Hello,
I have recently started driving a 7.5t on a tacho, my question is this…
I start driving at six in the morning, at half ten I have a forty five minute break. I dont get back to yard til fourish.
So what can I do to extend my driving hours? Or can I take an extra break to extend it, ive looked on .gov website , but that doesnt seem to make anything any clearer. I dont know what the punishment would be , if caught being over.
Should I be worried?
Thankyou for any tips.
Edsbrick:
Hello,
I have recently started driving a 7.5t on a tacho, my question is this…
I start driving at six in the morning, at half ten I have a forty five minute break. I dont get back to yard til fourish.
So what can I do to extend my driving hours? Or can I take an extra break to extend it, ive looked on .gov website , but that doesnt seem to make anything any clearer. I dont know what the punishment would be , if caught being over.
Should I be worried?
Thankyou for any tips.
Are you saying you drove for 4.5 hours or you were at work for 4.5 hours before taking a 45 break?
If you started driving at 6, drove 4.5 hours
45 break
drove 4.5 hours
it is now 1545
45 break
drive to yard
10 hours only available to drive twice a week
otherwise 9 available
what about other work, loading and unloading
REMEMBER anything over 9hrs accumulated driving uses a 10 hour drive.
I start driving immediately at six, as for loading , unloading when I drop I put the tacho on the “work” symbol. Does this mean that at 1545 I can take 45 mins then continue driving? What is the penalty for going over , how will I be caught? Does the tacho upload to vosa automatically?
Sorry for being so ignorant , but my orevious employment I only drove 7.5t for four to five hours a WEEK !!!
If you start driving at 0600 you can only drive for a accumilated driving time of 4.5 hours regardless of how many times you stop to load/unload then you need to have a 45min break then carry on for another accumilated 4.5 hour driving period, carrying on till 1545 as you say, will be way over the time. You also need to take into account the WTD rules.
You will get caught if your stopped by vosa/police for a spot check
No the tacho does not upload to vosa automatically, you have to download your card at the place you work at and they either analise the card themselves or get a outside company to do it then if the infringments are regular and of a serious nature vosa or the TC may be informed
How many hours per day are you actually driving, bear in mind that driving time is the time recorded on the tachograph as “driving”.
You can only legally drive for 9 hours per shift, this can be extended to 10 hours twice per week.
The time the tachograph is on other work does not count towards the driving time.
When you’ve accumulated 4½ hours driving time you must have a 45 minute break, when you’ve accumulated another 4½ hours driving you must have another 45 minute break.
It sounds like you could be a bit unsure of what is driving time and working time, perhaps you could give us a rough guide as to how your day breaks down.
For instance when you start work at 06:00 do you have to spend time loading and doing vehicle checks before setting off, then how much actual driving have you done when you have your 45 minute break.
I am completely unsure of the rules and regs, any help is appreciated, ive just read the rules for European drivers and now im panicking im due a 2,500 fine for going over my hours.
A complete breakdown is …
arrive at work 5.55 am
check load (pvc sheets)
6.00 drive from thetford, norfolk to margate, then onto medway ind est. 10.30 - 45 mins break.
Back into truck drive into london onto chelmsford, changing tacho to other work whilst unloading. Then back to base . Normally arriving between 15.00 and 16.30 , depending on traffic flow and roadworks on a11. Finishing my day upon arrival at base.
Should I printout every day what do I do with printout? As an agency driver the company dontseem to want to give me any direction soIim left to make assumptions…
Edsbrick:
I am completely unsure of the rules and regs, any help is appreciated, ive just read the rules for European drivers and now im panicking im due a 2,500 fine for going over my hours.
A complete breakdown is …
arrive at work 5.55 am
check load (pvc sheets)
6.00 drive from thetford, norfolk to margate, then onto medway ind est. 10.30 - 45 mins break.
Back into truck drive into london onto chelmsford, changing tacho to other work whilst unloading. Then back to base . Normally arriving between 15.00 and 16.30 , depending on traffic flow and roadworks on a11. Finishing my day upon arrival at base.
Should I printout every day what do I do with printout? As an agency driver the company dontseem to want to give me any direction soIim left to make assumptions…
You only need to printout (generally) if something happens and you need to note why by scribbling on it. So not every day, the card records the data.
