The campaign from Chippenham Pit Stop was the subject of an article and Facebook Post from the RHA, which triggered some heated responses from drivers.
The Road Haulage Association’s post touched on the long-term effects of dehydration, urged drivers to drink more water to stay healthy, and also promoted the use of refillable water bottles to help the environment.
The well-intentioned campaign, however, might have backfired going by the reaction from some drivers.
“I have enough trouble finding ladies facilities, most services shut the doors overnight, I don’t drink enough at work for that reason,” replied one driver.
It is, of course, not only a ladies-only issue. Another driver replied:
“No free water fountains. Hardly any services. Lay-bys being closed…. Don’t they think we would drink more if we could? Some of us have health issues that cause us to go more than normal anyway. We gonna be parked up toddling all day!”
One driver sarcastically added:
“With very few places to stop now, I would need a tanker behind me if I had to drink the recommended amount of water per day.”
Putting jokes aside, the well-known issue regarding a shortage of roadside facilities is still far from being solved.
In April, the Department for Transport allocated £20 million to improve roadside facilities for HGV drivers, but the transportation industry soon raised concerns that the funding just won’t be enough for the kind of improvements drivers crave.
In fairness to the RHA, they have been heavily promoting a petition to improve and expand roadside facilities. It nonetheless remains to be seen how effective the campaign will be.