UK’s largest truck stop turns away up to 100 lorries a night

Ashford International Truckstop in Kent is planning to expand as demand for HGV parking continues to outstrip the capacity of the site. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), which is holding an industry visit to the facility on 16 September, describes Ashford as the largest truck stop in the UK, with a nominal maximum capacity of 660 trucks.

However, CILT says the number of vehicles at the site can on occasion reach 112% of that capacity, while trucks “often have to be turned away”. It adds that plans for expansion are under development, although no details have yet been published on the proposed additional capacity. If calculated against its stated 660-space capacity, 112% would represent approximately 739 trucks on the site.

Ashford International Truckstop itself currently advertises 660 secure HGV parking spaces. Located near the M20, around 22 miles from the Port of Dover and close to the Channel Tunnel, the facility is particularly important for international road freight moving through Kent.

Up to 100 trucks turned away a night

Evidence that Ashford has been struggling with demand predates the latest CILT disclosure. Minutes from a November 2025 meeting of the Ashford Economic Development Group record a presentation by Luke Mullaney of property and development company GSE, which is involved in truck-stop development in Kent.

According to the minutes, Mullaney told the group that Ashford International Truck Stop was operating at 100% capacity and turning away between 40 and 100 trucks every night. The same presentation estimated that Kent required a further 1,000 HGV parking spaces and outlined a proposal for a new truck stop and holding area at the A20 Court Wood Interchange near Dover.

The figures underline the particular pressure on parking infrastructure in Kent, the main road-freight gateway between Britain and continental Europe.

England still short of thousands of HGV spaces

The pressure at Ashford comes against a longstanding shortage of suitable overnight HGV parking across England. The Department for Transport’s most recent completed National Survey of Lorry Parking, based on March 2022 data, identified an average shortage of around 4,500 HGV parking spaces across England. The survey counted 16,761 on-site HGV parking spaces nationally.

A new national survey is now under way and is due to be published in autumn 2026, providing an updated picture of parking capacity, security and driver welfare provision. Government and industry are meanwhile investing up to £35.7 million through the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme to increase parking provision and improve security and welfare facilities. This is in addition to up to £30 million of joint investment by National Highways and industry at facilities along the strategic road network.

For Ashford, however, the latest figures suggest that even one of the country’s largest purpose-built HGV parking facilities is no longer sufficient to meet demand at peak periods.

CILT has not disclosed how many additional parking spaces are being considered as part of the planned expansion or when a proposal could be submitted.