KHi all I am fearly new to driving lgv I passed my class 2 in August and class 1 yesterday witch I am happy about lol anyway last week I was on the road and I went over my 4.5 hours by 5 minutes due to couldn’t find anywhere to stop I allready got half hour in at 2hours 15 any info would be a help to is it a big no no or just a warning sort of thin TiA
Its a bit of a grey area that one. There really is no excuse for going over your driving time as you should start looking early,round about the 4 hour mark. However,you are allowed up to,I think,5 minutes before it becomes really serious as apposed to being just serious.
Technically,even 1 minute is bad. If you are involved in an rta it will be looked at to see if you have a disregard for the law.
But if it is only infringment for as little as you say,you may be ok if stopped and given a warning.
Just try to plan a bit better in future and take breaks earlier in case of problems finding a ■■■■■■■■■■■■.
just do a print out and don’t worry about it it happens. try not to make a habit of it . and well done on the class one
chester1:
just do a print out and don’t worry about it it happens. try not to make a habit of it .
+1
in the lovely beverly bells (traffic commisioner) eyes goign over by 1min is as mich as an offence as goign over by 30mins.
as said start planning to have your break before it gets too tight.
Can never be certain what type has been passed in so here are both …
Contraflow:
chester1:
just do a print out and don’t worry about it it happens. try not to make a habit of it .+1
+2
They’ll usually allow going over by 15 minutes before handing out a fine, unless someone regularly makes use of the allowance.
Google Vosa graduated penalty and download the pdf, struggling to put a link up on my phone.
As said write an explanation on a printout and don’t worry!
ROG:
Can never be certain what type has been passed in so here are both …
Thank you it was in a artic well chuffed lol
And thanks everybody for the info/advice it’s put my mind at rest a bit 
Do a printout and don’t worry about it,it happens to everyone at some point due to circumstances beyond your control.
I went 12 mins over the other day,joined the M6 and was 8 miles from the services with 42 mins driving left,what I didn’t know was just around the corner was a vehicle fire and a 5 mile traffic queue,a hour of slow crawling later I got to the services,quick print out and explanation on the back job done.
*Also what I do is get my transport manager to sign my printout when I get back the yard ,just makes it easier when you get the infringement through,staple a copy of printout to infringement and hand it back.
ckm1981:
Do a printout and don’t worry about it,it happens to everyone at some point due to circumstances beyond your control.
I went 12 mins over the other day,joined the M6 and was 8 miles from the services with 42 mins driving left,what I didn’t know was just around the corner was a vehicle fire and a 5 mile traffic queue,a hour of slow crawling later I got to the services,quick print out and explanation on the back job done.*Also what I do is get my transport manager to sign my printout when I get back the yard ,just makes it easier when you get the infringement through,staple a copy of printout to infringement and hand it back.
i was 11 mins over a 4 n alf yesterday, was sat in services having my break when vosa knocked at the door, told him, showed him print out and his answer was i know driver we followed you down through the same amount of traffic, horrible weren’t it, last friday you went 42 mins over and you explained the reason why and backed it up with evidence (photocopys of paperwork, gatepass which stated how long i was there (4 hours for 6 pallets) and high value load details). vosa officer said it was strange that i was 8th driver this month that he had encounterd with over running hours problems with a certain xdc at doncaster even though they had been informed of when the drivers hours were out. i got no fines but got told i didnt need anymore infringements like it.
For the immediate future, until you get some more mileage in and start to learn where stops are and what the traffic is like I suggest starting to look for places to stop once you get near 4hrs. That gives you a good half hour. There’s also nothing wrong with going slightly off route for a couple of miles to find somewhere to park up for your 45 - it doesn’t have to be on the route.
If its after 5pm you better start looking well before 4hrs driving. More like after 3 hrs on busy routes. Parking in UK is now becoming a serious problem IMO.
Conor:
For the immediate future, until you get some more mileage in and start to learn where stops are and what the traffic is like I suggest starting to look for places to stop once you get near 4hrs. That gives you a good half hour. There’s also nothing wrong with going slightly off route for a couple of miles to find somewhere to park up for your 45 - it doesn’t have to be on the route.
Going off route is fine if you know of realistic parking but I’m not sure I’d be going on a hunt in the unknown. OP keep an eye out for likely parking spots as you go about your day even if you don’t use them and mark them up on some maps. Also consider that spots may have different availabiity at different times of the day.
Those digital tachos are all me arse and Peggy Martin.
An analogue chart showing say 4h 20m has more likely than not covered
more “proper” driving time than a digicon showing 4h 40m.
axletramp:
Those digital tachos are all me arse and Peggy Martin.
An analogue chart showing say 4h 20m has more likely than not covered
more “proper” driving time than a digicon showing 4h 40m.
Its true for the early digi tacho’s the problem is they would record a complete minutes driving even if you only did a few seconds driving, the new ones still record in minute blocks, but they record the main activity for that minute, so if you drive for 29 seconds and are on other work for 31, it records other work.
For the op, pretty much agree with many of the replies, don’t lose sleep over the odd few minutes, but don’t make a habit of it. 4.5 hours is a limit not a target, stop earlier get the breaks in then you’re less likely to go over, but there are always days it just goes ■■■■ up.
And my experience of dealing with DVSA (even when they were called vosa or the ministry) is that if you’re straight with them and talk to them in a civil manner they’ll be straight with you and treat you in a civil manner.
New trucker:
KHi all I am fearly new to driving lgv I passed my class 2 in August and class 1 yesterday witch I am happy about lol anyway last week I was on the road and I went over my 4.5 hours by 5 minutes due to couldn’t find anywhere to stop I allready got half hour in at 2hours 15 any info would be a help to is it a big no no or just a warning sort of thin TiA
It’s fine. Ms. Bell will send you a personal invite to join her for tea and biscuits to discuss the matter.
chester1:
just do a print out and don’t worry about it it happens. try not to make a habit of it . and well done on the class one
Also, sign & date it, at least you can then say that you have acknowledged the mistake if pulled & questioned.
Wiretwister:
Conor:
For the immediate future, until you get some more mileage in and start to learn where stops are and what the traffic is like I suggest starting to look for places to stop once you get near 4hrs. That gives you a good half hour. There’s also nothing wrong with going slightly off route for a couple of miles to find somewhere to park up for your 45 - it doesn’t have to be on the route.Going off route is fine if you know of realistic parking but I’m not sure I’d be going on a hunt in the unknown. OP keep an eye out for likely parking spots as you go about your day even if you don’t use them and mark them up on some maps. Also consider that spots may have different availabiity at different times of the day.
heres what happens when you decide to go for a jolly jaunt to while away the last unimportant 30 mins of your driving time to find somewhere nice and scenic to take your tea.unfamilier big roads,have a habit of turning into unfamiliar small roads with 1 wrong turn,…if your working for someone with a risk assessment sheet,then you do not stray …ever…your boss is going to love you for wasting diesel toodling around looking for somewhere to park.go off your approved route and your necks on the chopping block should anything happen,or if your late for your booking slot further down the road itl be your fault for messing around.max your mins driving,then pull in when you have to and abandon it where someone wont take your mirrors off. it works like that for the flipflops anyway? itl depend on what kinda firm your working for,but nobodys going to praise you for going off route,or wasting time .if your not going abroad,a few mins now and again is no biggy moreso if you write a wee story to cover it in advance.
