Transport

[Rob]

Dear all,

 

I need a 7.5tonner to go pick up some gear from Greenford on a Friday, hang onto it until Sunday morning, drop it in town collect it late Sunday night and return it Monday morning.

 

Does anyone know any guys with trucks who do this sort of thing, I know there are a few around.

 

I will be trying the usual suspects like Paul Matthews, but if anyone has any other suggestions they would be much appreciated.

 

Ta!

[gareth]

If you'd asked me this a few days ago, and you have a C1 category on your licence, I'd have suggested a self-drive 7.5-tonner. However, having spoken to various people about this very issue today, I can tell you that it's not that simple ... I'll tell you why ...

 

In the process of setting up the new business, it became apparent that truck hire companies now need anyone hiring a vehilce over 3.5t gross vehilce weight to have a Goods Vehicle Operators Licence if they're using it in connection with a business. Even if you're just hiring one for perhaps two or three jobs a year that are too big for a LWB Merc 311 or a Luton, you still need one if you're using it in connection with your work - even if it's not specifically for "hire or reward". I've had this confirmed by a very helpful Brummie gentleman ("orlroit!") from the Traffic Area Network office in Birmingham, after being led up several garden paths by some idiots at the DVLA in Swansea.

 

The stinger here is that it costs £168 just to apply for a restricted GVO licence, and another £256 for the licence itself if the application is accepted. They also expect you to maintain a minimum bank balance of £4,500 for a period of four continuous months after the licence is granted - apparently this proves that you have the resources to ensure an adequate program of vehicle maintenance. This latter condition even applies if the applicant doesn't own their own vehicles and will just be hiring one very occassionally!!

 

It seems that the options are either to grit one's teeth and stump up the cash, or just hire two 3.5t vans and an extra driver whenever the extra capacity is needed ...

 

It seems that with one hand the government are encouraging people to set up small businesses, while with the other hand they are putting obstacles and red tape like this in the way to make life difficult. Bastards.

 

Sorry, Rob, I didn't mean to hijack your thread - just needed to get that off my chest!

[Bryson]

Assuming you've had a look into everyone in Piers's site....

 

I'll see if I can dig out the number for Edwin Shirley who I believe does this sort of thing. Not the company, Edwin himself. Unless anyone else knows him? Anyone?

[Tom]

Stage Logistics - 0800 0282394. Talk to Ermano and tell him I told you to call (it won't help with the price but he'll think better of me :D )

 

Does it really need to be a 7.5-ton. If it's only size that is an issue, they have an oversize Luton (3.8m long on the floor, not inc the shelf).

 

They'll also do 7.5-tonners but they have to sub them in. Still fairly reasonable on price though. (£35/hr with a 4 hr minimum - but they work out the time from pick up to drop, not back to base)

[Dazzler]

Hello Rob,

 

I have used a guy called Charlie Villers who's number is 07880796307.

or you can try Dave Luckin at Souther Van Lines on 020 83108512 or 020 83120148. (one of those is the fax).

 

Stage logistics do not own a 7 1/2 tonne truck so if you go with them, and they are very good, make sure you don't overload them. (something I may know a little about)

 

All the best in your hunt mate.

 

Dazza :D

[andy_s]

You could try Mark at Squeeky Wheels (020) 8742 9292 - they run 7.5 tonners. - probably about the same price as stage logistics. I've found them very obliging.

[Tom]

Just had a quote from Squeaky Wheels (got to love that name) and was also going to suggest them. Happen to have their rates in front of me:

 

For a 7.5 tonne:

Half Day (5hrs) - £90 plus milage

Full day (10 hrs) - £180 plus milage

Before 7am or after 5pm Mon-Fri and any time Sat/Sun - £25/hr - 4hrs min

 

Milage: 40p/km within M25, 30p/km outside

[misterbassman]

flip, I didnt realise Lorry hire was so ecpensive.

Im so glad my step Dad's company owns three 17.5 tonnes lorrys that he has access to they have come in very handy :)

[robloxley]

I need a 7.5tonner to go pick up some gear from Greenford on a Friday, hang onto it until Sunday morning, drop it in town collect it late Sunday night and return it Monday morning.

