The world of French roadside truck stops is rapidly disappearing, and photographer Guillaume Blot has made it his mission to document these fading establishments before they vanish entirely. What began as a nostalgic journey has evolved into a survival story - the survival of truck stop restaurants that once dotted France's highways but are now closing at an alarming rate.
The statistics tell a sobering tale: France once boasted 4,500 truck stops in the 1970s, but today only 700 remain. These survivors are nestled along national roads that have been largely abandoned by truckers who now prefer the convenience of highways. As the trucking industry has shifted its routes, these traditional stopping points have lost much of their clientele.
Determined to preserve this disappearing culture, Blot embarked on an extraordinary journey across France in what he affectionately calls his 'Blotmobile' - a van that served as both his transportation and temporary home. Over the course of six years, he methodically visited, dined at, showered in, and shared drinks at 220 of these establishments. His destinations included colorfully named spots like Chez Mimi, Le Tarin Savoyard, and TruckerLand.
This extensive project builds upon Blot's previous photographic series called 'Rades,' and his latest collection of images has now been compiled into a book simply titled 'Restos Routiers' (Truck Stop Restaurants), published by Hoëbecke in Gallimard's collection. The photographs were previously exhibited in Paris before being gathered into this comprehensive volume.
What sets Blot's work apart is his respectful and empathetic approach to his subjects. There is no trace of condescension, mockery, or disdain in his lens. Instead, his photographs reveal a deep tenderness for both the truckers and their gathering places. Using dramatic flash photography - which he likens to truck headlights cutting through the darkness - Blot transforms ordinary bar rooms and dining halls into enchanted spaces.
These establishments typically offer complete meals for just 15 euros, including wine and coffee, creating an affordable haven for drivers. In Blot's images, these simple dining rooms become magical waypoints where truckers like Johnny and others find respite from their solitary journeys.
Through his lens, viewers rediscover the vital importance of these unique spaces. These are places where you fill whatever seat is available at communal tables, where solitude is impossible, and where conversation with fellow diners is inevitable after long, lonely hours behind the wheel. They represent essential bubbles of humanity for truckers - sanctuaries that provide much-needed human connection.
However, this world faces mounting threats. Chain restaurants and fast-food outlets at highway rest areas offer more convenient alternatives, while food delivery services like Uber Eats now bring meals directly to truck cabs, eliminating the need for drivers to seek out traditional stopping points. These modern conveniences are systematically eroding the communal culture that once defined trucking life.
The transformation represents more than just changing business practices - it signals the end of an era. The convivial atmosphere and essential breaks from isolation that these truck stops provided may soon disappear entirely. In their wake, only empty parking lots will remain where 38-ton trucks once gathered, creating communities of the road.
Blot's photographic documentation serves as both an artistic achievement and a historical record. His images capture not just the physical spaces but the spirit of camaraderie and human connection that defined these establishments. The warm lighting of his flash photography reveals weathered faces, well-worn interiors, and the authentic interactions between people who found temporary family among strangers.
The photographer's six-year commitment to this project demonstrates the scope of cultural change occurring across France. Each of the 220 establishments he visited represents a small piece of disappearing French culture - places where regional character, working-class solidarity, and simple human kindness converged along the nation's roadways.
As France continues to modernize its transportation infrastructure and truckers adapt to new technologies and route preferences, Blot's work becomes increasingly valuable as a cultural document. His photographs preserve not just images of buildings and people, but an entire way of life that connected travelers across the country.
The book 'Restos Routiers' stands as both an artistic statement and a memorial to a vanishing world. Through Blot's compassionate eye, readers can experience the warmth, community, and essential humanity that these truck stops provided to countless drivers over the decades. While the future may hold only memories and empty parking lots, Guillaume Blot's photographs ensure that this important chapter of French road culture will not be forgotten.
