Hello all,
i am a newbie on here but been reading all the post people have put on here(espeicaly the diarys ones with pics) very good. I have a couple of questions i would like help with sorry but a long post this time,i try and make next one smaller. I need abit of help i am applying for a standard licence (my boyfriend has one but is restricted one and he has missed some inspections and that )i just had to sort that out for him and send a letter to VOSA for now before it goes to the TC so i thought i am best of applying one for my own and it is a fresh start.
The problem is i have the £7000 to put in a business account which is needed for licence but i will not have the 3 months statements needed for the TC, what could i do about this?.
I need to hire a transport manager aswell until i do and passed my CPC does anyone know and good ones out there who can help and more give advice about how to operator within the law.
I have my Class 2 licence which i passed last year and have my own wagon with twist locks. I have already been offer work to do container work and i rather do this as i see it is easier then multidrop and i dont want to work for a firm as i have done that for the pass 9 years in a office job. They mention they would pay me £90 out of the £110 for the job (£20 for them for giving me the work) i see it has a starting point, i be running from manchester to birkenhead, i am not sure how to work or price a job up like this (e.g. rate per hour or per mile). I thought with doing this i could get a back load but not sure how to go about it,any help on this how to get backloads would be helpful. The vehicle i have is a 18 tonne daf with a hiab on it so at the moment i cannot use it until licence comes though but just wondering how much it cost per mile to run.I have work out that it cost me 25p a hour this covers licence,7x inspections, 2x servicing,tax,mot,insurance and extra £200 for extras e.g tyres etc.. I dont know if this is the right way or not.
I know it has been a long post i hope you are still with me on this.
I have notice that on here people for the driving hours have done 12 hrs which is including overtime, i thought that you can only do 9 hrs and extend to 10 hrs twice a week. I do get confused over the driving hours i know that you have to have 11 hrs rest a day or is this wrong. any light on subject would be helpful too.
Hope to hear from some of you experts on here for advice.
Thanks
Clarkie
clarkie:
The problem is i have the £7000 to put in a business account which is needed for licence but i will not have the 3 months statements needed for the TC, what could i do about this?.
I need to hire a transport manager aswell until i do and passed my CPC does anyone know and good ones out there who can help and more give advice about how to operator within the law.
Don’t worry too much about the first part, just send in an opening balance with your application and a covering letter stating that you will send in 3 months of bank statements when you have them. The time Leeds are taking to process applications at the moment you could probably give them 6 months worth before you licence is issued!!!
As for the 2nd part, try placing an add in the local paper to try and find a part time/retired TM, will probably be the cheapest way forward and the most acceptable to the TC.
I would suggest the following:
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Don’t rely too much on what other people have said. Just because they’re doing well does not guarantee your success.
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Ditch the boyfriend. You could see VOSA and inspections as an evil thing. Actually, they’re there to stop you killing people because you couldn’t be arsed/afford to get those brakes fixed on your truck. The main reason that people miss inspections or don’t service things is that they can’t afford it. If you can’t afford it, you’re doing something wrong. Your man is playing with other peoples’ lives.
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Go with running containers, but know who you’re working for and exactly what they’re paying. If you’re unsure ask them. then get them to put it in writing, so that if you do get shafted…
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Look back through your records. if you own a truck, you should know what it costs to run. It ain’t rocket science. If you can’t work it out, join the RHA or FTA, and they’ll provide you with average costings.
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Get a CPC. Not only is it a requirement in obtaining an “O” Licence, it does actually teach you some things. Not least, drivers’ hours. You need to know what hours you can run. Driving times and duty times are different. The CPC will teach you about both.
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£7k will be gone in no time at all. Aside from the fact you need at least £6k (roughly) in the bank to satisfy “O” Licence requirements; you’ll probaly have to wait for six weeks’ to get paid by your chosen container company. If you’ve got £30k in the bank, you might just get by, whilst the cash-flow kicks in.
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Are you running the right kit for the job? On containers, a HIAB is going to do nothing for you but increase the tare weight of your truck. Might it be worth looking for HIAB work, that will not only make use of your vehicle, but will probably pay much better?
If you’re running a truck because it’s a “way of life” then fine! The downside to that is that (like farming) it will bleed you dry. By all means own a truck, but fund it with the office job you mentioned!
- Please don’t be offended (too much) by what I’ve said. Life’s a ■■■■■ and then the bank forecloses on you. Mind you, that said, bankruptcy is a walk in the park compared to a manslaughter charge for running a dodgy truck…
Think about it.
