The application is in to upgrade to a Standard International as the new client has several loads going to ROI in the next couple of months. Request for interim authority is also in, I know otherwise I would be ■■■■■■■ in a windward direction.
The question I have is what do I need to consider from an Operators point of view, or a drivers point of view for that matter, when driving in the Republic? I’ve never driven out of this great Isle you see. I’m trying to get everything arranged so that if the license gets upgraded tomorrow, (which it wont, but you get the point,) I am ready to rock in Ireland.
In terms of the job, it will be running at about 35-40 tonnes out, and given the rate and the complications of dealing with Euro - GBP exchange rates either running up to the north for a back load or just running back empty and getting something on in Liverpool or Wales, depending on where I land. The jobs are profitable even if I did loaded out and all the way back empty so a back load is just a bonus.
Right, so my unit is leased, my trailer hired, (with a tail lift, do I need to carry extra documentation for that?). I have fuel cards that are on Keyfuels and UK fuels networks though I’d probably fill up over here before going and then top off when I get back rather than fussing about finding fuel stations in a country I’ve never visited before. I know I need a copy of the V5 and a letter of authority from the leasing company. Do I need anything from the trailer hire company? Do I need to upgrade my insurance or does a UK policy assume a bit of international. (I’ll speak to the broker tomorrow on that but if you guys know the answers it makes things easier.)
Have I forgotten something glaringly obvious? Not including the need to carry community licenses when the O-License is granted.
nsmith1180:
The application is in to upgrade to a Standard International as the new client has several loads going to ROI in the next couple of months. Request for interim authority is also in, I know otherwise I would be ■■■■■■■ in a windward direction.
The question I have is what do I need to consider from an Operators point of view, or a drivers point of view for that matter, when driving in the Republic? I’ve never driven out of this great Isle you see. I’m trying to get everything arranged so that if the license gets upgraded tomorrow, (which it wont, but you get the point,) I am ready to rock in Ireland.
In terms of the job, it will be running at about 35-40 tonnes out, and given the rate and the complications of dealing with Euro - GBP exchange rates either running up to the north for a back load or just running back empty and getting something on in Liverpool or Wales, depending on where I land. The jobs are profitable even if I did loaded out and all the way back empty so a back load is just a bonus.
Right, so my unit is leased, my trailer hired, (with a tail lift, do I need to carry extra documentation for that?). I have fuel cards that are on Keyfuels and UK fuels networks though I’d probably fill up over here before going and then top off when I get back rather than fussing about finding fuel stations in a country I’ve never visited before. I know I need a copy of the V5 and a letter of authority from the leasing company. Do I need anything from the trailer hire company? Do I need to upgrade my insurance or does a UK policy assume a bit of international. (I’ll speak to the broker tomorrow on that but if you guys know the answers it makes things easier.)
Have I forgotten something glaringly obvious? Not including the need to carry community licenses when the O-License is granted.
International/EU travel . Insurance docs , log book , letter of authority to drive from the hire/ lease company . Get an EHIC card , this makes getting medical treatment much easier. (Google it ).
Not sure on fuel cards in the Republic, I used AS24 in Ireland and all over Europe as well as Euro DKV cards .
You need Euros for shopping and motorway tolls , they do give reciepts .
All the motorway services have FREE truck parking .
They are getting stricter on foreign vehicles doing domestic haulage but if it’s for export just the normal rules apply .
Franglais:
A bit obvious but carry your driving licence! Daresay you do anyway.
Do you carry spare wheels & jack? Breakdown / tyre cover?
Licence is always in my pocket. I have a full R&M with breakdown from Renault and if the trailer hire company drops a testicle, Thompsons are also contracted to maintain my trailer so I’ve got backup there too. Tyres wise, thanks for the reminder. I don’t carry spares and a jack, H&S wise I think its better to pay out to a pro than have a driver do it, potentially get injured and potentially get it wrong. Last thing you want is a drive tyre checking in for the boat before the rest of the truck gets to the port.
Buy your fuel in Republic
(we all do!!!) go over tanks quarter or less.
Not as cheap as it once was but will save you money compared to UK when driving past the fuel stations that have truck pumps.
Bit of a ballix getting the VAT back via Irish Revenue but easy enough once you do it 1st time.
Remember also the Holyhead/Dublin boats are usually about 4hrs so will eat into your 15spread right bit.
Going OTT (“Over the top”) will be 2hrs Larne P&O or 2.5hrs Stena Belfast to Cairnryan.
Seatruck Warrenpoint Co Down to Heysham (overnight) are cheapest freight option so I’m told but driver accommodation VERY limited.
Seatruck also Dublin to Liverpool think??
There is Stena Belfast to Heysham (Limited driver accommodation again) or Stena Belfast to Birkenhead but this prob most expensive sailing and overnight 2130 to 0630 approx.
