Lending a lorry - would you be cross?

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Jorgi

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I have a very old but reliable lorry that chugs along, costs me about 1K every year to get through plating, and I quite like. I'm on a yard where few people have any transport at all and I enjoy taking the kiddies and their ponies to shows when I can - it's all great fun. When I'm not around I'm quite happy for anyone to use the lorry as long as it's always full of diesel when I next get in it.

My only ask is that the lorry is always full of diesel. I have NEVER charged anyone for using the lorry, but I do pay for it to be insured for any driver (it's not that much more expensive tbh).

I expect anyone that uses it to return it to the yard with a full tank. I know that it's often a real chore at the end of a long day to make a diversion to fill it up, but I have in the past got in it at 5am to go to an event and found it empty......that is just not on.......!?!

Do you think I'm being unreasonable? There have been times when people have given me £20 or a bottle of wine and some chocolates instead of filling the tank up, but I honestly would rather it was just full when I went to get in it.

I'm thinking of taking the keys away and just saying that nobody can use it anymore?
 
To be honest I think I would be cross.
I would expect the fuel to be replaced and if its not I would at least expect be be told that the van had no fuel in and be reimbursed before I was next going to use it.

I think you are very generous to pay the extra insurance so that anyone can drive it!
 
I think you deserve a full tank and a bottle of wine or chocs.
How can people borrow and not replace what they have used.
I think yoy are very very kind to lend your lorry out and I would be totallly peeved at the lack of respect to the point I think I would say sod em.
 
I think you are such a generous person
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Personally...take the damn keys away...why should you pay nearly a grand a yr for plating and get nothing back for usage???
Sorry but i feel strongly about this...you have been very generous...yet people cant fill up ya tank or give you some money toward wear and tear???Sounds like the people using your lorry are pretty damn selfish..take the liberty away and when they ask why...Tell them!!
 
They are taking the Pi** out of you totally hon! How dare they! Not many people get the chance of free transport. I think you are a very kind person. Why not stick a note on the dash, to remind people
Kate x
 
This is a real pet hate of mine. If I lend something, I expect it back exactly the way it was lent. I would be livid if I found the tank empty.

People on the yard know full well that there are some very early starts involved in attending events and should have the common decency to put themselves out in order to pay back your generosity.

Take the keys home, and let everyone know why.
 
Well I think you're a very kind and generous person to let them have the use for the lorry and they are taking the piss if they're not re-filling it. I also think you've been very lucky not to have come back to it and found that there were problems that people hadn't let you know about or that it was still full of other people's clothing, tack rubbish, loads of poo!

Do people have to ask you each time - ie do you know who's used it and not filled it - or do they just take it when they want it? If it's the former then next time they ask say no and tell them why. If it's the latter then take the keys away and tell the yard that everyone has to get your agreement first.
 
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Do people have to ask you each time - ie do you know who's used it and not filled it - or do they just take it when they want it? If it's the former then next time they ask say no and tell them why. If it's the latter then take the keys away and tell the yard that everyone has to get your agreement first.

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That's what I would do after people have been taking advantage of you like this. Cheeky sods.

They are lucky to have the chance of free transport as the other posters have said. The least they could do is show some appreciation!
 
wow i think its very kind of you...i'd be more than happy to fill up a tank if i was getting free transport! i would keep the keys and people would have to ask for them- then you would know who isn't filling it up and just tell them no in the future and just explain why....or be mean like me and keep your transport for yourself mwahahahaha!
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But, it's not just the fuel that is an issue here. It's the wear and tear on the lorry. I know you say you don't mind them borrowing the lorry but you are paying £1000 a year for plating etc, for somebody else to wear it out.

Take the keys home, then they will appreciate your generosity more.
 
