If im in traffic I leave my hour guard running on driving time I do multi drops maybe thats something to do with it?.
I also pick up and drop off a drag at least 4/5 times a day the hour guard has been spot on in the past.
gardun:
Also, If I was able to leave the cab for 15 mins would it be legal to put it on break?
I would say yes it is legal. You are free to dispose of your time so it can count…if it suits you. 
hammer:
You are free to dispose of your time so it can count…if it suits you.
There is nothing in the regulations that say you have to be free to dispose of your time on a break, on a daily or weekly rest yes but not a break. The definition of a break, as far as the tacho rules go, is defined in the regulations as:
‘break’ means any period during which a driver may not carry out any driving or any other work and which is used exclusively for recuperation
So if in the case of a prolonged motorway closure where you are sitting with the engine off and just relaxing while you wait for the traffic to move then that would meet the criteria of a break. You don’t even have to leave, or be able to leave, the cab.
The whole ‘must be free to dispose of your time’ thing as far as breaks go is just another driver misconception as those words only appear in the regulations in conjunction with rest periods:
‘daily rest period’ means the daily period during which a driver may freely dispose of his time and covers a ‘regular daily rest period’ and a reduced daily rest period’
‘weekly rest period’ means the weekly period during which a driver may freely dispose of his time and covers a ‘regular weekly rest period’ and a ‘reduced weekly rest period’
Conformation of these definitions can be found HERE
Nice and concisely explained “DieselCoffee”
montana man:
Nice and concisely explained “DieselCoffee”
OY, I saw that
I can’t think who you mean though MM, the name escapes me. 
Coffeeholic:
hammer:
You are free to dispose of your time so it can count…if it suits you.There is nothing in the regulations that say you have to be free to dispose of your time on a break, on a daily or weekly rest yes but not a break. The definition of a break, as far as the tacho rules go, is defined in the regulations as:
‘break’ means any period during which a driver may not carry out any driving or any other work and which is used exclusively for recuperation
So if in the case of a prolonged motorway closure where you are sitting with the engine off and just relaxing while you wait for the traffic to move then that would meet the criteria of a break. You don’t even have to leave, or be able to leave, the cab.
The whole ‘must be free to dispose of your time’ thing as far as breaks go is just another driver misconception as those words only appear in the regulations in conjunction with rest periods:
‘daily rest period’ means the daily period during which a driver may freely dispose of his time and covers a ‘regular daily rest period’ and a reduced daily rest period’
‘weekly rest period’ means the weekly period during which a driver may freely dispose of his time and covers a ‘regular weekly rest period’ and a ‘reduced weekly rest period’
Conformation of these definitions can be found HERE
I’ll consider myself told then!
Mind you, it did take you three edits to get it just right… 
Lucy:
Sod the WTD, we’re talking Drivers Hours here
I notice a few of the old hands on here don’t seem too bothered about WTD.
Personally I regard keepting to drivers hours as more important and as a result in the past year I’ve had two tacho “infringements” purely on breaking WTD. In both cases I’ve been well within my drivers hours, neither the agency or the client seemed too bothered about it and nobody’s fined me (luckily on analogue so no automatic fine from my bank account ).
What I’m wondering is how serious is a breach of WTD rules? I know VOSA have responsibility for their inforcement but is going over 6 hours work as bad as going over 4.5 hours driving? Can we be fined or get endorsements for it?
I wouldnt like to be the first sat on the middle lane to say
“sorry officer but ive got 2 minutes of my break left”, can you wait?.
I record mine on tachograph charts. 
I don’t do enough working hours or distance to have to worry other than the 4.5 hours or 6 hours for a break.
I dont record mine either.
I dont really need to i am agency and i only work Monday - Friday max, weekends are mine. Usually doing set runs so lucky to have 45hours driving a week, usually slightly less than that.
Apart from that i do other types of work as well from home, usually i work 4 days a week.
So average driving hours over a week doesent really effect me.
I record my hours on tachographs for VOSA and keep a note of hours i work on my PC just to check with my payslips ive been paid correct.
Mostly seems to be trunks i do so straight drive then 45min break then back up the road, so never “work” more than 6 hours without a break. If i’m doing multidrop tend make sure ive got my breaks on the tacho before the 6hours, plus with the time it takes to get unloaded most places even a few pallets tends to take 30mins.
Only gone over my hours once in the last year, on a digi card. Was coming back from Manchester with a truck full of beer to Glasgow. 4hrs 15mins roughly typical journey but an accident on M73 stop start traffic, magic additional hours i ran to 4hrs 39mins Since the area was the east end of Glasgow no way on earth i,m gonna park up a trck full of booze on a Friday night at 7pm for 45mins. So ended up driving 4hrs 39mins to get me back to depot since no secure area to park carrying a high value load.
Dont want to start a new topic so i thought i would ask this here. Ive been offered double time to make a run down to London on saturday, problem is that i worked last saturday also so i had to take a reduced weekly rest last weekend (40 hours). Ive only done about 35 hours driving in the last fortnight and since monday have had 13 hour breaks between shifts. What i want to know is do i need to compensate for last weeks reduced weekly rest on top of this weeks weekly rest, or can i compensate for a reduced weekly using extra long daily rests?
I know thats all a bit wordy but any help would greatly appreciated 
Kinch:
What i want to know is do i need to compensate for last weeks reduced weekly rest on top of this weeks weekly rest,
No, you don’t have to compensate for it until the end of the 3rd week following the reduction. If last week is week 1 you must have done the compensation by the end of week 4
Kinch:
or can i compensate for a reduced weekly using extra long daily rests?
Only if you can make take the compensation in one block added to another rest of at least 9 hours. You cannot pay it back in bits and pieces.
Based on the information given you can work this Saturday but you would need to take 45 hours rest between finishing Saturday and resuming work next week.