Containers on an 18 tonner■■? They are going to have to be pretty light. An 18 tonner will only give you a payload of about 10 tons ish.
There have been discussons on here before when someone was considering it with an 8 legger (32ton) and the general consensus(sp) was that it was a no go cos of the weights.
As has been suggested, maybe you need to look at hiab work. eg small cabins or even (no Laughing at the back) portaloos!
Please don’t be offended but I think you are a long way from running the truck yourself yet. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it 
I would suggest, do your cpc (then you save money on hiring a tm) Research a lot more into what you can and can’t do as well as whats been mentioned.
I would also suggest banking your £7k and get some experience in your chosen field working for someone else. I know you don’t fancy that idea but just remember that its not going to be for ever. (and multidrop ain’t going to be much use if you’re looking at containers or hiab)
This is just how I am looking at the situation, I am not an o/d (don’t have the money for a start) but I would only be in a position to even think about it now having gained some experience in my field (tippers)
Good luck with it though
Having read your post I had an incredibly icy sensation down my spine which usually only comes on whilst attending funerals.
By all means keep a truck in your ‘blood’ but make it a Sed. At. Borderer for showing and resist the temptation to have yourself flayed alive in the naughty section of Commercial Motor.
If a high profile court case is your wish, rob a bank.
Don’t have a kitten, but you are seriously out of your depth and laughing boy doesn’t sound like a good advisor either. 
Hello 4th time writing reply now computer keeps crashing before i can post this.Thanks for your replys.
A few points to be clear up
- Inspections- It is not because we did
nt have the money or couldnt be asre to do it. I know that you are risking other lives as well as your own. When you had 2 W*****S (i mean 2 different garages) who work with wagons day in and day out cant fix our vehicles properly cos 1 missed the handbrake cable which had broken( wagon rolled own hill towards main road i manage to jump in and apply brakes), the other one couldnt tighten wheel nuts up after fixing the handbrake cable and even install a new clutch on our wagon (which still is`nt right). We have the money and plenty to go with, it was the case off checking the vehicle each day as i drove it only weekends until like now we have found a inspection garage who are very good and have high standards (cheaper then others too was paying £60 for then now it only £32 inspection, not an issue just as long we got someone now) a friend of ours uses him and he has 3 skip wagons and runs a large firm.(unforturlately this guy was not avaliable until last month)
The container work is only moving empty ones and porta cabins etc…
The office job has long gone i do not work there anymore and the thing with this is i work 5 days a week and had to employ someone to drive for me and pay then about £40 a day,So i was only avaliable weekends but most of the work i did needed to be done during the week and not weekends so i was losing money just because i was sitting on my bum tapping on a stupid keyboard all day.
I was thinking of doing weekend driving work though an agency just to keep the pennys coming in,but my parnter is paying me wages just for helping him with stripping machines and vehicles(which is not hard work)
The driving hours i understand most of them, but it just that. my example of a day last week i did.
Start time 7:00am - 8:35am - Driving
then 9:45am - 12:10pm - Driving
then 12:50pm - 2:35pm - Driving
then 3:15pm - 5:00pm - Driving
then 5:45pm - Finish Time 6:35pm - Driving
In between these times i was on rest period as i was being loaded and unloaded at 2 different places.
Now i work out (i may be wrong) that i have driven for 7hrs 20 mins, and had 2hrs 25mins rest, which in total is 9hrs 45mins.
Now could someone tell me that if i have come over my hours or within then. I think i am within them bearing in mine that this was the only driving i did that week. 
Sorry about being so long again but just had to state that i or my parnter do not want to run round bent and like to stay within the law this is why i was asking advice about hours and any part time TM who can help us to ensure we do not run into any problems again.
Bye Now and thanks again
Your within your hours.
Call me silly but I thought that handbrakes on wagons were air operated? Where the cable come from?
not sure whats hardest to believe, an 18tonner with a handbrake cable, inspections @ £32 a go or the fact that someone would go out and buy a wagon without having an o’license or even looking into how you go about getting one?
it’s got to be a wind up surely?
paul b:
n
it’s got to be a wind up surely?
wind up or very naive? I’m not sure
paul b:
not sure whats hardest to believe, an 18tonner with a handbrake cable, inspections @ £32 a go or the fact that someone would go out and buy a wagon without having an o’license or even looking into how you go about getting one?
it’s got to be a wind up surely?
or the fact that someone is prepared to work 10 hours for £40 per day!!!
clarkie:
The driving hours i understand most of them, but it just that. my example of a day last week i did.