There is a lady at my yard who hires out her lorry for £10 a horse and we have to fill it up with diesel and clean it out when we are finished which is a good way of doing it and we have to book in advance too so that there isnt any arguements over it why not do it this way as it then helps the money for the plating and the insurance if we want the lady to drive it we pay £15 a horse incase we cant get a driver
 
Agree with the others - if I was borrowing it (or anything!) I would not only make sure it went back how I found it - full of diesel, clean etc - but I would give you a bottle of wine etc as well (whether you liked it or not!
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If you know who it was maybe have a quiet word with them or prehaps come up with a more formal arrangement with regards to borrowing it in future - maybe a £20 deposit in cash with you - so those who haven't abused it may still use it if you want them to and those who have abused it you can say no to or at least can keep their cash to fill up this time before saying no the next - does that make sense??
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There is a lady at my yard who hires out her lorry for £10 a horse and we have to fill it up with diesel and clean it out when we are finished which is a good way of doing it and we have to book in advance too so that there isnt any arguements over it why not do it this way as it then helps the money for the plating and the insurance if we want the lady to drive it we pay £15 a horse incase we cant get a driver

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I hope she has the required insurance then - this is 'for hire or reward' and requires you to have different insurance from bog-standard cover. Additionally I would assume she needs an Operators Licence if she is driving people and taking money for it.

Contributing to fuel costs is not 'hire or reward', neither is giving someone a bottle of wine etc, but charging someone to use your lorry or to be driven by you is commercial use and she could get into a lot of trouble for it - not least because technically the vehicle is not insured if she is hiring it out with the wrong insurance.

I allow people to use my lorry, and like you Tuckbox all I ask is that it comes back with the same amount of diesel in it that it had when it left the yard. So far no-one has ever failed to do this, but equally not many people have asked to borrow it because it isn't a free-for-all, people have to come and ask me!
 
I lent my lorry to a friend once for a long distance vets referral trip. I thought I was being kind at a difficult time for them as my lorry was only a year old. 1st time was fine - they left it clean and full of fuel. 2nd time (a few days later) - they didn't ask me, just took it, brought it back late, in the dark, full of sandwich wrappers, muddy footprints everywhere and with the steps dented. Never said a word to me about it.

I will never ever again lend my lorry to anyone.
 
I wouldn't leave keys for people to help themselves. I think you have the keys, they ask you if they want to borrow it, and then you give them a list of how it needs to come back. I don't know I'd lend it at all to be honest, people can be so disrespectful of other people's belongings, and what will you do if they damage it and refuse to pay?
 
i made the mistake of sharing my lorry, the sharer who only had a 3rd share expected to use it as and when, i was only allowed to use it if she didn't need it (she actually told me this), there was never any diesel left for me even if i put it in. then end came when i had booked it came to yard and found her loading her horse, i pointed out she had booked it tomorrow but i was told that her plans had changed as she drove off. on top of that she drank drove it and when i asked her not to then i was told i was being rediculous as the lorry didn't go that fast she would be fine...............i made the mistake of trusting someone never again

so keep the keys and tell them to find there own transport, if they damage it would they repair it?
 
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There is a lady at my yard who hires out her lorry for £10 a horse and we have to fill it up with diesel and clean it out when we are finished which is a good way of doing it and we have to book in advance too so that there isnt any arguements over it why not do it this way as it then helps the money for the plating and the insurance if we want the lady to drive it we pay £15 a horse incase we cant get a driver

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I hope she has the required insurance then - this is 'for hire or reward' and requires you to have different insurance from bog-standard cover. Additionally I would assume she needs an Operators Licence if she is driving people and taking money for it.

Contributing to fuel costs is not 'hire or reward', neither is giving someone a bottle of wine etc, but charging someone to use your lorry or to be driven by you is commercial use and she could get into a lot of trouble for it - not least because technically the vehicle is not insured if she is hiring it out with the wrong insurance.

I allow people to use my lorry, and like you Tuckbox all I ask is that it comes back with the same amount of diesel in it that it had when it left the yard. So far no-one has ever failed to do this, but equally not many people have asked to borrow it because it isn't a free-for-all, people have to come and ask me!

