I’ve been using Phoenix self-drive vehicles in two wings for a while now. My newer wing only started using Phoenix recently and I have been hiring vehicles with gusto.
The issue I now have is that Wing have asked me to do FMT Forms for those trips. Only telling me I needed to do said forms after the vehicles have been used and returned. (In my defence, my old wing never asked for any FMT forms for Phoenix whatsoever, I did think this a little odd, but it is said that one should not peruse the inside of a gratuitous horse’s mouth.)
Of course, the issue is now that I don’t have the necessary info to fill in the forms, and am not exactly clear what forms they want me to fill in.
Wing is telling me to book a Phoenix minibus on an FMT1000. Apparently we have to use a fleet minibus, which sounds to me like one based on a station. I’m trying to get one delivered to my unit instead…
If anyone in North region has successfully used the self-drive facility, and had it delivered to the unit or elsewhere, could you please send me a PM? Would be really useful to be able to give a specific example.
I wonder if Station MT are trying to justify all their vehicles/jobs due to people booking Phoenix OVER Station MT because they don’t have to deal with half the BS that Station MT can generate??
RE the Phoenix Driver comment - you can book a driver WITH your Phoenix vehicle if you ask for it! It can be really useful as, for example, if you’re away on an AT event, you could end up driving there, doing an activity for a day, then having to drive back. Instead, using the Phoenix driver, you need not run that risk of doing a days physical activities (or potentially tripping and twisting an ankle!), then having to drive back/worry about how everybody is going to get back.
I booked a vehicle once for a HQAC event, it was delivered to my home Squadron, I then drove it to the event, it was booked in my name, but with allowance for any holder of an FMT600 to use it, so any member of staff could use it once there (making it the most flexible vehicle in the MT pool we had from various stations.) I then drove it straight to WARMA at Cosford, then, because I walked WARMA and couldn’t drive it home, I had arranged for it to be picked up from Cosford Guard Room and I took the team coach home. All with absolutely no drama. Cannot fault the system.
One of my Staff has booked a Minibus through the Phoenix System, it’s the first time we or anyone we know has used the system so we have a few questions and WHQ are being less than entirely helpful.
If you borrow an MT Vehicle it comes with an. Fuel Card, is that the same for Phoenix?
If it doesn’t how do you claim back fuel? Does it just go on an Accounts 4? If so can you claim back all fuel or just the journeys to and from the activity as you would in an SOV?
Finally if it doesn’t come with a fuel card are you expected to return it full like your would a privately hired vehicle?
It has been a while since I did it but I recall attaching the fuel reciept to the Acct4 and let the Treasurer know too (as Accts4 goes to Sqn account and then from there to mine!)
WHQ and Phoenix were always pants at supplied the required paperwork so was always a case of printing out all the forms myself