Drivers hours

Hi, I’m just about to start a new (my first driving job). I just wanted some advice on the 4.5 hr rule for driving time. If I insert my card at 0700, would I take my driving time from my tacho display when planning my breaks, ie if at 1200 it says I have only driven for 2.5 hrs I’m still ok or is it taken from when you inserted your card? I will be delivering building supplies in a 7.5t truck so will accumulate a lot of other work I think.

Driving is all the time the wheels are actually turning - It is what is shown on the tacho. You must take a 45 minute break (or a 15 minute break and then a 30 minute break, in that order) before that tacho reading gets to 4h30.

You also need to consider your Working Time breaks (separate piece of legislation)

Your working time starts from when your shift starts. You should take a break of at the very least 15 minutes before your working time reaches 6h (i.e. If you start at 0700 you should have a break no later than 1300), plus another 15 minutes before your shift ends (or another 30 minutes before shift end if your total working time exceeds 9 hours).

With the sort of work you will be doing, a 15 minute break mid-morning and then a 30 minute break before the driving time gets to 4h30 will be fine.

Roymondo:
Your working time starts from when your shift starts. You should take a break of at the very least 15 minutes before your working time reaches 6h (i.e. If you start at 0700 you should have a break no later than 1300),

If you were to record 10 mins of break then 45 mins of POA and then another 5 mins of break then the 15 min break would not be needed until 1400 because only driving time and other work time count as working time + breaks under 15 mins are still breaks but do not count as breaks for any of the regs

ROG:

Roymondo:
Your working time starts from when your shift starts. You should take a break of at the very least 15 minutes before your working time reaches 6h (i.e. If you start at 0700 you should have a break no later than 1300),

If you were to record 10 mins of break then 45 mins of POA and then another 5 mins of break then the 15 min break would not be needed until 1400 because only driving time and other work time count as working time + breaks under 15 mins are still breaks but do not count as breaks for any of the regs

I really, really, REALLY didn’t want to introduce the concept of POA - mainly because there are very few 7.5T builders’ merchants type jobs where POA is even relevant.

Roymondo:

ROG:

Roymondo:
Your working time starts from when your shift starts. You should take a break of at the very least 15 minutes before your working time reaches 6h (i.e. If you start at 0700 you should have a break no later than 1300),

If you were to record 10 mins of break then 45 mins of POA and then another 5 mins of break then the 15 min break would not be needed until 1400 because only driving time and other work time count as working time + breaks under 15 mins are still breaks but do not count as breaks for any of the regs

I really, really, REALLY didn’t want to introduce the concept of POA - mainly because there are very few 7.5T builders’ merchants type jobs where POA is even relevant.

I think Rog is complicating things here .

The best way to deal with POA is not use it.

There is no obligation to use POA even when you are told specifically how long you’ll be waiting for.