Hello, to settle a recent dispute.
Me and my driving partner drove for ten hours, which was roughly five hours each, we then had eight hours sleep, got up and then both worked for nine hours. He then went to sleep for three hours. I went to fill up with fuel for the journey back. We then shared the driving driving for three and a half hours each. Was this legal?
Many thanks for any response. 
Without precise times for each person doubt this can be answered . You say you had 8 hrs sleep, this is less than minimum
9 hrs but that depends on what the second person was doing whilst the first was driving .
lmwh1985:
Hello, to settle a recent dispute.Me and my driving partner drove for ten hours, which was roughly five hours each, we then had eight hours sleep, got up and then both worked for nine hours. He then went to sleep for three hours. I went to fill up with fuel for the journey back. We then shared the driving driving for three and a half hours each. Was this legal?
Many thanks for any response.
No - if you mean you both only had 8 hour of recorded rest because you need 9
MM rules state you can both do a 21 hour max shift but both need 9 hours rest at the same time to reset that 21 hours
lmwh1985:
Hello, to settle a recent dispute.Me and my driving partner drove for ten hours, which was roughly five hours each, we then had eight hours sleep, got up and then both worked for nine hours. He then went to sleep for three hours. I went to fill up with fuel for the journey back. We then shared the driving driving for three and a half hours each. Was this legal?
Many thanks for any response.
No it’s not legal.
When multi-manning you must complete a nine hour daily rest period within 30 hours from the start of the shift, if I’m reading this correctly you did a total spread-over of 37 hours with only an eight hour rest period.
If the eight hour rest period had been an hour longer (nine hours) it would have been legal as far as the daily rest period is concerned, you would have started a new shift after the nine hour rest period but as it is you’ve gone over the 30 hours with insufficient daily rest.
Obviously I can’t comment on anything other than rest periods without further informations, but I’m guessing it’s the daily rest period your asking about.
Thank you for the responses. Well we had a rest hour before starting work, which would make it a nine hour rest period. Throughout the day we had an additional four hours worth of rest, before driving again.
lmwh1985:
Thank you for the responses. Well we had a rest hour before starting work, which would make it a nine hour rest period. Throughout the day we had an additional four hours worth of rest, before driving again.
That 4 hours counts as nothing towards the daily rest
Did you record 9 hours off on rest in one go 
Yes, a consecutive nine hours before we started working. So the rest/breaks we had only apply if its breaks from driving?
Thanks once again.
lmwh1985:
Yes, a consecutive nine hours before we started working. So the rest/breaks we had only apply if its breaks from driving?Thanks once again.
8 hours off counts as nothing towards daily rest
From starting that first 10 (2x5) hours of driving/work to ending the last 7 (2x3.5 )hours of driving/work how long was that total time because it seems it was well over 30 hours without a 9 hour recorded rest inside that 33 hours = yes?
Perhaps it might help if you laid out everything like this -
start day 1 at 0600
drive/work 0600 - 1600
Rest 1600 - 2400
Drive/work day 2 0000 - 0700
etc
lmwh1985:
Yes, a consecutive nine hours before we started working. So the rest/breaks we had only apply if its breaks from driving?Thanks once again.
What rest you had before starting is irrelevant, you should start a rest period of at-least nine consecutive hours no later than 21 hours from the start of the shift.
Rules on Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs (Goods vehicles in GB and Europe)
We drove 5 hours each, stopped, had nine hours rest, 8 hours was sleep. Worked for nine hours, no driving during this, rested for three after, and then drove three and a half hours each. Is that easier?
Our day started at 1400 on tuesday, and we finished driving 0100 on the thursday.
So the 30 hour window started at 1400 on the wednesday, was reset after our nine hours rest, and restarted 0900 on the thursday, meaning it was legal? This is what I presume
lmwh1985:
We drove 5 hours each, stopped, had nine hours rest, 8 hours was sleep. Worked for nine hours, no driving during this, rested for three after, and then drove three and a half hours each. Is that easier?Our day started at 1400 on tuesday, and we finished driving 0100 on the thursday.
You did more than one working day, You’re first shift was when you did 10 hours driving, you then had a nine hour rest period and then started another shift or working day if you prefer.
If the tachograph was on rest for nine hours or more after the 10 hours driving it was all legal, well as far as rest periods are concerned anyway.
When you started work after the nine hour rest period you started a new 30 hour period or working day if you prefer to think of it that way.
So your new shift consisted of nine hours work followed by three hours rest/break which in turn was followed by another seven hours driving (between the two of you) totalling about nineteen hours, if you went onto rest shortly after that it’s fine and legal.
Without wishing to come across as criticising I would suggest that you study the Rules on Drivers Hours I linked to earlier, it could save you money in fines in the future 
Thank you for your time and I will take your advice in future 
lmwh1985:
We drove 5 hours each, stopped, had nine hours rest, 8 hours was sleep. Worked for nine hours, no driving during this, rested for three after, and then drove three and a half hours each. Is that easier?Our day started at 1400 on tuesday, and we finished driving 0100 on the thursday.
That bit is what I was wanting because it resets the max MM 21 hour shift
Is my maths off ?
1400 tue to 0100 thu = 35 hours
10 work
9 off
9+3+7=19 work/off/work
10+9+19=38 not 35