Calais/Coquelles, France – LeShuttle Freight Village at the Eurotunnel terminal proudly hosted France’s very first dedicated Drivers Wellbeing Event in France on 28 April, becoming the country’s “Wellbeing Home” for professional truck drivers.
With 300 secure GOLD-level parking spaces, dedicated facilities for refrigerated trucks, and a range of amenities designed for driver comfort, the Freight Village is more than just a truck park. The site is a runner-up in the 2026 ESPORG Excellence Awards, one of the first EU operators to earn ESPORG Green Parking certification, and a recognised best-practice model in ESPORG’s “Home Away From Home” training programme launched this year.
Under the inspiring banner “Agir ensemble pour le bien-être des chauffeurs routiers” (“Acting together for the well-being of professional drivers”), LeShuttle Freight village provided the perfect backdrop for a landmark day of dialogue, commitment, and concrete action.
Deborah Merrens, Commercial Chief Officer of LeShuttle Freight, opened the event and officially signed the ESPORG Wellbeing Pledge, becoming an official Wellbeing Ambassador. Deborah Merrens set a warm, committed tone, underlining Getlink’s long-standing dedication for “Care and Wellbeing Integrated at every step”
Ana de Miranda, Policy Officer in the Road Transport Unit (DG MOVE), painted a frank picture of Europe’s parking crisis and outlined the Commission’s ambitious roadmap: Driver Wellbeing as a European Standard: From Safe Parking to Home Away from Home.
“Every day across the European Union, around 400,000 professional truck drivers need a place to stop, rest, eat and sleep… We only have space for roughly 300,000 of them. That is a gap of 100,000 spaces – every single night.” There are around 380,000 truck parking spaces in the EU. Of those, only 4,943 are currently certified under the EU SSPA standard.
Citing Druselia Betea’s phrase „Home away from home is not a place. It’s a feeling” Ana de Miranda conlcluded:” The European Commission’s job is to make that feeling a legal standard. To write it into the certification framework. To make it the minimum, not the exceptional.”
Dirk Penasse, General Manager of ESPORG, and Druselia Betea, Head of EWELLIN (The European Wellbeing Initiative), jointly presented ESPORG’s 15-year advocacy work and the European Wellbeing Campaign.
“Improving the well-being of truck drivers is not only the right thing to do — it is essential for the future of European transport. Because a system that takes care of its drivers is a system that is safer, more sustainable, and ultimately, more human.” said Dirk Penasse.
Druselia Betea, Head of EWELLIN reinforced the campaign’s emotional core and the wellbeing program launched this year for parkings “Home Away From Home’ is not just a concept—it is a commitment. It means creating environments where drivers feel safe, respected, and cared for. Where they can rest properly, eat well, connect with others, and recover both physically and mentally. Because wellbeing is not a luxury—it is the foundation of safety, performance, and human respect in our industry.”
Drivers’ wellbeing — a virtuous circle in a context of driver shortage
Bruno Poupinet, kinésithérapeute and ostéopathe, presented striking data: 426,000 unfilled heavy goods vehicle driver positions across Europe. He highlighted worrying health statistics: 73% of drivers are overweight (compared to 45% in the general population), 91% state that work-related stress affects their driving, and the majority of working time is spent without any social interaction.
The Round Table “Driver wellbeing and the attractiveness of the driving profession across the Short Straits”, moderated by Vincent Ducros, brought together key industry voices including:
- Sébastien Rivera, Regional Secretary General of the Fédération Nationale des Transports Routiers (FNTR)
- Professional drivers Jérôme Dumetz and Caroline Baugniet (female driver representative)
- Druselia Betea, Head of EWELLIN
- Yann Agneray, Directeur Adjoint Service Client Fret France, Eurotunnel
- Toby Ovens, Managing Director, Broughton Transport Solutions Ltd.
The panel explored shared responsibility between policymakers, operators, and industry to make the profession attractive again — especially for young people and women.
The day continued with a guided visit of LeShuttle Freight Village and an optional tour of the Tunnel, further honoured by the presence of the Governor of West Flanders, together with the European Commission and French local authorities representatives.
The event was attended by several ESPORG member operators, including Trucks’nB and Bapaume Truck House — winner of 2026 Excellence in Truck Parking Award.
The entire day lived up to the campaign’s powerful motto:
“Drive Safe – Park Safe – Work Safe – Live Well.”
ESPORG warmly thanks the entire Getlink/Eurotunnel LeShuttle Freight team — especially Deborah Merrens, John Keefe, Alice Simon and Aude Bourdel — for their exceptional hospitality and genuine commitment to professional drivers.
