Can someone shed some light on the correct procedure for servicing a unit & trailer at the start of a duty when you insert the digi card ie: How much time should you spend walking around checking before you head out on the road.
Thanks
Stew
No need for a service.
As long as it takes to do the checks.
remember you can put it in manually as well if your like me and spend 10 minutes checking and get in the cab to realise your digi card is still in your bag 
Depends on the size and type of vehicle, have you just started after a night out in it or have you never seen it before.
I hope this helps.
Indeed,as long as it takes you…to drink a mug of tea.
My brew takes anytime between 10 and 15 to drink if you want to make it look good.
Most of the bigger firms give you a checklist to read and carry out; so it takes as long as necessary to look at those items. Some border on the ridiculous - ie. tyre pressures - a kick has to suffice; otherwise it’ll take ages. As an Agency driver almost never driving the same vehicle each day, I find it takes about 10 to 15 minutes including filling in and signing the sheet as nil defects (if so). This is your only defence to a later spot check revealing a defect.
What takes the time is: queueing at the traffic desk, finding the unit, then finding the trailer, returning to the traffic office because I can’t find the hidden or missing second digi roll, or to report what looks like new damage, sorting out the delivery notes, addresses and actual locations, checking the load is the right one and appears secure, Queueing (maybe) for the diesel pump for the unit and fridge and sometimes finding some means of topping up the screenwash and oil.
On a good day about 35 to 40 minutes to get out of the yard; on a bad day either side of an hour.
cav551:
Most of the bigger firms give you a checklist to read and carry out; so it takes as long as necessary to look at those items. Some border on the ridiculous - ie. tyre pressures - a kick has to suffice; otherwise it’ll take ages. As an Agency driver almost never driving the same vehicle each day, I find it takes about 10 to 15 minutes including filling in and signing the sheet as nil defects (if so). This is your only defence to a later spot check revealing a defect.What takes the time is: queueing at the traffic desk, finding the unit, then finding the trailer, returning to the traffic office because I can’t find the hidden or missing second digi roll, or to report what looks like new damage, sorting out the delivery notes, addresses and actual locations, checking the load is the right one and appears secure, Queueing (maybe) for the diesel pump for the unit and fridge and sometimes finding some means of topping up the screenwash and oil.
On a good day about 35 to 40 minutes to get out of the yard; on a bad day either side of an hour.
I drive the same truck and trailer everyday ( we only have one ) but checking the load ( really necessary with some of the muppets loading the trailer ) securing the straps and curtains then doing a walk around to check for obvious damage ( like the damage to the right hand side of the top of the trailer that an agency driver put there, I think he hit an arch bridge but didn’t let anyone know ) takes me at least 30 mins and if the load needs adjusting/re-positioning of strap it can take 45 mins or more. cav551 seems about right.
i ■■■■■■ on a wheel once, the brakes were clearly hot.
and that was the end of my daily checks. 
cav551:
Most of the bigger firms give you a checklist to read and carry out; so it takes as long as necessary to look at those items. Some border on the ridiculous - ie. tyre pressures - a kick has to suffice; otherwise it’ll take ages. As an Agency driver almost never driving the same vehicle each day, I find it takes about 10 to 15 minutes including filling in and signing the sheet as nil defects (if so). This is your only defence to a later spot check revealing a defect.What takes the time is: queueing at the traffic desk, finding the unit, then finding the trailer, returning to the traffic office because I can’t find the hidden or missing second digi roll, or to report what looks like new damage, sorting out the delivery notes, addresses and actual locations, checking the load is the right one and appears secure, Queueing (maybe) for the diesel pump for the unit and fridge and sometimes finding some means of topping up the screenwash and oil.
On a good day about 35 to 40 minutes to get out of the yard; on a bad day either side of an hour.
if there is a roll in the machine, YOU DON’T NEED A SECOND ROLL!!! 
shuttlespanker:
cav551:
Most of the bigger firms give you a checklist to read and carry out; so it takes as long as necessary to look at those items. Some border on the ridiculous - ie. tyre pressures - a kick has to suffice; otherwise it’ll take ages. As an Agency driver almost never driving the same vehicle each day, I find it takes about 10 to 15 minutes including filling in and signing the sheet as nil defects (if so). This is your only defence to a later spot check revealing a defect.What takes the time is: queueing at the traffic desk, finding the unit, then finding the trailer, returning to the traffic office because I can’t find the hidden or missing second digi roll, or to report what looks like new damage, sorting out the delivery notes, addresses and actual locations, checking the load is the right one and appears secure, Queueing (maybe) for the diesel pump for the unit and fridge and sometimes finding some means of topping up the screenwash and oil.
On a good day about 35 to 40 minutes to get out of the yard; on a bad day either side of an hour.
if there is a roll in the machine, YOU DON’T NEED A SECOND ROLL!!!