Start time 7:00am - 8:35am - Driving
then 9:45am - 12:10pm - Driving
then 12:50pm - 2:35pm - Driving
then 3:15pm - 5:00pm - Driving
then 5:45pm - Finish Time 6:35pm - Driving
In between these times i was on rest period as i was being loaded and unloaded at 2 different places.
Now i work out (i may be wrong) that i have driven for 7hrs 20 mins, and had 2hrs 25mins rest, which in total is 9hrs 45mins.
Now could someone tell me that if i have come over my hours or within then. I think i am within them bearing in mine that this was the only driving i did that week
and in the previous paragraph
clarkie:
i work 5 days a week and had to employ someone to drive for me and pay then about £40 a day
I am also concerened about
clarkie:
I was thinking of doing weekend driving work though an agency just to keep the pennys coming in
working your own truck 5 days a week and then agy at the weekend?
That would be breaching tacho and WTD rules surely 
Is the handbrake cable what attaches the wooden chock to the chassis so you don’t forget it when driving off?
Sorry but the handbrake cable is for the 7.5tonner which my parnter uses for his own work (on a restricted licence). No i won`t be doing 5 days and then working for an agency that would be wrong i know that. I mean for a while if i do not have work to do.
The NEW STANDARD LICENCE (this is the one i want a TM for) is for me for the 18 tonner for my new business. I am just seeing if there were any members who know good TM who would able to help me in the north west area.
It was odd days the driver did and was cash in hand.He was`nt bother so why should i paid more if the driver was happy at this?.
Thanks
Fair play, I didn’t mean to cause offence. It was just the way I read it.
Would you not still need a TM on a restricted licence though, even for a 7.5tonner?
Far as i know and what it says on vosa website you do not need one for a restricted licence. It seems only if you do work for hire or reward national and international work you need one.
Thanks
Oddly enough my little tractor moving chum seems to think it’s an air brake on his DAF 45 handbrake■■?
Still thinking we could have a plank here.
clarkie:
It was odd days the driver did and was cash in hand.He was`nt bother so why should i paid more if the driver was happy at this?.
Becuase when HMRC come and slap you you will be.
Semtex:
Would you not still need a TM on a restricted licence though, even for a 7.5tonner?
Strangely, you don’t need a CPC qualified TM when the “O” licence is restricted. (Own account.)
The size of the vehicle is what brings the transport operation into the scope of “O” licencing. This is currently 3,500kg GVW.
The Traffic Comissioners seem concerned about this, but the law would need to be changed first. I’d get more CPC candidates to teach though…
clarkie:
No i won`t be doing 5 days and then working for an agency that would be wrong i know that. I mean for a while if i do not have work to do.
That’s a very good idea, now that you’ve explained it.
clarkie:
The NEW STANDARD LICENCE (this is the one i want a TM for) is for me for the 18 tonner for my new business. I am just seeing if there were any members who know good TM who would able to help me in the north west area.
There’s the small matter of the TM’s “repute” to consider. I’ve read your posts, and believe that you might be unaware of “repute.” If a TM was found to be supportive/aware of your policy of “cash-in-hand” their repute would certainly be called into question by a Traffic Commissioner (TC.) IMHO, any respectable TM would distance themselves from this quite quickly.
Another small problem might be any links you have with your partner’s business eg. a directorship. When you apply for your new Standard “O” licence, the TC will make some enquiries and probably ask VOSA to visit the proposed operating centre and parking site. In my experience, VOSA might just take the opportunity to have a look at your partner’s maintenance records at the same time… (If you intend to use the same place.)
TBH, (said in my best Victor Meldrew voice) I don’t believe it:
clarkie:
It was odd days the driver did and was cash in hand.He was`nt bother so why should i paid more if the driver was happy at this?
WADR clarkie, I think you might have missed the point. The point isn’t how much you paid the driver, that’s between you and him to agree. The point is that you paid cash-in-hand. Sockpuppet’s comment about HMRC is spot-on.
A few points for you to consider:
- VOSA can ask for timesheets so that they can compare them with tacho records
- If your driver was stop-checked, he would be asked who his employer is.
- If your driver was stop-checked, VOSA would find no “O” licence in force for the vehicle, then your vehicle would very likely be impounded.
- Given the circumstances, I’d think it unlikely that an application for its return would be successful, but you’re the boss…
just seems incredible that someone would go out and buy a wagon without even an interim license, that could be a very costly mistake.
