When tramping are you meant to leave your card in on rest, or remove it overnight? I read somewhere if you leave it in you need to enter start and end destination? I stay in the UK all week. My friend went on a CPC course recently and the instructor said its meant to stay in.
Second, when can you take your first 15 mins break? Some say 1 hour in, some say 2 hours in. I have only seen a rule that says once you have started driving. Ive took it 30 mins in before and never had an issue.
I only leave it in all week because no one else drives it except me or when I’m on holiday, I do take it out at weekends though. You can do whatever you wish, if you are on a night out then by all means leave it in, if your job involves international work then the card is best left in to record all breaks and rest periods. Otherwise at home in the depot or yard remove it so that it does not get used inadvertently.
I normally remove it so I dont forget or make a mistake and not put it on break. My colleague said thats wrong and you have to put it onto rest and leave it in. Thats what his CPC course told him apparently. I take it out for sure on a friday because the trucks get shunted over a weekend when im not there
Ct7331:
Second, when can you take your first 15 mins break? Some say 1 hour in, some say 2 hours in. I have only seen a rule that says once you have started driving. Ive took it 30 mins in before and never had an issue.
The card can stay in or be removed it doesn’t matter, you can manually enter ‘end’ and ‘start’ shift on the tacho if you want, I don’t bother, just put it on break and when i want to start work again just switch it to other work.
You can take a 15min break after 1min driving has been recorded if you so wish.
mrginge:
Ct7331:
Second, when can you take your first 15 mins break? Some say 1 hour in, some say 2 hours in. I have only seen a rule that says once you have started driving. Ive took it 30 mins in before and never had an issue.The card can stay in or be removed it doesn’t matter, you can manually enter ‘end’ and ‘start’ shift on the tacho if you want, I don’t bother, just put it on break and when i want to start work again just switch it to other work.
You can take a 15min break after 1min driving has been recorded if you so wish.
^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^
I used to do a lot of European work so i left it in so the Gendarmes/Redcaps/Polizei…etc could see what breaks/rest has been recorded
Now i am UK only i still leave it in unless back in yard for the night
Personally i believe it’s easier for DVSA to check everything is above board if you leave it in
To summarise…either is acceptable
Ct7331:
Second, when can you take your first 15 mins break? Some say 1 hour in, some say 2 hours in. I have only seen a rule that says once you have started driving. Ive took it 30 mins in before and never had an issue.
You cannot start or end a shift with a break, apart from that you can have a break whenever you want. Bear in mind though, you can only have a break from driving if you’ve actually done some driving. One minute minimum.
I leave mine in all week. Our TM likes a print out everyday so I always do one a couple of mins after I’ve put it on rest so I don’t forget to put it on rest. I take it out on a Friday to download it then put it back in the draw but don’t push the draw in. No one else drives it so it’s up to me.
One of the other drivers has managed to leave his on other work all weekend twice now [emoji23]
I always leave my card in. Last place I worked said your suppose take it out overnight.
Never have some had no problems.
And can take your 15 min break anytime after you have done 1 min driving
Be warned though
I once took 15 mins after about 1 hour working. And normally rules are upto 6 hrs need 15 mins then can continue need another 15/30 before 9 hours from shift start.
Because I only did 1 hour then worked for about 7 before stopping again.
I forgot it’s 6 hours working starts again or 9 hrs which ever comes 1at
nomiS36:
I leave mine in all week. Our TM likes a print out everyday …I take it out on a Friday to download it
I understand that it’s their train set and as such can make their own rules, but I’ve never understood why they would insist on a daily printout from a regular employee. Granted, printer paper isn’t the most expensive commodity on earth but why would you incur unnecessary expense when as you say your card is downloaded every week and any information required thus is available at a keystroke? Beyond me.
I take my card out every night, then do manwell entry in morning, when we were in the foreign, it stayed in, as the locals like to see uninterrupted, and is easier to see your time off for them, not forgetting to put start end country in.
biggriffin:
then do manwell entry in morning.
I used to love Fawlty Towers but can’t seem to remember the episode where Basil rogered him! 
Tacho - As you can see theres no hard and fast rules about cards being removed, but there are a few reasons I would remove it at night. (These assume you have the same truck all week).
If in a layby or by a road, some tachos will register movement caused by passing trucks and knock you off break. Not desperately common but have it happen occasionally.
Watch out for tachos which change mode when you turn the ignition on / off.
If its stored in a yard, theres a chance someone will need to move it and might not realise or think about the card. Even more so at weekends or if they just need to shift a trailer.
No waking up thinking did I put it on break.
Even if you just pop the card out and leave it in the slot, you’ve got a visual clue to put it back in and do a manual entry. VOSA could always check the tacho unit if they became suspicious.
Breaks - for WTD you can have a break as soon as the card is in the slot. For EU driving its after tacho shows 1+ min if driving.
Not 1, 2, 5 hours or whatever stupid CPC bods claim.
Always checked start and finish country where I last worked , seven countries in 10 days was my best .
As for card in or out we didn’t have individual trucks and all were rigids so unless I was sleeping in the truck the card came out .
We often did truck swaps in distant places so were frequently changing start and finish countries. Add in multiple ferry breaks and often double manning you actually paid attention on the tacho card module of the CPC courses , we soon sussed out those instructors who were vague on the unusual tacho uses of European driving .
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
biggriffin:
not forgetting to put start end country in.
Always forgetting that, problem is once you start changing it you have to keep on it or it will look strange like I did ‘ending’ in Hungary and then ‘starting’ in France before.
Ct7331:
Second, when can you take your first 15 mins break? Some say 1 hour in, some say 2 hours in. I have only seen a rule that says once you have started driving. Ive took it 30 mins in before and never had an issue.
Well you can’t take an EU drivers hours break until you’ve done some driving. You could take a WTD break which would reset the 6hrs but it wouldn’t count towards a 45 minute driving hours break unless you’d recorded some driving beforehand.
Nite Owl:
You cannot start or end a shift with a break
Proof?
ETS:
Nite Owl:
You cannot start or end a shift with a breakProof?
Logic. If you end your shift on a break, you’ve finished your shift. If you do work after your break, you haven’t ended your shift on a break.
Why would one do a manual entry if you took your card out overnight ? ( I have no digi card )
Punchy Dan:
Why would one do a manual entry if you took your card out overnight ?
You don’t strictly have to as it will default to to “?” but a lot of companies like you to show break symbol.
trevHCS:
Punchy Dan:
Why would one do a manual entry if you took your card out overnight ?You don’t strictly have to as it will default to to “?” but a lot of companies like you to show break symbol.
Ok thanks