I’m struggling to see how it would work if the economy improves(I doubt it ever will). If you create more jobs by reducing working/driving times etc when things pick up then it will be hard for firms to put bums on seats because they won’t be anyone local to do it. If you do it now during bad times it wouldn’t be sustainable, costs would go through the roof enough to impact on an already fragile economy…
Johny272:
As all LGV drivers are aware Truck driving can be very long hours 10,12,15 hour days or nights, does anybody think or heard that drivers hours will be limited more in the future for the sake of road safety or does any driver even think they should be limited even further ?
not any drivers that are hourly paid. cutting hours means cutting pay and who is going to vote for that?
Never happen. The job at a basic level dictates long hours which will get longer exponentially as traffic increases.
The introduction of the digital tacho has already taken an hour odd a day off most drivers. With analogue you wouldn’t count the odd 5 mins here or there for shunting round a yard, only open road driving would have been counted but with Digi every minute shows.
NewLad:
I think the only time 9hrs is enough is when your bed is behind the drivers seat. If you have to travel home, talk to wife and kids, shower, eat, prep for tomorrow then go to bed and get 6hrs if your lucky then get up have a coffee get dressed and have a wash go back and have another 15hr day its not enough! At least not for me!
+1
I dont want to see longer hours but i’d like them to be abit more flexible, ■■■■■■ me off when all i need is a couple of extra hours to get home but have to stay out… If i managed to get home i’d be far better rested than if i stayed out an extra night… And its bloody wrong that you can legally get away with having a 1 1/2days off every single week!
We all managed fine under the old regs when the limit was 12 1/2 hrs maximum spread over, 11 hrs maximum duty time and 10 hrs maximum driving per day and 60 hrs maximum per week. And that was driving boneshakers. I was going to say slower boneshakers, but even with the M25 enabling London to be by-passed quite a few journeys still take almost as long. The sensible limit for a day’s return delivery journey from Mid Kent is still roughly an arc that covers Bristol and Birmingham; just as it was in 1970.There was none of this PoA rubbish to disguise and compensate for business’s gross inefficiency. As a sop to business the hours limits were extended by their friends the politicians to give the illusion of increased productivity and hence reflected glory upon themselves, ensuring their re-election to the gravy train. What the excuse was I can’t remember.
Comparatively we earned well, and as must be pointed out so did the hauliers. That is not true today.
Armagedon:
So many forget a week lasts for 168 hours so it would not be unreasonable to work 100 of them.
I assume there should have been a 
or a 
after the above statement? I know i couldn’t and wouldn’t work 14+ hr shifts with 9hrs off 7 days a week 
Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron to me!
Spend five minutes with the partner and the children followed by the rest of the time sleeping or working not sure how that’s improving our standard of living?
Just a thought!
global
Dieseldoforme:
I would like to see a maximum time on duty of 12 hours - not 15.
15 hours on duty is causing deaths due to tiredness. 9 hours rest is too short.
It makes no allowance for travel time to and from work.I would like to see a maximum daily drive time of 11 hours - not 9 or 10.
Fixed minimum break of 30 minutes after 5 hours drive or 6 hours on duty.
60 minutes break - at driver’s option and written into employment law.I would like to see a weekly/fortnightly drive time of 66/121 hours not 56/90.
I would like to see a minimum weekly rest of 24 hours in week 1 and 48 in week 2.
+1.very,very correctly.
Dieseldoforme:
I would like to see a maximum time on duty of 12 hours - not 15.
15 hours on duty is causing deaths due to tiredness. 9 hours rest is too short.
It makes no allowance for travel time to and from work.
I would amend the minimum daily rest to 9 hours ONLY if nighting out away
from Home Base but the 12 hour Maximum Duty Time would stand.
Many Drivers would admit to driving whilst being too tired.
That ain’t good - you could lose everything.
scanny77:
Alternatively cutting hours requiring more drivers increases pay as the driver shortage kicks in.
Supply, demand.
I would think it would be better to move the entire industry to 4 on 4 off. You still put in a load of hours, get the same money, have MORE time off and everyone wins.
Wouldn’t work for every sector Connor
As a multi-drop (labourer with a license) driver for a well known food distributor, I think the 15 hour day is far too long. To be honest, a 15 hour day is an unhealthy amount of time for anyone to be working no matter what job you do. I’d like to see a 12 hour daily limit on working time. The 17 week reference period is also too long, this should be shortened to 4 weeks.
We are told that we shouldn’t drive tired for the sake of safety, but I’m shattered anytime I go over 12 hours and sometimes even sooner. Maybe a solution could be to have different rules for different sectors, but I’m not sure how workable that could be.
Malky80:
As a multi-drop (labourer with a license) driver for a well known food distributor, I think the 15 hour day is far too long. To be honest, a 15 hour day is an unhealthy amount of time for anyone to be working no matter what job you do. I’d like to see a 12 hour daily limit on working time. The 17 week reference period is also too long, this should be shortened to 4 weeks.We are told that we shouldn’t drive tired for the sake of safety, but I’m shattered anytime I go over 12 hours and sometimes even sooner. Maybe a solution could be to have different rules for different sectors, but I’m not sure how workable that could be.
Its a mess that should be sorted…all over europe!
The 17weeks came about because of shift workers on an 8week pattern who do lots extra in summer…like fruit and veg packing companies. It is odd but true I believe.
I agree the 15 is to long, but container drivers can spend half of their day asleep so they wont probably…the WTD for nearly everyone has a max of 12 hrs , personally I think that should apply to us, especially those of you that have to graft handballing loads.
Now await comments:
I work 15 hour shifts,and most weeks max hours out, but on my wage I need the hours to earn a honest pay. If these new laws came into force what would happen to my wage?
Hawk86:
I work 15 hour shifts,and most weeks max hours out, but on my wage I need the hours to earn a honest pay. If these new laws came into force what would happen to my wage?
Thats the million dollar question!
But how many drivers die through being tired and kill innocent people ? Are there any stats we can see anywhere ?
I agree in some forms of work it could be dangerous, if u are with some of the smaller companies who ( don’t believe) they need to adhere to tacho rules times and guidelines.
But me starting at say 0500, pick up drop off couple containers maybe, if I do have to drive any distance I am limited to my 4hr 30 driving time and even if I am not I’m limited to my 6 hr working time break.
I suppose different people in different jobs with different work loads change, but for me, 15 hr shift contains at least 2 45 min breaks, and quite alot of poa as well.
If its the only way to boost ur wage, then u will do it, I’ve got my 1st kid on the way, so I need all the hours I can get
Dieseldoforme:
I would like to see a maximum time on duty of 12 hours - not 15.
15 hours on duty is causing deaths due to tiredness. 9 hours rest is too short.
It makes no allowance for travel time to and from work.I would like to see a maximum daily drive time of 11 hours - not 9 or 10.
Fixed minimum break of 30 minutes after 5 hours drive or 6 hours on duty.
60 minutes break - at driver’s option and written into employment law.I would like to see a weekly/fortnightly drive time of 66/121 hours not 56/90.
I would like to see a minimum weekly rest of 24 hours in week 1 and 48 in week 2.
You’ll also see an early grave. See you on the other side, pal.
I’m a box jocky 15 hours is normal some times I even help hand ball depending on the customer but I could do with more drive time as some days I can max drive time befor 13 hrs of work and that’s doing a 10 drive
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ezydriver:
You’ll also see an early grave.See you on the other side, pal.
Reduced hours = early grave ■■?
You don’t make sense, pal.
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