but before I do that I’d like some of the those who train drivers on Drivers Hours Regs or just understand them really well to check them first, to make sure I’ve not put in some howlers or maybe think of better ways to word them. I found it quite difficult to keep it simple an cover all the exceptions etc.
Basic Tachograph Rules.
Maximum Driving Hours:
• Driving before requiring a break, 4.5 hours
• Daily driving, 9 hours, extended to 10 hours 2 times a week.
• Weekly, 56 hours
• Fortnightly, 90 hours.
Breaks, Rests, Duty times.
• Minimum of 45 minutes break, before completing no more than 4.5 hours driving, can be split into a 15 minute and then 30 minute rest, but not the other way round.
• Driving period is re-set after completion of a 45 minute break. (which means you can drive up to another 4.5 hours, if it doesn’t exceed your daily driving limit)
• You do not lose the remaining driving time if you complete a 45 minute break before doing 4.5 hours driving; it just re-sets the driving you can do before needing another 45 minute break to 4.5 hours, or whatever you have left of your daily driving limit.
• Daily Rest 11 hours, can be reduced to no less than 9 hours 3 times between weekly rest periods.(The daily rest period must be completed within 24 hours from the start of the shift, any rest that falls outside of the 24 hour period does not count towards the daily rest period)
• Maximum duty time13 hours, can be extended to 15 hours 3 between weekly rest periods. (A duty time of more than 13 hours is also considered to be a reduced Daily Rest)
• Daily Rest can be split into 2 separate periods one must be of at least 9 hours and the other of at least 3 hours. (if done this way it’s not considered to be a reduced Daily Rest period)
• Minimum Weekly Rest 45 hours, can be reduced to a minimum of 24 hours every other week, but the remainder of the hours have to be made up by the end of the 4th week following the reduction.
• Maximum of 144 hours between weekly rest periods, (6 x 24 hours)
Double Manning:
• Drivers must have a 9 hours consecutive rest in a 30 hours period.
• Breaks can be taken when you are the Co-Driver, but Rest Periods cannot be taken in the truck whilst it’s moving.
• Therefore the maximum duty time is 21 hours.
Definitions:
• Duty time, Is the time between 2 daily rest periods or a daily rest and a weekly rest.
• Break, is a period of time when a driver is not doing any work, however it can be taken in a moving vehicle
• Rest, is an uninterrupted period where a driver can freely dispose of his time.
Tachograph Modes:
• Drive: Activated automatically when the vehicle moves
• Other Work: Use to record all work activity, this includes Daily checks and Re-fuelling.
• POA, Period of Availability used to record waiting times, when the duration of the wait is known,
• Rest: Use to record Rest or Break Periods.
Analogue Tachographs:
• Fill in all of the centre field of tachograph chart, the only optional information is Total Kms.
• End date and location are required, even if they are the same as the start date and location
• Use your full name, if your name doesn’t fit on front of the card then use initials and put your full name on reverse of the card.
• If for any reason the Tachograph doesn’t work then write a manual entry on the rear of the card, with an explanation.
• You are also required to do an manual entry if you have been working away from the vehicle
• Don’t leave the card in for more than 24 hours.
• Hand in tachographs within 42 days of them being used.
Digital Tachographs:
• Insert Driver Card into slot 1, Co-Driver into slot 2.
• If you leave your card in the head during a Daily or Weekly rest, (as required in Europe for a continuous record) you must enter the start and end Country at the start and end of your Duty Time. (to do this go into menu, > Entry>Driver 1 (driver 2 if co-driver when double manning) >begin country (or end Country) and select the Country, Spain also has regions)
• Download Digital tachograph within 28 days.
• Most Digital Tachographs will Default to Other Work after the truck has been moved, so remember to use mode switch to put in on Rest (break) when required.
You are required to have on UK journeys:
• All tachographs for the that day and previous 28 days you have driven a vehicle the has a tachograph
• The driver’s digital Tachograph card (if you hold one, even if you haven’t used it)
• Any Digital Tachograph printouts.
• Manual entries showing start and finish times on tachographs (The DVSA agency will accept a record sheet, diary, time sheet) if you’ve not driven a vehicle with a tacho since the end of your last weekly break.
And also for European Journeys:
• Your driving licence,
• Fill in Vehicle Security form for the return journey. (use of this can reduce the possibility both the driver and company receiving a £2000 per person fine if stowaways are discovered on board a vehicle)
• A Continuous Record of Activities on your Tachographs. (this means you should show rest periods on your card by leaving it in the tacho head, no more than 24 hour for an analogue tacho)
Vehicle Checks
• Remember to do Daily Vehicle Checks.
• Time taken to do checks should be recorded as Other Work on the Tachograph
• Report any defects on a Defect Report Form and hand it in. (The company is required to keep them for 15 months)
• Get Defects repaired before taking vehicle on the road
Running over Hours.
• If due to unforeseen circumstances you run over your hours, write an explanation on the back of your Tachograph or on the back of a digital tachograph printout.
• You can only legally run over your hours to get to a suitable parking place.
• Unforeseen Circumstances are on road events you could not reasonably expect to plan for, such as delays caused by: Accidents, Bad Weather, Mechanical Breakdown, Interruption for Ferry Services
Working Time Directive
• Average of 48 hours work a week
• Maximum of 60 hours work in a week:
• A working week start at 00:00 Monday
• Working time does not include; routine travel between home and their normal place of work. rest, breaks, Evening classes, day-release courses, Voluntary work or time spent as a Retained Fire Fighter, a Special Constable, or member of the Reserve Forces.
• Maximum of 10 hours work in a 24 hour period if doing night work.
• Any time worked between midnight and 4am is considered to be night work.
• Normal reference period 17 weeks,
• Reference period and night working hours can be extended by workforce agreement
• Statutory paid annual leave/sick leave cannot be used to reduce the average working time of a mobile worker. For each week of leave that is taken, 48 hours working time must be added to their working time; for each day’s leave, 8 hours must be added to working time.
• Records must be kept for 2 years
• Those who do few than 11 days driving under EU drivers hours regulations in a 17 week reference period are exempt from the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations. This is increase to less than 16 days if the reference period is extended to 26 weeks.
• Workers should not work more than 6 consecutive hours without taking a break.
• A minimum of 15 minutes break must be taken before exceeding 6 hours working time
• If the daily working hours are between 6 to 9 hours then breaks totaling at least 30 minutes are required.
• Where working hours are more than 9 hours a day then breaks totaling a minimum of 45 minutes are required.
• Breaks should be at least 15 minutes in duration.
• If breaks are taken to comply with drivers hours regulations then these will also count as breaks for the WTD.
luckily,no with no witnesses 
thing is,no one ever told me 
