Britain's truckers are fighting for survival in a war with dangerous criminals who beat them up on the roadside, gas them in their cabs and steal fuel and cargo on a daily basis.
The horrific crimes, which are taking place at UK service stations and lay-bys, are leaving drivers at serious risk and leading some to take drastic measures to protect themselves.
With freight crime costing the UK economy £1bn since 2020, a shortage of 11,000 safe lorry parking spaces and a concerning lack of security at service stations, truckers are now pleading with the government to do more to protect them and bring in tougher sentences against the criminals.
MailOnline has spoken to several drivers who have lifted the lid on a scandal affecting over 270,000 UK HGV drivers operating in an overlooked yet increasingly dangerous industry, telling us: 'Nowhere is safe.'
Richie Lines has been driving HGVs for four years. Having worked as a digger operator on HS2, he moved into transport to follow a family tradition but has been left horrified about the risks drivers are exposed to by criminals on a daily basis.