Given your stated date of birth, I assume you've got the relevant extra licence to cover this type of vehicle (it stopped being on the standard licence in about 1997), or someone else is driving.

[andy_s]

The stinger here is that it costs £168 just to apply for a restricted GVO licence, and another £256 for the licence itself if the application is accepted. They also expect you to maintain a minimum bank balance of £4,500 for a period of four continuous months after the licence is granted - apparently this proves that you have the resources to ensure an adequate program of vehicle maintenance. This latter condition even applies if the applicant doesn't own their own vehicles and will just be hiring one very occassionally!!

good, informative rant! I hit the same problem a while ago. I regularly hire luton transit vans, and use a company that has some vehicles with extra long boxes, but these are still too small for some of the stuff I need to move. (I'm referring to size, not weight. I'm always surprised at quite how much stuff you can carry without getting near the max payload). This company also has a couple of 7.5 tonne Cargos, but I'm not allowed to hire them except as a private individual just to move house!

 

while I can completely understand the need to ensure good maintenance, etc, it does seem excessively beaurocratic to insist that all the conditions of the operators licence are met by occasional users, (including financial conditions, aff road parking, maintenance provisions etc). Surely it would be just as effective to leave this as the responsibility of the hire company for rentals lasting less than say 3 days- as this would mean that the vehicles would be back with the renters in time to undergo routine maintenance by qualified mechanics before the next hire.

 

I have heard that the sort of splitter vans used by many small scale theatre companies are not covered by this licence requirement. Does anyone know if this is an urban myth?

[Tom]

I know of at least one company that has one of those big Merc touring vans and DOES have an operators license.

 

It is a bit of a problem for all those small scale touring companies who got Arts Council / Lottery money to buy those vans and now find that young Stage Managers can not drive them (though this is a driver rather than operator licensing issue).

[gareth]

I have heard that the sort of splitter vans used by many small scale theatre companies are not covered by this licence requirement. Does anyone know if this is an urban myth?

As I understand it, it all comes down to the gross vehicle weight that the van is rated for. As long as it's 3.5 tons or less (which I think even the biggest Merc Sprinters are), you don't need a GVO licence.

 

Even the guy at the Traffic Area Network office who I spoke to about this agreed that it was a ridiculous requirement - but that's how it is, and there's no way around it. :D

[colinmonk]

I need a 7.5tonner to go pick up some gear from Greenford on a Friday, hang onto it until Sunday morning, drop it in town collect it late Sunday night and return it Monday morning.

Given your stated date of birth, I assume you've got the relevant extra licence to cover this type of vehicle (it stopped being on the standard licence in about 1997), or someone else is driving.

Given that Rob posted the schedule for what he needed, and also said "Does anyone know any guys with trucks who do this sort of thing" I would guess it is fair to assume that Rob is asking for a driver and a 7.5tonner,

 

Rob the likely ones have been done, although you could try yellow pages for Couriers with larger vehicles, or you could also try "Fly By Night", "Paul Matthews" as you said,

 

Is it one company you hiring from? Or is Greenford a collective pick? If its one Company see how much they will charge to do the transport given the schedule...

 

Have fun Rob, Catch you laters

[mike]

There are really only 2 routes available, as discussed...

1) Hire two or more vans

2) Make the company you work for acknoledge that they are just going to have to stump up the money to get the operators license.

 

Regarding younger drivers, any one can attend an HGV drivng course, and hence drive 7.5 tonne vehicles.

 

As for insurance, having spoken to various theatrical companies, if you haven't already got insurance covering a vehicle, then one of the cheaper options seems to be hiring and insuring yourselves through TLS.

 

mike.

[andy_s]

yup - sprinters are the merc "transit", I guess. But I used to drive splitters with a gross of 6 tonnes - also mercs, but I can't remember the model - might have been 609 or 709?? - for companies like Trestle and The Sphinx. Are these now verboten?