i,ll be on rigids class 2 once i get through lessons and pass, drivers say they work approx 75 to 90 hrs a week take poa and breaks off and rest periods to get hrs down to 48 hrs a week, if your waiting 1 hr poa to get tipped can you put it on break or do you have to use poa. also you have 45 min break between driving 9 hrs can you pull over anytime for 15 mins half hr or 1 hr or would you get bllocked im not on about splitting daily rest on bout start work say example
((( 6am 30 mins other work - drive 3 hrs -30mins tip poa- drive 1&half hrs break 45 mins -drive 2hrs poa 30 mins - drive 2 & half hrs stop time is 5.15 pm daily rest min 9 hrs = total time 11 quarter hrs + 9 hrs rest so is this paid work for 11& quarter hrs take off 45 min break, can i have a couple extra stops breaks without getting bollocked to get my hrs to 15 hrs 3 days and 13 hrs 2 days how does your days work out
can i have a couple extra stops breaks without getting bollocked to get my hrs to 15 hrs 3 days and 13 hrs 2 days
Not likely, you can try it but you’d most likely get the boot or not paid 
Why should they pay you for skiving? 
i don,t want to skyv just how do you,s get to work 15 hrs a day drive 9 say 3 hrs other work is 12 hrs enlightem me please
why do you want to work 70+ hours a week are you mad 
its also very rare you will be driving up to your maximum driving time every day unless the planning is a complete shambles or you running london to scotland and back every day 
if your on rdc workyou can get the poa up but i find so ■■■■■■ infuriating sitting around waiting to get tipped i’d go mad 
i do 50 maximum and moan like a ■■■■■■■ when i do that. 
jon
gothika:
i don,t want to skyv just how do you,s get to work 15 hrs a day drive 9 say 3 hrs other work is 12 hrs enlightem me please
example for fun 
W=Work
D=Drive
B=Break
P=POA - or use Break if you are paid for it.
Start 6am
W 15mins
D 2hrs 30 mins
P 1hr 30 mins
W 30 mins
D 2 hrs
B 45 mins
D 1 hr 30 mins
P 1 hr 30 mins
W 30 mins
D 2 hrs
W 30 mins
D 1 hr
W 30 mins
Finish 9pm = 15 hour day - if you are paid for Breaks & POA then you get all the 15 hours but only 14 hours & 15mins if Break is not paid.
I made this up to show how it MIGHT be done
gothika:
i don,t want to skyv just how do you,s get to work 15 hrs a day drive 9 say 3 hrs other work is 12 hrs enlightem me please
15 hour spread-over is not compulsory any more than being limited to 3 hours other work is compulsory
gothika:
i,ll be on rigids class 2 once i get through lessons and pass, drivers say they work approx 75 to 90 hrs a week take poa and breaks off and rest periods to get hrs down to 48 hrs a week, if your waiting 1 hr poa to get tipped can you put it on break or do you have to use poa.
If you’re sat there and not working it doesn’t really make any difference weather you use POA or break as far as getting the hours down is concerned, neither POA nor breaks count towards the maximum average of 48 hours per week, so if you need to take a break then that’s a good time for it.
gothika:
also you have 45 min break between driving 9 hrs can you pull over anytime for 15 mins half hr or 1 hr or would you get bllocked
I guess your employer is the only person who can answer that for certain, but as already said not many firms would stand that attitude if they find out about it.
I can imagine going to the traffic office and explaining that I pulled over for an hour or so to make up my hours to 15
Don’t think I’d be working tomorrow somehow
To be honest I think you may have the wrong idea about driving, it’s certainly true that most of us have more freedom than say a factory worker, but with freedom goes responsibly to get the job done in a satisfactory manner, regardless of what you may have heard most TMs aren’t stupid and have some idea how long a job should take.
thanx rog and tacho rog example i got it now and i don,t get paid for 45 min break as far as i know i,ll be dropping off and picking up all over the country
i will work hard and try to get all what they expect me to do in a day done if poss
no way i,d skyv but was wondering i know class 1 are a bit different as sometimes they may wait poa 4 hrs to be tipped, whereas class 2 rigids probally no where near as long i will probally get things all sussed when i pass my test and actually start work, but this forum has been a godsend as i,ve learnt loads on here i don,t want to be getting fined or bollocked, some people take my questions the wrong way. probally i did,nt write it properly.
i,ve learnt loads of you,s guys i seen a woman driving class 1 artic other day i admire her for that.
i meant for example pulling over for a break of 15mins 30 mins or even a hour for things like say if you were really tired or traffic jam and traffic was,nt moving
or you needed toilet , or far too windy 80mph gusts and too dangerous to drive even at slow speeds ect not to skyv and make hrs up so would i get a bollocking for any of the above reasons
If you have a GENUINE reason to stop then it will be a non issue, your TM may well want a phone call from you to explain why though.
Anything dangerous you can stop, your the driver.
Traffic is just part of a drivers day and generally you have to sit in it, it’s very rare that it doesn’t move at all
Loo stop is just nature and you cant be moaned at for a 10 minute loo stop, however if that turns into a half hour dump and then a meal and wander round the shops at MSA’s it might become an issue lol
If your really tired, why? You would have taken your dailey rest Tiredness can happen even after a good nights sleep, if you feel rough etc, personally if i was falling asleep i’d stop, i’d phone the TM, but regardless of what he said i’d stop anyway, i’m not going down for manslaughter and i’m sure the TM wouldn’t want to either.
