The Bosch Secure Truck Parking booking platform has launched its first location in France, serving the busy port of Calais, which has regular ferry crossings to the UK, as well as an entrance to the Channel Tunnel.
Forwarding companies can now reserve secure parking spaces in the C4T Calais service area. As parking spaces for trucks are generally scarce, the security of truck drivers and other transport personnel and their freight is often not guaranteed. Bosch Secure Truck Parking offers a remedy to these problems, as Bosch’s partners provide parking spaces in secure parking lots. This allows truck drivers to park their vehicles in compliance with the traffic rules and also protects against theft.
Both the reservation and the payment process are automated and contactless: a camera records the license plate at the entrance and, if a reservation has been made, the truck can enter the parking lot contactlessly. The truck driver does not need to worry about payment. Truck companies that have registered with Bosch Secure Truck Parking simply receive a collective invoice for their reservations at the end of each month. This reduces not only the workload but also any possible contact between individuals, which should be avoided, particularly at a time when coronavirus is a risk.
The parking lot at the C4T Calais recently received the security certification TAPA at PSR Level 3. It is fenced, illuminated and monitored by cameras. In addition, security staff and dogs are present 24 hours a day. It means that truck drivers can relax and enjoy their rest breaks without having to worry about their goods.
“The port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel form the conduits through which the majority of road freight transport between the UK and mainland Europe travels,” says Dr. Jan-Philipp Weers, Head of Bosch Secure Truck Parking. “Now that we have our first location in France, we are delighted to be able to provide secure parking spaces at such an important transport hub.”
In the restaurant, truck drivers can buy meals to take away and eat in their vehicle. “As a consequence of the lockdown in France, there are mainly trucks on highways around Calais at the moment,” reports Stuart Madden, COO of C4T Group. “These are running as normal between the UK and the EU, providing people with essential goods, such as food and medicines. We are pleased to be making an important contribution, together with Bosch, to this flow of goods with our secure truck parking facility and to be able to continue to provide a quality service to essential workers – truck drivers – at this difficult time.”
