Active Plant FAQs: General plant hire questions

General hire questions

Q1. What services does Active Plant provide?

A1. Active Plant offers operated and self-drive plant hire, heavy haulage, muck away, skip hire, and aggregate supply, including topsoil and recycled aggregates.

Q2. Which areas does Active Plant cover?

A2. Active Plant is based on the London–Essex border in Upminster and serves London and the surrounding counties.

Q3. Do you supply operators with the machines?

A3. Yes. Active Plant can provide CPCS-trained operators (and PTS where required) for operated plant, or supply machines on a self-drive basis for competent, qualified customers.

Booking and delivery

Q4. How do I get a quote or book?

A4. Customers can request quotes and make bookings by phone, email, or via the Active Plant website enquiry form.

Q5. How quickly can you deliver plant or skips?

A5. Active Plant highlights same-day delivery where possible, depending on availability and site location.

Q6. Can I hire plant for a single day?

A6. Yes. The company caters for both one-off private hires and longer-term trade contracts, so short-term and ongoing hire periods are available.

Operated vs self-drive plant

Q7. What is the difference between operated and self-drive hire?

A7. Operated hire includes a trained operator supplied with the machine, while self-drive hire provides the equipment only and assumes the customer has the necessary skills and certification to operate it safely.

Q8. What qualifications do I need for self-drive hire?

A8. Self-drive customers are expected to be competent and appropriately trained, typically holding recognised plant operation tickets such as CPCS or equivalent, and must follow all site safety rules.

Skip hire and waste

Q9. What can I put in my skip?

A9. Skips are suitable for general household, garden, and construction waste, but items such as hazardous chemicals, asbestos, gas cylinders, and electrical appliances usually require special handling and should not be placed in standard skips.

Q10. Can you help with large-volume muck away?

A10. Yes. Active Plant operates tipper and grab lorries, as well as articulated vehicles, to remove bulk spoil and waste from sites.

Aggregates and materials

Q11. Do you supply aggregates and topsoil?

A11. Yes. Active Plant supplies recycled aggregates and topsoil, which can be delivered to site using its haulage fleet.

Q12. Can deliveries be combined with muck away?

A12. In many cases, materials can be delivered while waste is removed on the same visit, improving efficiency and reducing vehicle movements.

Heavy haulage and specialist moves

Q13. What types of loads can you move with heavy haulage?

A13. The heavy haulage service focuses on transporting large, challenging, or abnormal loads using specialist equipment and experienced operators.

Q14. Can you help with planning abnormal load movements?

A14. Yes. Active Plant offers planning support for routing and transporting heavy or oversized loads throughout the UK.

Accounts, safety, and support

Q15. Do you work with both domestic and trade customers?

A15. Yes. The business supports one-off private customers as well as builders, contractors, and larger organisations on ongoing contracts.

Q16. How does Active Plant ensure safety and reliability?

A16. Machines are regularly serviced and maintained, and operated plant is supplied with trained, accredited operators to help ensure safe and reliable performance on site.