Do your test, get some work and then worry about it, none of this is really important at this stage
Also if your hoping to earn based on maximum hours every week you’ll be dissapointed, base your week on 8 hours a day and anything after that is a bonus
gothika:
i meant for example pulling over for a break of 15mins 30 mins or even a hour for things like say if you were really tired or traffic jam and traffic was,nt moving
or you needed toilet , or far too windy 80mph gusts and too dangerous to drive even at slow speeds ect not to skyv and make hrs up so would i get a bollocking for any of the above reasons
If the traffic isn’t moving you’re probably not going to be in a position to pull over and stop unless you just happen to be by a lay-by, no employer should really object to reasonable toilet breaks and if it’s too dangerous to drive because of weather conditions, well that doesn’t happen too often but yes of course you should stop if it’s too dangerous to drive.
Now that you have made yourself clearer, I think what you are asking is how regimented is Transport as a profession.
The first thing to remember is that any decent company would rather get their vehicle / load back safely than not. If it were otherwise, then i certainly wouldn’t be working for them , and whilst there may be the occasional instance where I might have to ‘cut corners’ a little, in order to get back, then that is my decision.
The main thing is to demonstrate that you are a reliable worker and getting your face ‘known’.
I’ve never had any problems with taking short breaks. We have drivers that will pull up about ten minutes before returning to the yard. It provides a more relaxed environment in which to finish your flask, tidy up the paperwork, clear out the day’s rubbish, and shake out the floor mats, etc.Even with Agency drivers AND having tracking systems installed, I have never heard of it being criticised.
TBH, with the firms that I mostly drive for, if I came back with a blown bulb on the vehicle, they would rather pay me the extra 15 minutes to rectify the fault than to have me write out a Defect Report and leave the matter unattended.
It’s not difficult to justify short breaks. Particularly if you take them at MSA’s.
E.g. You got blocked temporarily.
You went to the toilet and had to queue for a cubicle because a couple of coaches had just pulled in.
You got distracted by another driver asking for advice or directions.
You saw brake lights ahead on the Motorway and pulled into the Services rather than risk joining an accident queue.
The list is endless. If you can’t make up some sort of plausible excuse for rare occasions then…
Other than that, you’ve got the Highway Code, which suggests driving for periods of no more than two hours at a time, and the H&S Exec document, Driving at Work, which has sections on Time and Scheduling.
I think you are worrying too much. Learn to walk before you start running.
PaulJC79:
If your really tired, why? You would have taken your dailey rest
I have said a few firm things to TM’s in the past regarding me being late due to stopping because I wanted a wake up brew and fresh air,
“At least I am here and not sleeping up an embankment/down a ditch”
“I would be even later if I would have had a rumble strip nap and taken 3 cars out”
“I wont kill myself so the wife gets my inheritance, I certainly wont kill myself for your load”
It wont makle you top of the TM’s xmas card list, but will highlight your safety first way around the job.
If you need a break in addition to your WTD/Driving breaks then take it, but obviously be reasonable. If you had a 9-5 office job and felt tired come 3pm you wouldn’t just go to sleep at your desk for an hour.
It’s different driving a truck as if you are tired and it can’t be helped if you don’t take a break then you’re a big liability so it’s acceptable to take a personal break just to have a walk around, take a leak, get a drink etc. Sometimes when you’ve got a long 15hour day, your tacho breaks won’t coincide with when you might start to feel tired, so you might have to take an additional short stop down the road, aslong as you don’t take the pee I don’t see the problem, never been told off myself for it driving trucks or vans, trackers fitted or not.
Taking a break when tired…
Just like I did on an east coast run one summers day. Did 6 drops in a flatbed 6 wheeler delivering sheet steel and the last drop was near Gorlestone sea front.
Parked lorry near the tennis courts, went for quick dip in the sea - not a pretty sight seeing me in swimming shorts but it was away from the main beach - got onto bunk, windows open, curtains blocking the sun & a nice sea breeze blowing through the cab.
WOKE UP 4 HOURS LATER
got back to yard and TM asked me why i was late so i told him the truth - I was very tired and slept for 4 hours. He consults with company boss and they paid me for all the time due to H&S reasons. I was shocked as I said I was prepared to forego 3 of those hours.
75 to 90 hours a week it is the year 2008 what about the silly wtd,madness
gothika:
i seen a woman driving class 1 artic other day i admire her for that.
BTW, the 1950’s telephoned and they would like their attitudes back. 
not being cheeky some of you drivers might be on a good wage but i,ll be on £6.20 a hour so you,ve got to work a lot of hrs to get a decent wage, all these clearstone ect advertising say you get £550.00 a week maybe some parts of the country, but i,ll be happy with my job and wage as you get about £100 a week extra for working away and unsocialable hrs. better than the dole all day
and im glad im going to get a job with a reputable firm and stable as i don,t fancy getting messed about with agencys
Theres plenty of jobs out there, you wouldn’t catch me driving a truck for £6.20 ph!!
Stability is one thing but selling yourself short is another
I have a story similar to rog’s, was doing class 1 night truck from Welwyn garden city down south on agency, had spent a few days in this place over the past few weeks so they know i was not trying to extend my day on purpose but long story short my 45 minute break turned into about 4.5 hours
Again just as rog did i got back and explained that i’d just shut the curtains and climbed onto the bunk for 45 minutes shut eye before heading back and then…
I didn’t expect to get paid for it as it was totally my fault but they were just glad the run got done and they paid me a 15hr day instead of the 10 it was usually 
My honest got me work in there for about 3 months solid after
Krankee:
Even with Agency drivers AND having tracking systems installed, I have never heard of it being criticised.
Ooh err…I’m gonna feel a right pillock now and no doubt cause some mirth amongst all you experienced drivers but i I didn’t know they fitted trackers…I just thought you went out on a job, took your breaks when necessary and got back safe and sound with no nasty points on your license
You gotta love the naievity of a wannabee driver