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Truckstops are a vital part of a driver's life. Having somewhere secure to park up, with all the facilities that you need is somewhat better than pulling over in a layby. 

Last year the J38 truckstop near Tebay on the M6 reopened its doors after a £500,000 refurbishment and operations manager Sandra Counter is keen to listen to drivers' ideas about the site set-up. Counter is  responsible for the site including security and health and safety and works closely with the truckstop's fuel and retail managers.

There are two shops on site: one on the forecourt that is aimed more at the truckers, and the second, a village shop, which is more of a convenience store and off licence for the local community.

Counter is responsible for the financial targets, auditing and all the staffing and recruitment. "I also do all the checking around the park, both inside and out. I then report everything back to the directors."

The site can park 88 trucks overnight, although they come and go all day as well. Counter says security is a big issue with drivers. "We've put a lot of time and work into our security. We've just added a security barrier at the entrance and we have CCTV and flood lighting. We have sent off all the relevant paperwork and been inspected for a Park Mark award."

Drivers want to sleep when they come in and park. Counter says: "We  have separate parking for refrigerated vehicles because they make a fair amount of noise. We also have a dedicated bay away from the main park for trailer changes. We've done this after feedback from the drivers that the noise prevents them sleeping."

The refurbishment enabled Counter and her team to take a lot of the drivers' recommendations on board. One such suggestion was about the food. "We now mainly serve home-made food. We have repeat drivers coming in for breakfast and then coming in the evening for their main meal. I'm responsible for the menu and try to change them daily. We use beef and lamb from our farm and the drivers love the puddings. We've also put in a salad bar. I think drivers are becoming more health conscious."

But rather than just sit back and wait for the drivers to make suggestions, Counter visits other truckstops to see what they do. "Once upon a time they all had greasy spoons, but not any more. Drivers are not that type and they're looking for good, cheap, food because they're out five nights of the week."

Counter tries to make the business as competitive as possible as she knows there are other local truckstops. "We've introduced a loyalty card for drivers, so if they buy nine breakfasts they get the 10th free. We've had a good uptake of that."

When drivers fill up with fuel on the forecourt they are given a £1 food voucher if they buy 200 litres and £1.50 if they buy 400 litres, which they can spend in the restaurant. Counter says these incentives, together with the refurbishment, have enticed a lot of drivers back in the past year.

Overnight parking at the site costs £8 and drivers get a £2 food voucher to use in the restaurant and use of the showers. The site is open from 6.30am to 10pm on weekdays and to 7.30pm at the weekends. The fuel service is available 24 hours a day.

The truckstop has a bar area that Counter describes as a focal point for the drivers. "They don't drink a lot of alcohol, but it's a meeting point. There's also a large TV. They've been on the road on their own all day, so a lot of drivers come in to meet up. The staff are friendly and there is a family atmosphere. The staff make friends with the drivers."

Counter says she sees drivers from all nationalities. "Although we don't have information up in different languages a lot of the staff can speak several languages. I try to employ local people though."

To ensure she has a full understanding of the business, Counter works a mixture of shifts. "I try to work the late shift and the early shift so I get feedback from the drivers at different times of the day. There is a driver questionnaire and we try to respond to all the suggestions we get."

Counter is working on one suggestion. "We've had a request to put up a mast because the TV reception is poor in this area and the drivers like to watch their portable TVs in their cabs. And I will look into it."

Overall, she says the aim is to be as friendly as possible and listen to the drivers to try to make it a home from home.