Can someone settle a debate at work. Our day driver often moves the vehicle in the morning, loads for an hour and doesn’t put his card in until he leaves the depot. Someone please say i’m right that he should be putting his card in when he starts work and before he moves the vehicle.
Secondly, we’ve got a manager who regularly moves the vehicle from inside the depot, to park it on the road, again without a card, saying he’s shunting it and doesn’t need a card. Is he right?
In my opinion & the eyes of the law you are correct,the driver should put his card in,there are quite a few that do not though.As for the manager shunting around the yard he does not need a card,but driving onto the road,then he does,but again there are many firms that do this type of thing .
As a driver you are obliged to record your daily activities on a tacho, not just driving. Your working day usually begins with your daily vehicle check, which should be recorded on your chart or card. I have forgotten this in the past, but I was once advised by vosa that it is acceptable to record this manually on the reverse of the chart. Any loading etc that the driver is doing before driving is “other work” and should be recorded as well. Technically speaking you are definitely right.
This is where VOSA like to get their teeth into companies, especially on a site visit, they will compare wages to timesheets, weighbridge tickets and tachograph records, they can leave no stone unturned once they get there teeth into it.
On the other hand, the driver may be doing a manual entry to cover the time he is on duty, how would you know?
SuffolkLad:
Can someone settle a debate at work. Our day driver often moves the vehicle in the morning, loads for an hour and doesn’t put his card in until he leaves the depot. Someone please say i’m right that he should be putting his card in when he starts work and before he moves the vehicle.
Secondly, we’ve got a manager who regularly moves the vehicle from inside the depot, to park it on the road, again without a card, saying he’s shunting it and doesn’t need a card. Is he right?
The driver should be using the driver card to move the vehicle and whilst loading, even if he doesn’t move the vehicle to load it the very least he should be doing is to enter a manual entry to cover the time he’s working before inserting the card.
As far as the manager is concerned I’d say that legally he should be using a card but to be honest most people I know wouldn’t bother with a card just to move a vehicle onto the road.
How would you explain all the missing miles that many companies do with no cards in?? We tip/load at big companies DHL, Stobarts etc etc and there shunters move ROAD WORTHY units on/off bays to get them tipped/loaded then park them up…
I can’t see the point in loading off card then putting it in just prior to leaving. Is there any advantage to the driver?
Definately illegal, it’s the same as unloading on break at certian RDCs
scottishcruiser:
How would you explain all the missing miles that many companies do with no cards in?? We tip/load at big companies DHL, Stobarts etc etc and there shunters move ROAD WORTHY units on/off bays to get them tipped/loaded then park them up…
It doesn’t matter if a shunter moves it, unless the visiting driver has left it on break with his card in, fitters don’t normally put a card in to move them into the garage, but If I was going to drive a truck over the pit and go home. I would book off over the pit, so a night man didn’t interrupt my rest period.
Your question really answers itself. shunters move ROAD WORTHY units on/off bays to get them tipped/loaded then park them up
You cant really expect a shunter to put a card in every vehicle they move, and neither would VOSA
Mr B:
I can’t see the point in loading off card then putting it in just prior to leaving. Is there any advantage to the driver?
Definately illegal, it’s the same as unloading on break at certian RDCs
It may be done to ensure the driver can get home, if he is on a tight schedule and normally takes maximum hours to complete a job, that extra hour can help him if he is on a promise.
I don’t agree with it, if they can’t hack nights away, stick to 8 till 5 factory work.
Wheel Nut:
Mr B:
I can’t see the point in loading off card then putting it in just prior to leaving. Is there any advantage to the driver?
Definately illegal, it’s the same as unloading on break at certian RDCsIt may be done to ensure the driver can get home, if he is on a tight schedule and normally takes maximum hours to complete a job, that extra hour can help him if he is on a promise.
I don’t agree with it, if they can’t hack nights away, stick to 8 till 5 factory work.
Yeah but in my experience this only encourages the tm to pile more work on in the expectation you’ll work off card.
Personally I would do it if it suited me but at the ops place one driver does it so the tm buts pressure on everyone else to do it as well.
Mr B:
Yeah but in my experience this only encourages the tm to pile more work on in the expectation you’ll work off card.
and in my experiance the sentance " just because he do’es it dont expect me too " normally covers it.
SuffolkLad:
Can someone settle a debate at work. Our day driver often moves the vehicle in the morning, loads for an hour and doesn’t put his card in until he leaves the depot.
just keep your cards clean and dont worry about it, its nothing to do with you.
we’ve got a manager who regularly moves the vehicle from inside the depot, to park it on the road, again without a card, saying he’s shunting it and doesn’t need a card. Is he right?
you must be a new driver, again mind your own business. 
He should be putting his card in as soon as he starts work, hence the mode “other work”. The only advantage I can see him gaining by doing what he’s doing is if hes doing 16 hour days or he wants to do 7 hours work before taking a break. Stupid really.
Our yard had 2 entrances off a road in a industrial estate, so basically 2 seperate yards with the warehouse and factory separating them. There has been a few occasions where I have got back bang on my driving time, whether it be 9 or 10 our driving day. Now I’ve dropped the trailer pulled the card, but then have to drive 50 yards on a public road to get into the other entrance where diesel and everything else is ready for the night trunker that uses my unit. Also our shunters often bring trailers back and fourth from each entrance during the day. Public road with no card is illegal at the end of the day.