Hello everyone,
In a few weeks I will start the process to obtain O license. As part of requirement I will need to show TC about my Operating Center and who will be doing the Maintenance of my lorry (I will be based in Coventry area)
What ways would you recommend me to go in order to find reliable and not very expensive mechanic and place where to park the vehicle.
Thanks everyone for the input.
P.S. I am already CPC holder and have enough cash to buy a lorry.
syva:
Hello everyone,In a few weeks I will start the process to obtain O license. As part of requirement I will need to show TC about my Operating Center and who will be doing the Maintenance of my lorry (I will be based in Coventry area)
What ways would you recommend me to go in order to find reliable and not very expensive mechanic and place where to park the vehicle.
Thanks everyone for the input.
P.S. I am already CPC holder and have enough cash to buy a lorry.
As for an operating centre I just drove around looking for possible places and knocked on the door, took a while but worked out ok. You need to talk to local operator to find out who is good and not to extreme(price wise) when it comes to finding a good mechanic.
There’s quite a few commercial fitters listed in Coventry on Yell, yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction … lass&atoz= maybe drive round and check a few of them out, they’ll also probably be able to suggest yards locally that rent out parking spaces.
Look at the whole picture though, there’s no point in getting a £15 cheaper bill if the fitter can’t do work on the day you want it done and you have to miss a day’s work every time you need a six-weekly inspection.
Out of interest, what do others pay for a six-weekly inspection and grease-up on a 6x2 tractor unit right now? I pay around £145 and that’s by a main dealer but I was taking to my ex-employer last week (who still operates one vehicle and has it serviced by an good local independent commercial fitter) and it surprised me when he said he paid “a hundred and forty something”.
There used to be parking here for units but not sure if thats the right number for parking
Storage World
Boots Farm
Bourton-on-dunsmore
Rugby
CV23 9QQ
Tel: 01926 633 382
I once took a tractor from a main dealer and managed to use their premises as my operating centre, they were doing the maintenance too so two birds with one stone, not sure if they still do it though, ask local transport companies, all they can say is no.
About the same as you Harry, Renault rates.
was having it done in southampton at good price but dealer is on my door step and will do six weekly on sat am, so no down time.
we use a mobile mechanic to service and repair our trucks and he’s great !! if you wanted his number i can give it too you?
we run 8 trucks and he’s quite good on price aswell and all trucks are sorted when we have a problem.
Cheers
JP
Thank you all for your input,
Excalibur is a decent one in Coventry. You could ask PJM truck stop near Coventry air port if you could use their site as an operating centre.
JPMidlands:
we use a mobile mechanic to service and repair our trucks and he’s great !! if you wanted his number i can give it too you?
we run 8 trucks and he’s quite good on price aswell and all trucks are sorted when we have a problem.Cheers
JP
Unless you’ve got a horsebox doing modest mileage or something, I think, particularly as a new operator, you need to be looking at going to somewhere with full test lane facilities really. I suspect somewhere that’s actually an ATF would be seen as best case maintenance scenario for a new operator application going through.
Insight transport at Inkberrow have a large secure yard and on site garage\mechanics.
They do Spain/Gib.If they cant help they may know a contact for your needs.
Any farms to try.Arable farms have large concrete pans or run a grain transport business.