i’ve had an idea
instead of the confusing rules and regs that we have in relation to drivers hours. i think the following would be much easier to understand.
You can work for 14 hours per day.
you must take a ten hour rest.
the working week starts after a 24hour rest. not sunday to sunday.
you must take a 45 min break after 4.5 hours driving.
p.o.a. replaced as other work.
tipping/loading classed as other work.
e.g. 4.5 hours driving…45 min break…4.5 hours driving…45 minute break…3.5 hours driving…10 hour rest.
once you get used to all the different regs they aren’t so bad. The nature of truck driving is everyday is different so you need some flexibility in your working hours. I agree with the poa though that’s pointless.
limeyphil:
the working week starts after a 24hour rest. not sunday to sunday.
Under the current rules the working week does start after a weekly rest period and doesn’t run from Sunday to Sunday.
limeyphil:
p.o.a. replaced as other work
What qualifies as POA at the moment is not other work, you’re not working as you are just sitting about. There is very little difference between POA and break so it would more likely be replaced with break.
Just before the daft working time regs came in i went to an RHA seminar about it all and i ran this scenario, which was happening the following week, by them.
Monday- double manned 7.5 leaves salford 2 pm to load Carlisle, across to Immingham for 10 pm . Driver A drives all day and loads and does ferry checking in etc
Tuesday ferry leaves at o4.00
Weds - Ferry lands 08.00Gothenburg. Driver A drives to Linkoping , tips and drives back to Gothenburg for the evening sailing. Approx 8 hours driving.
Thursday - ferry 27 hour crossing
Friday - Ferry lands Immingham 04.00. Driver A drives back to Salford for around 07.00.
Question was, has driver B done any work. The answer was no because both ferry time and being second man on the truck is counted as POA. Only job I know where you go away all week, earn money but don’t ‘work’.
In reality the drivers would split the driving etc, but as an explanation of POA versus what counts as work, I thought it was a cracker.
limeyphil:
i’ve had an idea
instead of the confusing rules and regs that we have in relation to drivers hours. i think the following would be much easier to understand.
You can work for 14 hours per day.
you must take a ten hour rest.
the working week starts after a 24hour rest. not sunday to sunday.
you must take a 45 min break after 4.5 hours driving.
p.o.a. replaced as other work.
tipping/loading classed as other work.
e.g. 4.5 hours driving…45 min break…4.5 hours driving…45 minute break…3.5 hours driving…10 hour rest.
No thanks, maybe getting old but find 10 hrs driving a breeze somedays and other days a really tiring long drag.
No way i’d like my shifts to involve 12hrs 30mins driving every night, would end up with companies wanting me to do really long trunks, which should be overnighters or two man shifts, because it would end up being every night.
As for breaks i rarely reduce my break to 9 hours working from home.
Had an argument with my agency over this, 9 hours isnt enough, takes me 1 hr each way to get to work, i can never sleep straight away when i get in from a lot of driving i need to wind down, have something to eat usually browse the internet for at least 30mins - 1hr. Plus when i get up i like to have a wash get something to eat. Means i end up typically with 5hours sleep, which is ok for a few days but starts to really catch up with me. Agency thought i was being arsey with them maybe i ain’t cut out to be a trucker but i know 5hrs sleep aint enough for me everynight.
Plus as well reduced breaks leave no time for doing other things like having to go down the street pay bills.
