Welcome to Truckers Stammtisch

 Press release - 7th October 2009

The Central Motorway Police Group are today launching a short DVD to be given to drivers at Stammtisch events - called ParkWise.

The aim of ParkWise is to warn both UK and and non-UK truckers of bthe dangers of inappropriate parking, putting themselves at risk of losing their load, or even worse being attacked.

PC Steve Rounds said 'Truck driver's on occassions are their own worst enemy by parking up for the night, or even taking a break in layby's or roads off motorway junctions.  These area's may seem inviting enough during the day, but come the dark hours driver's can often find themselves isolated.' 

The criminal gangs that prey on truckers know the locations where truckers lay up and they target the vehicles for the valuable loads that are being carried, particularly inside curtainside trailers.

The ParkWise DVD is about 7 minutes long and will be played in the driver's rest area's on the ferries and Eurostar trains and shows how criminals target driver's who choose not to use well lit and secure motorway service area's and other truck parks, in favour of the 'free' option. 

Targetting mainly non-UK driver's who may be unaware of the risk of crime, ParkWise shows how driver's can be lured from their cabs by bogus officials.  Using nothing more than a flourescent coat, a criminal aims to pass himself off as a secuirity guard, telling the driver that an attempt has been made on the rear doors of his trailer.  When the driver gets out to examine the damage, a van roars up and the driver is bundled in the back, kidnapped and his truck and it's load stolen by an accomplise.

This scenario has been played out many times in the past, with driver'susually being abandoned many miles from the scene of the crime, without money and perhaps more importantly a mobile phone to call for help.

Unless a driver is 100% sure that a person who approaches his vehicle is genuine, be they a security guard or police officer, the driver should remain in the cab and lock the doors and call the police using 999 or 112.  These emergency numbers will work on foreign mobile phones and will be relayed to the police controlroom for the area where that driver is, by means of the cell network.

All a driver then needs to give is their location, a road name or number and a town will narrow the search and mean that police officers can be on scene in a matter of minutes.

 Before you park up - check up, on your location.  Look at your map book, satnav or GPS systems and write it down.

Be Wise - ParkWise

An unmarked car with a magnetic blue flashing lamps pulls in front of a truck on the motorway and directs the truck onto the hard shoulder - the driver complies.  An 'officer' in a flourescent coat tells the driver to follow and the truck driver is lead to a desrted trading estate where he is grabbed as he gets out to talk to the bogus officers and bundled into a van and kidnapped.

 Do not follow anyone off the motorway unless you are 100% sure that they are police or VOSA.  Check out the vehicle carefully, is it the type of vehicle that you would expect the police to use in that area of the country.  Does the livery match the county or area you are in, and check out how many people are inside the vehicle.  The Police and VOSA Stoppers rarely operate with more than two officers, so be wary of vehicles containing three or more people.

If in doubt call 999 or 112 and speak to the police.  The controlroom staff will be from the area you are currently in and will know if the vehicle trying to stop you is a genuine police or VOSA vehicle.

Be particularly wary of plain or unmarked vehicles.  Check out how new the vehicle is.  The police rarely operate older vehicles.  Check the quality of the fit of the covert blue and red emergency warning lights and any variable message sign being displayed in the rear window. 

If you are at all concerned dial 999 or 112 and check with the police before you stop.