Looking at so many questions regarding tachos on here I thought I’d just ask what you good people think about tachograph laws. What would you like to see ? Are they good as they are or too complicated? You have to think that they are set out to include a whole host of different scenarios from the day driver to the Europeant trucker who could get stuck needing a rest period, hence the 24hrs. But does that encourage accidents whereas a driver can drive on a day run and then next day be having to stay awake all night doing a night run.
In my personal opinion they need overhauling drastically. They need simplifying. If you download the eu rules from vosa site they come as a whopping 57 page booklet. You have to ask how has it got to that ?
Whats your thoughts ? It’ll be interesting depending who needs what in order to get on with their work. Also as traffic gets horrendously work do we need more time to do this job or should hauliers be looking for alternative ways if they want to utilise their vehicles ?
no maximum fornightly driving of 90 hours, as this equates to 45 hours per week, so it contradicts the 2X10s, and 4X9 hours rule.
maximum working day of 14 hours for trampers, that for me would be 8 hours sleep and an hour either side for me time.
none trampers: ie day/night drivers should have a maximum working day of 12 hours, this will allow for travelling time.
weekly rest of 36 hours, or 48 hours in week one, and 24 hours in week 2.
re introduce the automatic 7.5 ton lorry cat c1 on car licences, this will allow younger drivers to get experience.
re introduce the rule of going straight for a class 1 hgv, but this must be done on an intensive course that covers load security, ropeing and sheeting, and basic mechanics. it should also be state run.
there should also be a minimum set of standards at RDCs, failure to abide will result in immediate shut down.
i don’t think the eu rules are that bad! ok the booklet is 57 pages long but it is the idiots guide, it breaks everything down into sections that i think are easy to follow,
whats diificult about 3x15’s, 3x13’s duties and 2 10hrs drives per week, the only thing that could be lost is the fixed weeks because that does confuse the issue some what, just make the rules so that everything starts between weekly rest periods reguardless of which days you take your weekly rests
If its deemed safe to drive an artic on domestic regs for 10 hours a day 7 days a week then why is it not deemed safe to drive the same artic on EU regs for that ?
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
Essexboy:
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
If you only do 90 mins driving then there is no need for any tacho break
I don’t think the EU rules are that bad to be honest but there are some things that should be scrapped or changed in my opinion:
The 45 minute break immediately after 4.5 hours driving, I still find it ridiculous that you can work your nuts off for 1.5 hours then drive for 4.5 hours, but you cannot legally drive for 4.5 hours then do 5 minutes paperwork, I find that bizarre and it does nothing for road safety
I agree with the comment about scrapping the fixed week, I don’t really see what the fixed week brings to the party apart from confusion
I also agree with the comment about scrapping the two weekly driving limit, again what does it really achieve.
I think it may be a good idea to scrap the idea of being able to extend the daily driving time twice a week, why not just make it 10 hours driving between daily rest periods, I struggle to see how being able to do 10 hours driving twice a week is any more safe than doing either 10 or 9 hours every working day.
It may also be a good idea to scrap the need for compensation to be paid for reduced weekly rest periods, but perhaps make the shortest weekly reduced weekly rest period 36 hours instead of 24.
I would definitely scrap the RT(WT)R break and night time working limit regulations and incorporate some of the break requirements into the EU drivers regulations.
No reduced daily rest unless away from base. 9hrs doesn’t give you enough time to get home, have a meal and shower, get a decent kip, have breakfast and drive to work.
Remove the compensating for reduced weekly rest periods. It does nothing at all.
Completely BAN the ability to do days and nights in the same weekly period - by that I mean like doing Monday/Tuesday/Wed day deliveries then flipping to night trunks on Thu/Fri.
limeyphil:
maximum working day of 14 hours for trampers, that for me would be 8 hours sleep and an hour either side for me time.
none trampers: ie day/night drivers should have a maximum working day of 12 hours, this will allow for travelling time.
what happens when a day driver gets lost / stuck in traffic / breaks down etc so it’s going to take 13 hours to get back, do they have to kip in the yard?
limeyphil:
re introduce the automatic 7.5 ton lorry cat c1 on car licences, this will allow younger drivers to get experience.
na, that’ll only help to send wages in the wrong direction, i think it’s right as it is now
Essexboy:
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
If you only do 90 mins driving then there is no need for any tacho break
But you still need your break for the WTD. 30mins after 6hrs work or 45mins if you are going to do more than 9hrs.
So if you take your 30mins on the assumption that you’ll be finished your shift before you reach 9hrs, then something comes up meaning you go over 9hrs, you then need to take a further 30min break. So because your 2nd break has to be at least 30mins, now means you have taken an hour’s break when you might only have done 90mins driving for the whole day.
I know the easy answer would be just to take a 45 after your 6hrs and that should cover you for the full day, but those on multi drop will know that’s not always practical. So yes, the 3x15 would be a welcome return.
Essexboy:
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
If you only do 90 mins driving then there is no need for any tacho break
But you still need your break for the WTD. 30mins after 6hrs work or 45mins if you are going to do more than 9hrs.
