Giddy:
hi,
i am a new driver, i’ve had my class2 for just over a year now and will soon be going for my class1 when i get the time off work 
. as my job is now i’m driving a 7.5 tonne(we do use 17 tonners but as the building sites we deliver to are getting smaller the company is getting rid of them and keeping to 7.5’s) i’ve been with them for just over a year same as my licence really. there are a few things that i would like clarifying if you could help me?
Giddy:
- When i’m delivering i do put my mode switch to other work(i’m not trying the law or my licence!!!) so do i stop my timer?(i use one of those kitchen timers as mentioned on here before) or do i leave the timer running? because as i see it im not actually driving and therefore my driving time shouldn’t be affected i will still take my legal breaks i wont count the time on other work towards my break.
When loading or unloading this is counted as other work, not driving time, so you are correct to stop the clock you are using to keep a track of driving time.
And you are correct time on other work isn’t break time.
Tip one. leave the mode on other work and it will record driving if the tacho is an automatic driving type, Most modern ones are.
Depending on how you company record your WTD hours you might be required to use Cross Hammers for other work and Box mode to record Periods of Availability. Although you work sounds like there arn’t to many POA times.
Giddy:
2.if i drive 30 mins and i feel im getting tired, i pull over for a kip, i sleep well over 45 mins lets say i’m there for 55 mins then i get going again. do i after driving for 4 hours(thus meaning driving time 4.5 hrs) stop for a 15 min break just to show the split between driving times, or because i’ve actually stopped and rested for my 45 mins can i just carry on until my 9 hours are up and just continue normally?
This is a common misunderstaning.
Once you had a minimum of 45 minutes of break, whether you split it up or have one break of 45 minutes or more, it finishes that period of driving whether it’s only a few minutes or 4.5 hours. You then start a new period of driving.
So by having 45minutes plus after 30 mins driving then driving for 4hours and having 15 minutes, will mean if you will still need another 30 minutes break before the end of the next 30mins of driving to stay legal.
Giddy:
3.how many tachographs am i legally allowed to carry in my cab? as i read on your website about night outs some say we need to use 3 charts and some say 1 so is there an illegal limit about carrying them in our cabs?
The minimum you must carry is all the present weeks tachographs and the last one of the previous week, (to confirm you had the required weekly break)
Also all tachograph must be returned to your operator (Boss) in 21 days after it was used.
You are also required to have enough blank cards to complete the journey and some spares.
The use of 3 tacho to record nights out is used by some drivers doing continental work, where they are required to show a 24 hour record, but to avoid going over the 24 hour on the card when you start latee than the day before.
Giddy:
4.i drive an x-reg daf because it was registered before the ruling about seat belts it is not fitted with one. am i allowed to refuse to drive it or request one fitted or because it is outside of the ruling have i not got a case? the thing is i had a crash where i hit the w/screen and am quite nervous when not wearing a belt now so i’m quite concerned on knowing this?
I doubt you could insist on belts being retro fitted on a truck that didn’t come with them. Also it maybe an old model that wasn’t designed to have belts fitted so would have the hardened points to take the strain of a seat belt.
I hopw this helps, but if anything is still unclear say so and I’ll try and explain again or hope Coffeholic replies as he seems to write things like this in a way that it make sense.
