Vehicle familiarisations

[Fablon biff chit]

While I'm in the mood...

Why do we need to be fam'd up on every service vehicle? If I can drive a Bedford 4 tonner, I can drive a corsa van, surely? Plus the LDV luton van, crew cab etc.

You sign for the vehicle before using it, so it is your responsibility to DI the thing. Surely any fool knows where the washer fluid is, oil, etc.

Job creation? If a civvy company ran like MT it'd go bust!

 

[MingMong]

Something that has annoyed me lately too.
I can easily go out and hire a minibus and drive it on public streets. But bacause it is not on my F600 I cannot drive one for work. My driving license says I can drive it, the RAF says I can't.

I did question MT about this, and they said it is to do with insurance. But I don't know the ins and outs of their insurance policy.

 

[grumpyoldb]

I didn't think that MT had insurance, (in any of the armed services).
All claims were covered by the treasury.

You do not need vehicle insurance if you can afford to lodge £1 million with the treasury to cover any claims. You will then be issued a certificate by HM gov. to prove that you are covered for third party claims.

 

[exerk]

Beauracracy! Probably stems back to when there were very few vehicles used, they were all made by different firms and extremely devious in their different ways. Couple that with the powers that be regarding them in the same light as weapons.

I agree though as I once pmsl'd when I had to tell the boss I had not brought back his LWB 'cos MT noted I had only SWB explicitly on the 600 - despite being HGV! Especially pi**ed off when they wanted to remove Unimog's as 'we don't have them here'.

 

[Rigga]

In the old days (80's/90's) we could just write the wagons we wanted to drive, on the back of our 600's, as we changed stations! They never checked, just accepted the list on the back.
Don't know if it would work now?

 

[Tashy_Man]

In the old days (80's/90's) we could just write the wagons we wanted to drive, on the back of our 600's, as we changed stations! They never checked, just accepted the list on the back.
Don't know if it would work now?

Hmmmm yes it would ! I went to get mine (after being on unit for 2 years LOL) and all they did was copy my old one...including MF 40/50 (do the RAF still have those tractors ?) all the various old vans and cars etc.

One of our guys at work wrote a very similar thread to the staish on the staishes forum thing.....he was told it was more a "duty of care" that people should be trained "per vehicle" (he sited the coach crash in germany where the driver was unfamiliar with the coach)

 

[grumpyoldb]

To be fair, whilst 99% of people are pretty much clued up with checking vehicles, I once saw one of our lineys trying to pour a pint of oil................down the dipstick tube. He was A mech P as well. That shows you how long ago it was but is probably still valid today.

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

At the UAS I had to do a famil in a car before I could drive the astras, but then it was on my FMT 600, I then did a famil at Colt on a minibus and was signed up for minibusses, cars and light vans.

Was taken as read when I moved to Brize - did my airfield permit and could drive cars and light vans including the LDV crew cabs with tail-lifts.

IMHO the LDV crew-cabs should have had a specific driver famil, or better still replaced. They were a hazard. almost every shift someone backed a crew cab into another MT wagon/bit of GSE/Hangar Door/Trade Mgr/SEngO's pushbike/VC10/Tristar DT_Xtremez_42:

for some reason, it was nearly always the movers that backed a wagon into the side of the only serviceable VC10...

Just as I was leaving, they started replacing the LDVs with Ford Ranger 4x4 pick-ups. They rolled one not long after taking delivery...

 

[Enguineer]

MT would have no way of knowing if you had written groups on your 600, unless the new unit insisted on a STAMA (yes STAMA, not SAMA) screen print of entitlement from your previous unit.

I have been fixing the things for 20 years, yet they refuse to fam me on certain vehicles that I have a license for.

Many years ago I did my Coach license at Leconfield so that as an NCO I could out inspect them properly (RAF version of MOT or VOSA test). My unit refused to familiarise me on them (despite the fact I had just completed exactly the same training as an MTD) and would only issue me with a 600 annotated 'Test purposes within Station Boundaries only'

12 years later, I needed to book a coach to move the Sqn, and someone mentioned that I had my license. Before I had the chance, the Cpl MTD had me nominated as a self drive! Fortunately with the help of one of the old civvies I managed to find it written down that only MTD's and certain nominated RAF Regt gunners(!!!!!!!!!) could drive coaches with passengers.

I very rarely self drive any MT vehicle, after all that is what they are paid to do over in MT!

 

[Enguineer]

Just had a thought!

Who familiarises the MT TT&L NCO's on new vehicles?

Surely as a techie I am more qualified to understand the workings of vehicles?

 

[Grease Monkey]

TG 6 Drivers saving their bacon

TG 6 Drivers saving their bacon

You see some clever git at STC decided that all other trades were crap at driving and introduced a great Q of defence driving instructor for NCO MTD only! I am in charge? an MT fleet but not an MTD. I can't train or test any of my 120 guys on any of the vehicles.

I stead I have ask some civvy in MT if they can take my guys out in my wagons. Even worse I have to show the instructor/examiner how to operate the kit myself first.

No sense, maddening, extra hard work - but its what the book wants so its what the book gets. I'll keep punishing the MTD until they have to change their SOPs through lack of manpower!!

DT_Xtremez_14:
​

 

[denthemen]

MT Madness

MT Madness

Here's a good one....

Before the boys go out to Cyprus now on det, they have to sit the BFG tic test so they can drive MT.

Cyprus drive on the left, not right.

All the signs are in English (or Greek - not in the test)

Only lasts for 6 months and then have to do it again.

Must be 'cos the Army runn all the MT out there now and its run from Germany somewhere, i dunno?

 

[Fablon biff chit]

MTD until they have to change their SOPs through lack of manpower!!

DT_Xtremez_14:
​

Thought that was already the case. Theyre always bleating about manpower, but have you ever known a trade worse for jobs for the boys?