So if you take your 30mins on the assumption that you’ll be finished your shift before you reach 9hrs, then something comes up meaning you go over 9hrs, you then need to take a further 30min break. So because your 2nd break has to be at least 30mins, now means you have taken an hour’s break when you might only have done 90mins driving for the whole day.
I know the easy answer would be just to take a 45 after your 6hrs and that should cover you for the full day, but those on multi drop will know that’s not always practical. So yes, the 3x15 would be a welcome return.
If you are adhering to the RTD then its 15 min break for a max of 6 hours working/driving time - many do not seem to bother especially if the company they work for is not bothered about the RTD
Not sure you have the RTD right in your thinking so here it is … assuming no more than 4.5 hours driving is done …
no break required for 6 hours or less work/drive
A total of 30 mins which can be 2 x 15 mins for work/drive of 6 to 9 hours
A total of 45 mins which can be 3 x 15 mins for work/drive over 9 hours
At no point in the shift can the driver do more than 6 hours of work/drive without taking at least a 15 min break
there is no 9 hour 30 min break rule if the work/drive total in a shift goes over 9 hours
Essexboy:
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
If you only do 90 mins driving then there is no need for any tacho break
But you still need your break for the WTD. 30mins after 6hrs work or 45mins if you are going to do more than 9hrs.
So if you take your 30mins on the assumption that you’ll be finished your shift before you reach 9hrs, then something comes up meaning you go over 9hrs, you then need to take a further 30min break. So because your 2nd break has to be at least 30mins, now means you have taken an hour’s break when you might only have done 90mins driving for the whole day.
I know the easy answer would be just to take a 45 after your 6hrs and that should cover you for the full day, but those on multi drop will know that’s not always practical. So yes, the 3x15 would be a welcome return.
but the problem with the 3x15 is it allows the best part of 9 hours driving with only a 15 minute break
damoq:
But if I was to take 3x15, or a 30 then a 15, it comes up as an infringement on my tacho analysis for taking my breaks incorrectly.
as you’d expect!!
i’m saying the old way of allowing the 45 to be split into 3x15 allows you to drive 1 minute then take a 30 minute break, then drive 4.29, then take a 15 minute break, then drive 4.30, so you’ve drove 8.59 with a 15 in the middle.
damoq:
But if I was to take 3x15, or a 30 then a 15, it comes up as an infringement on my tacho analysis for taking my breaks incorrectly.
If the analysis gives you infringements for taking 3 x 15s for more than 9 hours drive/work in a shift where the driving time is less than 4.5 hours then YOU ARE LEGAL and the analysis is WRONG - you cannot get a legal infringement for being legal !!
damoq:
But if I was to take 3x15, or a 30 then a 15, it comes up as an infringement on my tacho analysis for taking my breaks incorrectly.
If the analysis gives you infringements for taking 3 x 15s for more than 9 hours drive/work in a shift where the driving time is less than 4.5 hours then YOU ARE LEGAL and the analysis is WRONG - you cannot get a legal infringement for being legal !!
Nonsense, for all you know he could be getting an infringement for exceeding 6 hours working time without a break.
damoq:
ROG:
Essexboy:
I’m a multidrop driver and would like the 3x 15mins breaks re introduced as having to have a 15 then a 30 is daft when sometimes I only do 90 mins driving!
If you only do 90 mins driving then there is no need for any tacho break
But you still need your break for the WTD. 30mins after 6hrs work or 45mins if you are going to do more than 9hrs.
So if you take your 30mins on the assumption that you’ll be finished your shift before you reach 9hrs, then something comes up meaning you go over 9hrs, you then need to take a further 30min break. So because your 2nd break has to be at least 30mins, now means you have taken an hour’s break when you might only have done 90mins driving for the whole day.
I know the easy answer would be just to take a 45 after your 6hrs and that should cover you for the full day, but those on multi drop will know that’s not always practical. So yes, the 3x15 would be a welcome return.
If you’re doing less than a total of 4.5 hours driving time you can split the break into 15 minute parts.
The break for the 6 hour rule is 15 minutes before exceeding 6 hours working time, then you could take another break of 15 minutes later or if your working time is more than 9 hours you could take either another 30 minute break or another two 15 minute breaks, if your driving time won’t reach 4.5 hours it’s your choice how you take the breaks.
In fact if you’re working time is more than 9 hours and your driving time is less than 4.5 hours you could have a 20 minute break at 6 hours then another break of 25 minutes later on.
The only time that the second break needs to be 30 minutes is when it’s the second part of a split driving break.
You seem to be confusing the WTD breaks with the driving breaks, if you’re getting infringements you really need to check exactly what they’re for
dle1uk:
the comments from stevie and rog, as well as comments in other posts proves that the tacho laws need cleaning up…
I think the problem here is confusion where both the driver regulations and the working time regulations are being discussed, it’s certainly proof that as far as breaks are concerned there should only be one set of regulations that need to be complied with rather than the two separate sets of regulations that we have now.