Did an induction today, it was like sitting in an RDC for drivers myths.
Should’ve heard some of them, you need not 1, but 2 spare rolls, incase the 1 in the machine runs out, then you won’t have a spare which is illegal had to be the best. But I must’ve heard every single one today, and these drivers - 1 had 35yrs experience - actually believed what they were saying
Including the £30 per turn for legs not being fully wound up
Oh, and another 1 was, “if you go 1 minute over your 15hr limit, you commit 2 offences, 1 for going over 15hrs, and 1 for not having 9hrs rest”
And people wonder why we need the dCPC, I’m relatively new to the industry, just approaching 5yrs on HGV and 12yrs on PCV, and even I sit there rolling my eyes at some of this ■■■■
Coffeeholic:
0Depends on the size and type of vehicle, have you just started after a night out in it or have you never seen it before.
I hope this helps.
That piece of string has only got one end - how is that supposed to help 
waynedl:
Did an induction today, it was like sitting in an RDC for drivers myths.Should’ve heard some of them, you need not 1, but 2 spare rolls, incase the 1 in the machine runs out, then you won’t have a spare which is illegal had to be the best. But I must’ve heard every single one today, and these drivers - 1 had 35yrs experience - actually believed what they were saying
Including the £30 per turn for legs not being fully wound up
Oh, and another 1 was, “if you go 1 minute over your 15hr limit, you commit 2 offences, 1 for going over 15hrs, and 1 for not having 9hrs rest”
And people wonder why we need the dCPC, I’m relatively new to the industry, just approaching 5yrs on HGV and 12yrs on PCV, and even I sit there rolling my eyes at some of this [zb]
Did you mange to get a nap in? That seems it would be the only useful thing to come out of the day.
gardun:
Coffeeholic:
0Depends on the size and type of vehicle, have you just started after a night out in it or have you never seen it before.
I hope this helps.
That piece of string has only got one end - how is that supposed to help
You should have gone to Specsavers.
I hope this helps.
I want a spare digi roll because I often take a print out during the day. I want to know what the tacho is going to print out at the end of the day regarding driving time. I may well take more than one break during the day but the display will only show the driving time used since the last accumulated 45 minutes worth of break. I need to know how close to the overall limit I am getting. Many of the jobs I do run very tight to the limit, hence I need enough paper so that there is always some in the machine. I am sure that I am not the only person to have found that the driving time on the display for the current period can be different to what the tacho will print out by several minutes.
cav551:
I want a spare digi roll because I often take a print out during the day. I want to know what the tacho is going to print out at the end of the day regarding driving time. I may well take more than one break during the day but the display will only show the driving time used since the last accumulated 45 minutes worth of break. I need to know how close to the overall limit I am getting. Many of the jobs I do run very tight to the limit, hence I need enough paper so that there is always some in the machine. I am sure that I am not the only person to have found that the driving time on the display for the current period can be different to what the tacho will print out by several minutes.
Go to the correct bit of the display rather than the current period.
I hope this helps.
Another thing. WTF is Facility Time? 
Sounds a lot like management/H&S bull…, sorry, speak. Could someone drive the answer up my motorway so I can see if it takes an exit or along my canal to see if it docks? Thanking you in advance.
Oh, and another 1 was, "if you go 1 minute over your 15hr limit, you commit 2 offences, 1 for going over 15hrs, and 1 for not having 9hrs rest
I did this once and got a infringment sheet to sign to say I had commited the above.Is this not true? It was about 12 years ago.
I drive the same wagon every day, i normally show between 6 and 8 minutes for the check and to fill out the defect book.
This is only on a 26T rigid BTW.
On the rare occasion a collegue drives it to fill in when im on leave or summin. He just gets in it and drives because he knows F all and i cant be arsed to tell him! The reason for that is, he’s one of those guys who knows ■■■■■■■ everything anyway.
Hello Coffeeholic,
Siemens not too bad; Stoneridge give up.
M G B:
Oh, and another 1 was, "if you go 1 minute over your 15hr limit, you commit 2 offences, 1 for going over 15hrs, and 1 for not having 9hrs restI did this once and got a infringment sheet to sign to say I had commited the above.Is this not true? It was about 12 years ago.
No, there is no 15 hour limit, or any ‘spreadover’, specified in the regulations so you cannot get an infringement for breaking a non existent rule.
One infringement for insufficient daily rest and if drivers are getting two infringements them the analysis company are crap, or more likely the driver doesn’t understand what they are reading. I’ve seen some analysis reports that word it something like - “More than 15 hours worked, insufficient daily rest in 24-hour period.” Which is one infringement with an explanation why it occurred, but members of the hard of comprehension community could read that as two infringements I guess.