What is the equivalent of what used to be called Phoenix transport?
Where is the list of vehicles available?
How much notice is needed to book them?
How do you book them?
Thanks
Clarity, vehicles are the same (just a different booking system with a different name, I believe), but they’re tighter on suitable events (anyone got the link?).
Usually booked through your WHQ AFAIK, but I don’t know if that’s different anywhere or if their notice period might be different to ours for whatever reason.
as above
our Wing have a minimum 10 day lead time booking request in place for both self drive or driven (ie driver provided)
always better to provide more notice than minimum
vehicles available on the drop down are
17 Seat Minibus
25 passenger coach
30 seater coach
41 passenger coach
4x4 double cab pickup
4x4 dual purpose vehicle
4x4 freight role
4x4 passenger role
55 passenger coach (not self drive)
70 seater coach (not self drive)
9 seat bi-purpose
large estate car
large hatchback
large hatchback automatic
medium estate care
medium hatchback
medium hatchback automatic
MPV 7 seater people carrier
MPV 9 seater People carrier
Supermini 5 door hatchback
of course the list is pointless unless you have the vehicles listed on your FMT 600
and yes i do know of D1 drivers who have needed to do a “fam drive” to get a 9 seater bi-purpose authorised(!)
in my experience i have booked for use
minibuses
coaches (55 seater)
cars
and known others use bi-purpose (commonly known as a 50-50) and at RIAT there have been Scottish Wings arriving in the 25 seater buses
anything else the FMT600 will be the first hurdle and then Wing to justify why you need something so “specialist” versus a car
cars are rarely offered out in our Wing, WExO happier to approve claims on a F1771
certainly our WHQ is clamping down on what is being booked, but the process is straightforward for us at least
where are you going
purpose of the trip
vehicle type
number of passengers (note don’t request a 55 seater and only put 20 passengers)
date required (for self-drive, delivery date)
delivery address (or pick up point for coaches)
collection address
driver(s) name/service number/phone number
cargo details (ie luggage)
other wings may require more or less.
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Not to mention, there are opportunities for optional extras - tow bars for moving climbing walls for example.
But you need to stress this on application. And have appropriate licence to move said load.
You also need to watch what actually turns up vs what you actually booked.
Over the years we have had “green” fleet 4x4’s turn up (your car annotation on FMT does not cover this) and an 18 seat minibus(which is too many seats for D1) in place of a 17 seater. You do occasionally get some gucci cars (i had a Range Rover Evoque for a silver DofE last year) but normally its bog standard rubbish.
All this is normally top trumped by the fact that they rarely turn up on time, or to the correct place. Our wing is trying to push us for the pickup at WHQ, but for some unknown reason if we are setting off at silly oclock on a weekend, they normally let us book to the sqn/local TA centre.
Absolutely. Sending 2x9 seat Tourneos is not the same as 1 x 17 minibus when you only have 1 x FMT600 holding driver!!!
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although it has no impact on an event i have known vehicles sitting outside Staff homes for a week waiting for it to be picked up!
I may have been responsible for this on one occasion - but I maintain I had nothing to do with it. Dropped vehicle off at the TA Centre and left keys with the caretaker… All was well. Day or so later I’m getting frantic calls, because they had 90 minutes to get the vehicle 2 hours away and it wouldn’t start.
Had a van once where the cab stank of vomit - like they’d barely even tried to mask it. Height of summer and the cab was cooking too.
We had a 9 seater half and half that had more marks and dents on it than a banger car. The guy spent over 30 mins marking up all the damage on the sheet before handing it to us. His parting comment was “unless you roll it i doubt we will ever notice any more damage”.
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