As far as I can see there’s no requirement to align weekly rests with the calendar week. So so long as you got your annual leave, could you do 6 on 2 off forever and be legal?
wanderingstar:
As far as I can see there’s no requirement to align weekly rests with the calendar week. So so long as you got your annual leave, could you do 6 on 2 off forever and be legal?
A weekly rest period has to be taken for each calendar week so I don’t see how you can say that weekly rest periods don’t have to align with the calendar week.
So the answer is, no it can’t be done permanently because around week 10/11 you will need an extra day off to bring your weekly rest period in line with the week it’s being used for.
tachograph:
wanderingstar:
As far as I can see there’s no requirement to align weekly rests with the calendar week. So so long as you got your annual leave, could you do 6 on 2 off forever and be legal?A weekly rest period has to be taken for each calendar week so I don’t see how you can say that weekly rest periods don’t have to align with the calendar week.
So the answer is, no it can’t be done permanently because around week 10/11 you will need an extra day off to bring your weekly rest period in line with the week it’s being used for.
Hi, Thanks for explaining. I am using a study pack from RHA and in it I cannot see it says anywhere that you must take a weekly rest each calendar week. All it says is there can’t be any more than 6 days between weekly rest periods and that a full weekly rest must be taken every two weeks. Since posting I found on the government website that it says that two weekly rests must be taken every two weeks, so it looks like the RHA pack has missed that bit out.
wanderingstar:
tachograph:
wanderingstar:
As far as I can see there’s no requirement to align weekly rests with the calendar week. So so long as you got your annual leave, could you do 6 on 2 off forever and be legal?A weekly rest period has to be taken for each calendar week so I don’t see how you can say that weekly rest periods don’t have to align with the calendar week.
So the answer is, no it can’t be done permanently because around week 10/11 you will need an extra day off to bring your weekly rest period in line with the week it’s being used for.
Hi, Thanks for explaining. I am using a study pack from RHA and in it I cannot see it says anywhere that you must take a weekly rest each calendar week. All it says is there can’t be any more than 6 days between weekly rest periods and that a full weekly rest must be taken every two weeks. Since posting I found on the government website that it says that two weekly rests must be taken every two weeks, so it looks like the RHA pack has missed that bit out.
nick2008:
wanderingstar:
tachograph:
wanderingstar:
As far as I can see there’s no requirement to align weekly rests with the calendar week. So so long as you got your annual leave, could you do 6 on 2 off forever and be legal?A weekly rest period has to be taken for each calendar week so I don’t see how you can say that weekly rest periods don’t have to align with the calendar week.
So the answer is, no it can’t be done permanently because around week 10/11 you will need an extra day off to bring your weekly rest period in line with the week it’s being used for.
Hi, Thanks for explaining. I am using a study pack from RHA and in it I cannot see it says anywhere that you must take a weekly rest each calendar week. All it says is there can’t be any more than 6 days between weekly rest periods and that a full weekly rest must be taken every two weeks. Since posting I found on the government website that it says that two weekly rests must be taken every two weeks, so it looks like the RHA pack has missed that bit out.
Good advice it seems! 
Marsland, I have read your other posts on the regs and you do not have a good grasp of them - you have your own interpretation which you are welcome to but to tell others that your personal take is the correct way could have another believing you and getting into trouble
marsland:
ROG:
Marsland, I have read your other posts on the regs and you do not have a good grasp of them - you have your own interpretation which you are welcome to but to tell others that your personal take is the correct way could have another believing you and getting into troubleHave it your way mate, I’m not really fussed. I’ve been running my own fleet of twenty two vehicles for 25yrs. My drivers all run legal. I myself have a BSc degree in transport management, we are members of the FTA and my drivers all run to the advice given and discredited by you. We very rarely have any WTD and or RTD infringements. please go away and thoroughly read and read and then read again maybe then you will finally grasp the legislation instead of cherry and interpenetrating what you believe to fit.
As each fixed week must have a weekly rest used for it then you explain how at some point the driver will not get a situation where they need to take an extra day off - you cannot because it is impossible
As for interpreting the regs - myself and many others including a VOSA TE on here have been doing it correctly for years
This is why we answer on a public forum so that those who have their own personal take can be better informed even if they then choose to ignore it
tachograph:
A weekly rest period has to be taken for each calendar week so I don’t see how you can say that weekly rest periods don’t have to align with the calendar week.
I’m a little confused by this, how does that translate to 4 on 4 off workers then?
