Source: This interview was originally published in ECG Magazine under the title “Building Safe Hubs for Europe’s Drivers” and is republished in InTransit Magazine as part of the cooperation between ESPORG and ECG .
ESPORG drives the building of safe, secure, and sustainable truck parking in Europe.
“We are facilitators, and we work together with ECG to help FVL-drivers, with the sector’s specific requirements for parking areas, which are not always accommodated,” says General Manager Dirk Penasse, guiding investors in how to build parking spaces.
INSIDE THE NETWORK – FEATURING ESPORG
ECG collaborates with a wide range of organisations and associations across Europe. In this new series, ECG Magazine highlights some of these partners – starting with ESPORG, the European Secure Parking Organisation.
THE CURRENT SHORTAGE OF TRUCK PARKING SPACES IN EUROPE IS 390,000 AND INCREASING, leaving truck drivers sometimes with no other choice but to park on exit roads or ramps to highways, in dark, isolated areas, where they are targets for crime and without sanitary facilities. Also, finding a parking space at the right time to fit both the obligatory rests required by legislation and the time for using restaurants and washrooms is stressful.
Dirk Penasse says that all drivers have a right to sleep well, eat healthily, in facilities that ensure a high standard of well-being. This can be accomplished by having a professional, standardised, and digitalised truck parking infrastructure and to give labels to truck companies that deliver on targets.
ESPORG was founded by Dirk after he established the first ‘Safe and Secure’ truck parking area in Belgium almost 20 years ago. “We needed a network to create parking facilities that enable transport across Europe. Over the years, we have grown gradually,” he explains. Today, the network has more than 120 members, supporting 220 secure parking facilities with over 20,000 spaces.
Dirk emphasises that ESPORG and ECG share several key objectives, particularly around driver wellbeing, operational efficiency and sustainability. “Addressing the shortage of secure parking and improving conditions for drivers across Europe requires close collaboration across the entire automotive logistics chain.”
“Addressing the shortage of secure parking and improving conditions for drivers across Europe requires close collaboration across the entire automotive logistics chain.”
ESPORG is a leading organisation for Safe & Secure Parking Areas. In 2025, it presented a study to the European Commission, highlighting that secure truck parking is essential to a resilient logistics sector. These areas are evolving from simple rest stops into service hubs within the wider transport and logistics ecosystem.
More than 80 % of current EU funding for safe parking projects is allocated to ESPORG members, supporting the development of a European network of parking areas. The organisation also develops standards, supports certification, promotes best practices and invests in secure parking infrastructure. In addition, it contributes to EU policy and legislation through research.
Green energy is another key focus, including the development of a resilient network of charging points. This involves upgrading slow chargers to fast ones and ensuring grid stability. Last year, the voluntary Green Parking Standard was launched, enabling operators to measure and improve environmental performance. So far, eight operators across four European countries have achieved certification.
Driver shortage remains a major challenge, alongside an ageing workforce. “We must take care of existing drivers – the average age is around 47, with one third over 55 – while also motivating younger people to enter the profession. We hope the wellbeing campaign we launched last year, and which ECG has signed, will help with that,” says Dirk.
According to ESPORG, around 80 % of drivers are obese and 50 % suffer from vascular diseases, with many lacking access to healthy food, exercise and sufficient rest.
Last year, European Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu visited several ESPORG-operated parking facilities, highlighting the importance of safe and secure parking for drivers’ wellbeing. Secure Parking Areas are much more than parking lots – they are homes away from home for drivers, hubs for cargo security and drivers of economic activity in the regions they serve.
The lack of women drivers is being addressed in different ways. One French parking operator reports that 40 % of its customers are women, thanks to well-adapted facilities. “They offer parking close to the building, separate sanitary facilities and, if needed, security staff to accompany drivers. It creates a sense of safety,” says Dirk.
The truck parking space in Béziers, France, is one of the winners of this year’s Excellence in Truck Parking Awards.
He emphasises the importance of good working and social conditions. “When drivers feel well and are properly rested in certified parking areas, there are fewer accidents, improved road safety, and less theft and crime.”
The organisation is also addressing new challenges related to criminality. “In particular, migration-related issues have changed the situation, requiring a stronger focus on safety for both drivers and migrants,” he says.
He adds that time lost searching for parking can be significant – in some cases up to two hours – further underlining the value of secure, bookable solutions. A standardised pre-booking system across Europe would be an important next step.
ESPORG also engages in areas such as military mobility, in dialogue with NATO, DG DEFIS and EU military staff. The organisation further promotes best practices through its annual awards, recognising leading parking facilities across Europe.
However, bureaucracy remains a major obstacle. “Many investors are ready to build, but delays in permits for EV charging and grid connections can discourage investment,” says Dirk, who hopes that clearer standards and guidelines will help accelerate development.
The organisation runs working groups, an educational platform – Parking Academy – and annual events, with a focus on engaging younger generations. “We must recognise that expectations are changing. Many seek more time at home with family, and we need to adapt,” says Dirk.
Even small measures can improve drivers’ daily experience – from bikes at parking areas to simple ways of connecting with others.
“We encourage ECG to engage with the ESPORG community through working groups, joint initiatives and wellbeing events. By working together, we can accelerate the development of a European network of safe and secure parking that supports both industry needs and the people who keep it moving.”
