Surrey service station named one of the UK’s best for lorry drivers
It is a huge win for Surrey and lorry drivers who operate in the area as one of the county's service stations has been ranked one of the country's best. In a study which ranked service stations based on HGV parking availability, costs, healthy food options, and hotel quality, Cobham[1] Service Station ranked third in the entire country. The Surrey village-based motorway stop is not only one of the busiest service stations in the UK, but also one of the best to visit for lorry drivers, according to the study by Breakwells Transport.
Cobham services "impressed" critics because of its "wide range of food options, essential amenities like showers and laundry, and a large number of HGV parking spaces". In 2023, a different study - conducted by electric vehicle experts DriveElectric - ranked Cobham services as fifth best in the UK[2], and it would seem the services have improved since. The service station features 15 well-known food, drink and retail venues including McDonald's, Nando's, Greggs, KFC and even an M&S Food Hall.
But it's not just about having good food options; for lorry drivers, it is also essential to have a good place to lay their head. Thankfully, the M25-based services also has an abundant 101 hotel rooms.
Scoring 60 out of 100 in the study, Cobham Service Station missed out on first and second place by just a few points (Image: Surrey Advertiser)
Speaking about the Cobham motorway stop, Breakwells Transport said: "Located on the M25[3], Cobham Services is one of the busiest in the UK. It also has the most variety of food options available, with 10 different food and drink places to choose from.
"Cobham boasts 170 HGV parking spaces that cost GBP38 for 24 hours." Scoring 60 out of 100 in the study, Cobham Service Station just missed out on first and second place. Folkestone Services in Kent was awarded the number one spot, but was only two points superior to its Surrey counterpart, while second place went to Cheshire's Lymm services which was given a score of 61 out of 100. A Breakwells Transport spokesperson said: "This list shows the inconsistency in the quality of UK service stations.
"Lorry drivers need to have suitable services available on their journeys to drive safely and well. Without proper rest and nourishment, drivers are more susceptible to fatigue, which is a major cause of accidents on the road." "Every motorway should offer good service stations to stop at.
More needs to be done, and so we're calling on the government to ensure all drivers have facilities accessible to them that are well-kept and inexpensive to stop at."