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Stena/Irish Ferries on Rosslare to Pembroke/Fishguard too.
Ferry insurance. Many is the truck that got destroyed on rough seas with little or no payout by the ferry company or anyone else either.
Do you have lashing points on your trailer for chaining down on the ferry or something they can hook onto without them destroying crash bars and so on?
On a side note, the last time I checked my car insurance for a trip to France it was limited to 90 days max and reduced cover as well.
Strangely ROI was not classed as a foreign country but fully covered as standard like it was in UK.
This is from that car policy document about normal territory covered:
“Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland including transit by sea, air or land within and between these places”.
It would be a bit of a result if your truck policy said something similar.
However the transit by sea part I think only covers you if you roll over the captains toe not if he wrecks your truck.
You don’t need a copy of the V5, what you need is a Vehicle on Hire Certificate, most leasing companies will organise this for you although it is actually the AA and RAC of all people who issue them. A copy of the V5 is worthless.
Your international vehicle insurance will usually offer ferry cover, but check. Under maritime law a truck is classed as packaging and when I was last involved the maximum claim for packaging from the shipping line was £500, this may be out of date now, but you need to insure the vehicle.
Buy fuel in the ROI, come back with full tanks, setting up the VAT reclaim may be a pain, but it’s worth it. It will likely pay better than a backload from the north.
nsmith1180:
I don’t carry spares and a jack, H&S wise I think its better to pay out to a pro than have a driver do it, potentially get injured and potentially get it wrong. Last thing you want is a drive tyre checking in for the boat before the rest of the truck gets to the port.
By giving up the only part of the equasion you have control over as an entrepreneur - improving efficiency on a level the big dogs can’t, you have lost the game at kickoff.
nsmith1180:
I don’t carry spares and a jack, H&S wise I think its better to pay out to a pro than have a driver do it, potentially get injured and potentially get it wrong. Last thing you want is a drive tyre checking in for the boat before the rest of the truck gets to the port.
By giving up the only part of the equasion you have control over as an entrepreneur - improving efficiency on a level the big dogs can’t, you have lost the game at kickoff.
Very true.
By the way Milodon, do you happen to know why some LT haulage companies have started to register their trailers in Estonia?
Check the terms of your breakdown/maintenance cover. When we contract hired the contract stipulated “30% Euro use” or similar. Yours might not allow for any Euro use if it was set up without this in mind.
Big Truck:
Apply for a Morgans or Topaz card,
You can haggle with them and they’ll work on mainland too.[emoji6]
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I had morgans cards once, they promised the world before I signed up, cards came through and where about 10ppl from the off, after 3 or 4 weeks they rung why I`d not used them and when I said they where off on price they got a bit arsey. Never did use them.
nsmith1180:
Tyres wise, thanks for the reminder. I don’t carry spares and a jack, H&S wise I think its better to pay out to a pro than have a driver do it, potentially get injured and potentially get it wrong. Last thing you want is a drive tyre checking in for the boat before the rest of the truck gets to the port.
Phone your tyre provider and ask them how much a call out will cost out of the UK and the likely response time would be.
After you have had your heart restarted for the 5th time and got over the shock, come back on here and still say you aren’t bothering with spare and tools.
Before you bother with all that stuff, try ringing around for a backload.
If you can get one, you will have you’re leg lifted.
Thats my experience anyway.
ontheroad57:
Before you bother with all that stuff, try ringing around for a backload.
If you can get one, you will have you’re leg lifted.
Thats my experience anyway.
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Don’t need backloads on this one. It makes a profit running out full and back empty. So to avoid complications with ROI VAT I’ll probably run empty back to Liverpool and pick up a backload on the mainland. It also gives me less stresses about boat check in times.
Big Truck:
Buy your fuel in Republic
(we all do!!!) go over tanks quarter or less.
Not as cheap as it once was but will save you money compared to UK when driving past the fuel stations that have truck pumps.
Bit of a ballix getting the VAT back via Irish Revenue but easy enough once you do it 1st time.
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Me too, at present. Been staying in Dungiven for the last fortnight and filling the car up in ■■■■! Great name… All the garages on the border take euros or sterling, the Maxol one offers a fixed 15% against the euro, £1.10 p/ltr gross at present. Be a PITA with vat though, I’m sure.
ontheroad57:
Before you bother with all that stuff, try ringing around for a backload.
If you can get one, you will have you’re leg lifted.
Thats my experience anyway.
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Don’t need backloads on this one. It makes a profit running out full and back empty. So to avoid complications with ROI VAT I’ll probably run empty back to Liverpool and pick up a backload on the mainland. It also gives me less stresses about boat check in times.
Must be some rate to run back empty and not bother to fill tanks with cheaper diesel even if wee bitta paperwork for Southern VAT.
It’s only a matter of getting their Revenue to post out the forms then post them back,
May even all be online nowadays