There must be a separate weekly rest for each fixed week (sunday midnight to sunday midnight)
For a weekly rest to count for a fixed week it must be at least 1 minute into that fixed week
The same weekly rest cannot be used for 2 fixed weeks - unless its at least 69 hours long - but lets stick to what generally happens
There is no issue with 4 on 4 off complying to those rules but there will be eventually with 6 on 2 off
marsland:
wanderingstar:
So maybe gov.uk is wrong after all! It wouldn’t suprise me.No. GOV.UK is correct. You cannot work more than six days before taking a weekly rest. The weekly rest can be 45hrs or reduced to 24hrs. You must take one 45hr rest period in any two weeks. So in other words, If you work 6th day then take 24hrs off, then work 5 days, you must have 45hrs off. One long, one short, one long, one short, etc, etc, etc.
You can of course do 6 each week but would have to take 45hrs at the end of each block of 6 to get round the rest requirements. Week one would be Mon-Sat, Week two would be Tuesday-Sunday. Week three would be Weds-Mon and so on and so on.
GV262:
In any two consecutive ‘fixed’ weeks a driver must take at least:2 regular weekly rests or
one regular weekly rest and one reduced weekly rest
A week which is commonly called the fixed week is 00:00 Monday to 24:00 Sunday, as ROG said you’re applying your own interpretation to the regulations.
marsland:
ROG:
Marsland, I have read your other posts on the regs and you do not have a good grasp of them - you have your own interpretation which you are welcome to but to tell others that your personal take is the correct way could have another believing you and getting into troubleHave it your way mate, I’m not really fussed. I’ve been running my own fleet of twenty two vehicles for 25yrs. My drivers all run legal. I myself have a BSc degree in transport management, we are members of the FTA and my drivers all run to the advice given and discredited by you. We very rarely have any WTD and or RTD infringements. please go away and thoroughly read and read and then read again maybe then you will finally grasp the legislation instead of cherry and interpenetrating what you believe to fit.
Given what you’ve posted in this thread it seems likely that your drivers are the ones keeping you on track with the regulations, I hope you appreciate it 
Can anyone actually say what law specifically regulates this, down to the section and paragraph?
wanderingstar:
Can anyone actually say what law specifically regulates this, down to the section and paragraph?
Sections 6 of Aricle 8 - (EC) 561/2006
- In any two consecutive weeks a driver shall take at least:
— two regular weekly rest periods, or
— one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly
rest period of at least 24 hours. However, the reduction
shall be compensated by an equivalent period of rest
taken en bloc before the end of the third week following
the week in question.
Is that specific enough
All throughout this thread there is mention of “fixed week” yet section 6 article 8 doesn’t mention “fixed” even once, and we wonder why there is confusion?
And ROGs inadequate response to my question doesn’t explain why a 4 on 4 off is exempt from this presupposed “fixed” week.
I have no issue with tachographs knowledge in this matter I’m just after some clarification if possible.
Reef:
All throughout this thread there is mention of “fixed week” yet section 6 article 8 doesn’t mention “fixed” even once, and we wonder why there is confusion?And ROGs inadequate response to my question doesn’t explain why a 4 on 4 off is exempt from this presupposed “fixed” week.
I have no issue with tachographs knowledge in this matter I’m just after some clarification if possible.
Sorry I posted in a hurry and probably never explained enough.
Article 4 (i) of (EC) 561/2006 (link posted in previous post) states “‘a week’ means the period of time between 00.00 on Monday and 24.00 on Sunday;”, this is commonly referred to as a fixed week to diferentiate it from what many people call the working week (the working time between weekly rest periods)
My apologies for not being precise enough 
As far as the 4 on 4 off work pattern is concerned, to be honest I don’t think I’ve ever worked it out but will have a look when I get time.
I have no reason to dispute what ROG has said, on the face of it I would think you probably could do 4 on 4 off without any problems, but as I say I don’t think I’ve ever worked it out and would prefer not to commit myself until I have 
Thank you. I have followed your link and Chapter 1, Introductory Provisions, Article 4, Definition (i) does indeed define the week as you say.
with 4 on 4 off there will always be a minimum of 3 days off in every week
ROG:
with 4 on 4 off there will always be a minimum of 3 days off in every week
AHHH! that sounds about right
Thanks for the clarification, Jeezus that link though, I feel like I need to don a barristers wig just to read the bloody thing, why use 10 words when you can fluff it out with 100,000 eh? 