstop at opnå:

*"Chauffører vil ikke have en masse. De vil have et godt, rent sted at vaske sig, barbere sig, gøre det, de skal, og få et godt måltid mad. Det er ikke et stort krav for nogen, og det burde heller ikke være et stort krav for en virksomhed at stille det til rådighed for dem."

Det har bestemt været et centralt fokus for Formula, og det har påvirket alt fra deres faciliteter og løbende forbedringer til sikkerheden for dem, der parkerer.

*"Vi har ANPR, 80 CCTV-kameraer, et hegn hele vejen rundt, en luftsluse og bemandet sikkerhed 24 timer i døgnet", siger Ash.

Branchen har en lang vej at gå, og Formula Truck Stop sætter barren højt. Vi spurgte Ash, hvad branchen kan gøre for at hjælpe med chaufførernes trivsel:

*"Det største, de kan gøre, er at lave flere rastepladser, der opfylder den moderne chaufførs ønsker og behov, og som har gode faciliteter. Vi er alle nødt til at blive ved med at presse på for at få det til at ske."

Noget, som Stuart kun er alt for klar over skal ske, da hans rolle i SNAP giver ham mulighed for at sætte sig ind i de daglige udfordringer, som lastbilchauffører står over for:

"En af fordelene ved min rolle er, at vi altid er på farten. Så vi får en fornemmelse af, hvordan det er for chaufførerne at køre rundt hele tiden og have brug for en pause sidst på dagen. Det giver os en smule empati og sympati for chaufførerne. Det giver os mulighed for at se vores servicepartnere med en ægte indsigt i, hvad chaufførerne skal håndtere."

Fremtidig vækst

Truckstoppet er kommet langt siden sin ydmyge begyndelse. Med SNAPs hjælp til at strømline driften har stedet kunnet koncentrere sig om at udvide og forfølge sine bæredygtighedsmål. Med over 195.000 lastbilchauffører på SNAP-netværket var stedet nødt til at tilføje et overfyldt parkeringsområde med 50 ekstra pladser for at imødekomme den stigende efterspørgsel.

Sitet fokuserer nu på deres bæredygtighedsmål, forklarer Ash:

"Vi arbejder i øjeblikket på et par projekter, og et af dem er et nyt varmtvands- og varmesystem, som vil bruge en luftvarmepumpe og være virkelig energieffektivt.

*Vi har også fået installeret solpaneler i år for at hjælpe med vores CO2-reduktion."

Bliv en del af SNAPs voksende netværk

Er du blevet inspireret af det, du lige har læst? [Start din succeshistorie med SNAP i dag] (https://snapacc.com/sign-up/).

Se hele interviewet med [Formula Truckstop på vores YouTube-kanal] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ZdgNd1DDE&t=1s).

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