The vast majority of tachos swap between driving and “other work” for you. When you stop driving, does it not go to crossed hammers for you? A few don’t and jump to rest, but I think they are rather uncommon.
I’m being very nosey now, and going off topic, but do you have an old car licence that had C1 on it, and have you done anything about driver CPC yet? The tachograph and driving hours module sounds like it could help you a bit.
I have cat c through an old car licence and have not done a cpc course. I am hoping to secure a full time job through doing agency work and then perhaps getting prospective firm to put me through cpc. I love driving for a living but am in fear of failing at the first hurdle and being resigned to some production line work for eternity. 
Edsbrick:
I have cat c through an old car licence and have not done a cpc course. I am hoping to secure a full time job through doing agency work and then perhaps getting prospective firm to put me through cpc. I love driving for a living but am in fear of failing at the first hurdle and being resigned to some production line work for eternity.
You will get there mate. I like this website Driving Time Regulation | Transports Friend
A bit of time surfing around that and digesting stuff might help.
One a semi-serious note, I’m afraid it’s a bit doubtful someone would take on a new driver and put them through DCPC. However if you get yourself the 35 hours you need, you become a more attractive proposition for the agency / employers.
Im same edsbrick. Bit unsure my self. Thing its one of things once ya get hang of you be kicking urself wondering what the fuss is about. You have to make all these hours up over 3wks i dont understand that either 
If your drive from Thetford to Margate is almost a 4.5 hour drive I would consider having two 45min breaks a day ie-:
0600- 0900 =3 hours
45min break
0945- 1245 =3 hours
45min break
1330-1630/1730 =3 or 4 hours
Total 9 or 10 hours driving but not getting any where near going over your hours, but you can only do 10 hours driving twice a week
Are you using a digi or analogue tacho, if it’s a digi you can check the accumilated driving time whilst your on the move
Thats another issue the accumulation of hours over two weeks. Im in the thought that ive driven/worked for 56 hours this past week minus five times 45mins break … oh the confusion !!!
Your only aloud 56 hours in week. Thats driving time dosnt include your tipping and loading. I Think. Only aloud drive 90 hours in two weeks. Im bit confused to mate 
Time driven and time worked are two seperate issues
You can only Drive for 56 hours a week or 90 hours a fourtnite, so if you’ve driven 56 this week you can only drive for 34 hours next week, this is time actually spent behind the wheel moving not including breaks/other work ect
Midnight rambler… thank you, that break down makes loads of sense and im using a digi tacho.
I will watch my hours on it.
My drive is usually three hours to margate so does that mean I can take that 45 min break then .then after 4.5 more hours I take another 45 mins break so I can then drive a nother hour and half?
If so great, but and its a big but, on friday I was making good time but congestion meant I went over hours, what are my options? Am I expected to pull over on the a11 and park for the night (which would not go down well with the company) or is it acceptable to drive the extra hour to get back .
Firstly no you don’t need to do printouts.
Secondly if you’re going to Margate then back to Medway in 4½ hours it’s unlikely you’re doing 4½ hours driving time before the break, I assume you spend some time unloading at Margate and that time does not count as driving time.
You must never go over 4½ hours driving time before having a 45 minute break, so if you accumulate another 4½ hours driving after your break you must stop and have another 45 minute break.
You should always aim to have the 45 minute break well before reaching 4½ hours driving time
When you complete a 45 minute break the driving time is reset and you can do another 4½ hours driving before having another break.
If after the first break you do another 4½ hours driving you must stop and have another 45 minute break.
Driving time is the time the wheels are turning, you can check how much driving time you’ve done on the tachograph, but to help you with that we need to know what sort of tachograph it is.
So we know what sort of tachograph could you tell us, when you put your driver card in do you push it into a slot or put it into a draw ?
It may be a good idea if tomorrow you do a printout at the end of the shift and scan and post it so we can see what you’re doing and give more accurate advice (be sure to hide any personal information such as name or card number on the printout before posting it).
Tachograph…
Although not working tomorrow, rest day, lol .
I do have a printout that I can upload tomorrow that will show a typical day.
I really do appreciate the help you have all given so far.
Im now going to drive for three hours then have break and repeat. So I have learnt something at least.
Now … should I be prepared to recieve a fine for the past two weeks of misdemeanour s.