I’ve got the chance of some good work at the opposite end of the country from my operating centre. The work may become a permanent contract but I won’t know for sure for around 3-4 months. Obvously I don’t want to go to all the bother of setting up a new operator centre if the contract doesn’t come off. Can anyone she’d some light on out based driver rules? How long can I out Base before bringing a truck back to his own Base? I 's there a time limit before I’m expected to set up the new centre. If I go this route the trucks will be parked in an authorised operating centre, just not my own. I can take 3 or 4 months to apply for a new licence in a new area these days. By which time my work could well be all over.
You in theory should have an approved operating centre on your o licence before you start running trucks from your new depot, but you can normally get away with it for3 months before you apply. Assuming no one complains about your truck to the TC, which if it in someone else’s operating centre shouldn’t happen.
Eastern European hauliers appear to stay for months, operating from various industrial estates.
Carshifter:
I’ve got the chance of some good work at the opposite end of the country from my operating centre. The work may become a permanent contract but I won’t know for sure for around 3-4 months. Obvously I don’t want to go to all the bother of setting up a new operator centre if the contract doesn’t come off. Can anyone she’d some light on out based driver rules? How long can I out Base before bringing a truck back to his own Base? I 's there a time limit before I’m expected to set up the new centre. If I go this route the trucks will be parked in an authorised operating centre, just not my own. I can take 3 or 4 months to apply for a new licence in a new area these days. By which time my work could well be all over.
I wouldn’t bother with the TC, crack on and make some money while you can. As mentioned, none of our European cousins seem to bother with the rules so don’t stand out from the crowd.
Cheers lads. I have since contacted TC and it does seem that there is 3 months grace provided you let them know when the 3 months start. I guess they got a schedule to get into you for more then eh? Like was suggested the best thing seems to be to just crack on. If the works becomes permanent then tell the TC and apply for licence at the new OC.
Thanks for the replies.
Plambert:
Carshifter:
I’ve got the chance of some good work at the opposite end of the country from my operating centre. The work may become a permanent contract but I won’t know for sure for around 3-4 months. Obvously I don’t want to go to all the bother of setting up a new operator centre if the contract doesn’t come off. Can anyone she’d some light on out based driver rules? How long can I out Base before bringing a truck back to his own Base? I 's there a time limit before I’m expected to set up the new centre. If I go this route the trucks will be parked in an authorised operating centre, just not my own. I can take 3 or 4 months to apply for a new licence in a new area these days. By which time my work could well be all over.I wouldn’t bother with the TC, crack on and make some money while you can. As mentioned, none of our European cousins seem to bother with the rules so don’t stand out from the crowd.
As advised, you would have been better to have kept schtum, you will now be on their radar…
You need very very good lads when running trucks from the other end of anywhere, because when the sicky is pulled, it gets very difficult to sort out…like, who has got the keys to the truck ect…
Been there, done that, and its nerve wracking if a complete pink oboe player slips through the net… 
Stanley Mitchell:
Plambert:
Carshifter:
I’ve got the chance of some good work at the opposite end of the country from my operating centre. The work may become a permanent contract but I won’t know for sure for around 3-4 months. Obvously I don’t want to go to all the bother of setting up a new operator centre if the contract doesn’t come off. Can anyone she’d some light on out based driver rules? How long can I out Base before bringing a truck back to his own Base? I 's there a time limit before I’m expected to set up the new centre. If I go this route the trucks will be parked in an authorised operating centre, just not my own. I can take 3 or 4 months to apply for a new licence in a new area these days. By which time my work could well be all over.You need very very good lads when running trucks from the other end of anywhere, because when the sicky is pulled, it gets very difficult to sort out…like, who has got the keys to the truck ect…
Been there, done that, and its nerve wracking if a complete pink oboe player slips through the net…
I did the job for many years, the number of sickies a known experienced transporter driver will pull is virtually zero, it’s a weird job which you can either do or not (no half measures) and no shrinking violets last more than 5 minutes anyway.
I doubt our OP will be training up an unknown from scratch, and the experienced bloke will have a work record, in such a niche job where everyone knows each other someone who the OP trusts will know the applicant, absenteeism isn’t an issue.
I came off transporters after 20 years, the vanishing of the old school in other transport sectors was an eye opener to me, not as you need telling that no doubt 
, far too many of the new breed (age immaterial here)…er how can i put this politely…wouldn’t last the 2 weeks training at a transporter depot, dunno what happened but proper lorry drivers are bloody thin on the ground now.
ECM used to base up to five in a yard where I did a fair bit of work out of, and they had quite a few issues with sickies, and these were old school drivers
There were plenty of occasions where a rig was parked up for a few days, before a van came down from Carlisle with a relief driver.
They also had a lot of problems with the drivers running back in on a Saturday morning, after a night out just down the road [plenty of hours left], these are the problems with out based drivers, IF the management are not in control.
ECM did get a grip in the end, and moved the operation to where they could control it a bit better, the drivers had to travel a lot further to start their week, but it was their own fault.
So, as I originally mentioned, you need very good lads to run an out based operation…
Stanley Mitchell:
ECM used to base up to five in a yard where I did a fair bit of work out of, and they had quite a few issues with sickies, and these were old school driversThere were plenty of occasions where a rig was parked up for a few days, before a van came down from Carlisle with a relief driver.
They also had a lot of problems with the drivers running back in on a Saturday morning, after a night out just down the road [plenty of hours left], these are the problems with out based drivers, IF the management are not in control.
ECM did get a grip in the end, and moved the operation to where they could control it a bit better, the drivers had to travel a lot further to start their week, but it was their own fault.
So, as I originally mentioned, you need very good lads to run an out based operation…
I wasn’t disagreeing with you.
Full sick pay i have no doubt, a system that whilst an excellent back up for the genuine is milked by an increasing number.
This is not the norm in transporter world i can assure you, and i’d be very surprised if the sickie takers were genuine old school drivers.
Where i am now, tankers, it’s as plain on your face who will be there come hell or high water…the old school (lorry drivers all their lives, age immaterial you can get 22/35 year olds from the old school) would be there if they had to crawl in on hands and knees, its the new breed (not necessarily young but often failures at or had other careers) and increasingly the management who are taking the ■■■■ re sickies, we get full pay (salaried) and i think the company are wrong to do this it encourages the dishonourable…■■■■■■ me off worse when its admin/management who can’t be arsed to set a decent example…monkey see monkey do.
TBF, the worst offenders were Ex Military for some reason ?
Its a sign of the times chap, old school driver / manager / gaffer, are all rapidly being replaced, by a breed of self obsessed drama queens…
As one old school gaffer once said to me, if you spoil them, they WILL abuse it 
…and this was nearly 30 years ago
Stanley Mitchell:
TBF, the worst offenders were Ex Military for some reason ?Its a sign of the times chap, old school driver / manager / gaffer, are all rapidly being replaced, by a breed of self obsessed drama queens…
As one old school gaffer once said to me, if you spoil them, they WILL abuse it
Shockingly true then and now …