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When I used to takes folks around in my lorry, my insurance company wouldn't let me let them pay for the fuel or give me anything at all in return
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There is a lady at my yard who hires out her lorry for £10 a horse and we have to fill it up with diesel and clean it out when we are finished which is a good way of doing it and we have to book in advance too so that there isnt any arguements over it why not do it this way as it then helps the money for the plating and the insurance if we want the lady to drive it we pay £15 a horse incase we cant get a driver

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I hope she has the required insurance then - this is 'for hire or reward' and requires you to have different insurance from bog-standard cover. Additionally I would assume she needs an Operators Licence if she is driving people and taking money for it.

Contributing to fuel costs is not 'hire or reward', neither is giving someone a bottle of wine etc, but charging someone to use your lorry or to be driven by you is commercial use and she could get into a lot of trouble for it - not least because technically the vehicle is not insured if she is hiring it out with the wrong insurance.

I allow people to use my lorry, and like you Tuckbox all I ask is that it comes back with the same amount of diesel in it that it had when it left the yard. So far no-one has ever failed to do this, but equally not many people have asked to borrow it because it isn't a free-for-all, people have to come and ask me!

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When I used to takes folks around in my lorry, my insurance company wouldn't let me let them pay for the fuel or give me anything at all in return
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I rang VOSA who assured me that this is not hire and reward. I have no idea whether your insurance company would have a leg to stand on if they refused to pay and you decided to pursue them for the claim. Surely this kind of thing cannot depend on which insurance company you are with since it is a legal issue?!
 
Also see the answer to the final question from Defra and VOSA here.

And see this article which outlines the difference between taking some money towards fuel vs charging a specific fee per journey (which was what the lady in question in the post above was doing).
 
I let people use my lorry, I like it getting run rather than just sitting there. No one would just take it without asking first though. They couldn't anyway, I keep hold of the keys. Plus I might need it and I'd be very miffed if it wasn't there because someone had taken it without checking it was available.

If you don't know who's using it and it got damaged, everyone could deny it was anything to do with them instead of paying for repairs. I'd at least make sure each person using it comes and checks with you, and when they do remind them to fill it up. If they don't ask first, or they don't fill it up, stop them using it.
 
I would be. Iv borrowed friends before now and I Always fill the tank when im finished with it, makle sure it is spotless (even if it wasnt when I got it) and chocs flowers, wine or all three!!!

Take the liberty away from them
 
I think it's outrageous that someone would borrow a lorry and not return it at least with the same amount of fuel that it had when it left the yard. Do people expect you to lend them the lorry AND pay for their fuel?? I'm utterly shocked. I wouldn't be lending it again, and I'd tell them why
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Tuckbox, how can you possibly think you're being unreasonable?!! I think you are being amazing tolerant and forgiving. I think it is absolutely out of order for others to abuse your generosity in this way. At the very least, you have every right to tell everyone at the yard that if this happens again, the lorry will not be available for use and that you would be very sad if one person spoiled this for others. Be firm - this lending is costing you money in wear and tear and devaluation - you do at least deserve some consideration!
 
I am happy for people to borrow my lorry within reason (our horses come first!) , but would never leave the keys for them just to take it when they wanted, so i think you are being very generous.
I have mine insured for any driver over 25, I feel its a bit of a safety net incase I am injured while off site with the kids at least it is covered for someone else to drive it home. Doesnt cost anymore than for named drivers.
 
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I lent my lorry to a friend once for a long distance vets referral trip. I thought I was being kind at a difficult time for them as my lorry was only a year old. 1st time was fine - they left it clean and full of fuel. 2nd time (a few days later) - they didn't ask me, just took it, brought it back late, in the dark, full of sandwich wrappers, muddy footprints everywhere and with the steps dented. Never said a word to me about it.

I will never ever again lend my lorry to anyone.

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That is disgusting
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