LeShuttle Freight has launched Bedtime Stories. It is a new digital storytelling platform designed to help professional freight drivers stay connected with their children while working away from home.
The initiative recognises the personal sacrifices made by the professional drivers who keep goods moving between Britain and continental Europe. LeShuttle Freight driver data shows that the most common shift pattern among its international drivers is three weeks on, followed by one week off. For a long-haul driver with young children, this can mean missing up to 250 bedtimes a year.
Bedtime Stories turns the everyday world of freight and journeys across Europe into personalised, illustrated adventures that drivers can share with their children at home. The aim is to help them remain part of bedtime even when they cannot physically be there.
Available through the LeShuttle Freight Driver Companion app, drivers can choose a story and personalise it with their child’s name and the name their child uses for them, such as Mum or Dad. The personalised story can then be shared with their family at home to enjoy at bedtime.
The stories put drivers at the heart of the adventure, drawing inspiration from their profession and the places they travel to and from. Titles including The Greedy Mouse, The Sun That Got a Cold and The Tired Tyre turn familiar delivery missions and everyday goods into adventures designed for children, celebrating the important role their parents play in keeping Europe moving.
Putting driver wellbeing first
Bedtime Stories builds on LeShuttle Freight’s wider commitment to supporting professional drivers. Earlier this year, LeShuttle Freight signed the Wellbeing Pledge, joining the European Wellbeing Initiative (EWellIn), which is powered by ESPORG. The initiative brings together organisations across the transport and logistics industry to improve driver wellbeing. This is also through its four-year campaign, “Drive Safe, Park Safe, Work Safe, Live Well”. LeShuttle Freight Village is a Wellbeing Ambassador for the campaign, which promotes a ‘home away from home’ approach to supporting drivers. Bedtime Stories extends this commitment to drivers’ connections with their families.
LeShuttle Freight also continues to invest in making drivers’ journeys as comfortable and supportive as possible. Drivers receive complimentary hot drinks and a sweet treat onboard every crossing, now available 24/7. The LeShuttle Freight web app provides real-time travel information alongside its Fun Zone. At the Gold-certified LeShuttle Freight Village, wellbeing initiatives include complimentary massages, healthy breakfast events and live concerts. This is alongside facilities including showers, laundry, Wi-Fi and a dedicated women’s corner. A new facility under development at Coquelles will provide 149 secure parking spaces, a gym, kitchen, green spaces and a modern lounge. Further wellbeing initiatives are planned for 2027.
Deborah Merrens, Chief Commercial Officer at LeShuttle, said, “Professional drivers make huge personal sacrifices to keep critical goods moving across Europe. Time away from their families is one of the biggest. Bedtime Stories is a simple way for us to help make that distance feel a little smaller. It gives drivers a new way to stay part of an important family moment even when they’re miles from home.
“Our commitment to driver wellbeing goes beyond the crossing itself. It means looking at the wider experience of life on the road and understanding where we can make a meaningful difference. From the facilities and support we provide throughout drivers’ journeys to our involvement in the European Wellbeing Initiative, we want the people who keep Europe moving to feel genuinely valued and supported. Bedtime Stories is the latest step in that commitment.”
From the road to bedtime
Bedtime Stories has been in soft launch since 4 August. It has allowed LeShuttle Freight to trial the platform with drivers ahead of its official launch on 10 November.
Since the soft launch, 864 drivers have signed up to the platform, creating more than 600 personalised stories.
For Francisco, a Spanish driver who regularly travels between the UK and continental Europe with LeShuttle Freight, the platform has provided a new way to remain part of family life while on the road.
Francisco said, “One of the hardest parts of my job is missing time with my children, especially the little everyday moments like putting them to bed. I love reading bedtime stories to them when I’m at home. Being able to send them a personalised story while I’m away is really special. They enjoyed receiving it so much that they asked me to send another. We’ve even read the same story together more than once. It’s a lovely way to feel closer to them when I’m on the road.”
Maria, a Romanian lorry driver and mother who uses LeShuttle Freight several times a week, said, “I enjoy my job, but being away from my family is difficult. The hardest part is missing time with my children, particularly the little everyday moments and family celebrations. I know they miss me too. It’s lovely to see something designed to help drivers stay close to their children. Bedtime Stories has helped me feel closer to mine while I’ve been away.”
An industry-wide challenge
The impact of prolonged periods away from home is felt across the European road freight industry. Research carried out by ESPORG for a European Commission study found that family and friends are what professional drivers miss most while on the road. Of more than 900 drivers surveyed, six in ten selected family and friends. This was well ahead of time to relax at only 17.71%, social interaction at 13.77% and sport and hobbies at 8.45%.
The issue comes against the backdrop of a structural driver shortage across Europe. Around 502,000 truck driver positions are unfilled, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). With an ageing workforce and too few younger drivers entering the profession, the industry faces growing pressure to attract and retain drivers.
Druselia Betea, Head of the European Wellbeing Initiative (EWellIn), powered by ESPORG, said, “The study for the European Commission tells us something deeply human. When we asked drivers what they miss most on the road, six in ten answered their family and friends. Staying connected to loved ones is a fundamental part of driver wellbeing. This is particularly for those spending long periods away from home.
“Creating a ‘home away from home’ for drivers is central to our work. That includes helping them maintain strong connections with their families. Bedtime Stories is a thoughtful example of how the transport industry can support drivers beyond their immediate working environment.”
Bedtime Stories is available free of charge to all LeShuttle Freight drivers via the LeShuttle Freight Driver Companion app. It is available in 10 languages.
