Hopefully you guys can help and advise me.
I passed my test in May. Done initial cpc in June and I’ve just done a 4 days work driving a truck.
I’ve been working in Kent, North London and used the M25 everyday. I’ve had approx 4/5 collections a day.
Tuesday - went over my driving time due to traffic
Wednesday - good day everything went well
Thursday - truck broke down
Friday - over driving time due to traffic
Going over my time by half hour or so due to the traffic has really worried me and as soon as I go over I start to panic.
I do stop as soon as I find a safe place and take a break.
But I’m paranoid about the digi tacho.
I have been told about a 6 hour rule for driving time? Can anyone shed some light on this?
I’m feeling really down on this at the moment. Monday I’m not going down that way and heading upto kings Lynn so hoping that will go well and boost how I’m feeling.
Sorry for the long post. Any help and advice would be great fully received.
I am just as newbie as you. Ref the rest I have been advised by a trucker mate to maybe bring an alarm and set it for 4 hours, that gives you half hour to find a stop.
Hi
The truck breaking down isn’t your fault or problem. Are you exceeding total daily driving time, or 4.5 hours driving before break?
The 6 hour thing you mention is to do with Working Time Directive, and 2nd set of rules that in theory drivers have to keep to, but VOSA don’t police this or worry about this. Your company might keep an eye on it though.
It certainly gets easier. You will get to know your routes and save time earlier in the day. You will also get better at avoiding traffic with experience.
The only advice I can offer is to phone back as early as possible at the point it becomes clear you don’t have enough time left. If you’ve been given a reasonable schedule, and the planners are reasonable they will help you out. E.g. Some companies will send out a different driver in a van (out of scope) which you can drive back.
Hang in there!
I’m managing to do the first 4.5 hours and take my break. I have been splitting my breaks to 15 and 30. It’s normally after this I’m running out of time on my way back.
I’m investing in some decent maps tomorrow and I’m also gonna ask the manager to give me he addresses for my work the next day so I can plan my route before hand. He tells me where I’m going but I want to get at least the postcodes so I can plan ahead.
I’m really worried I’m going to get into trouble if I get pulled over as the data stays on the card for 28 days?
I like the alarm idea. When I stop for a collection. The tacho will change to other work. I keep an eye on the time on the dash as it’s on option to display it (Renault)
Thanks for the replies. I guess time and experience you learn.
MikeGSi:
I’m managing to do the first 4.5 hours and take my break. I have been splitting my breaks to 15 and 30. It’s normally after this I’m running out of time on my way back.
I’m investing in some decent maps tomorrow and I’m also gonna ask the manager to give me he addresses for my work the next day so I can plan my route before hand. He tells me where I’m going but I want to get at least the postcodes so I can plan ahead.
I’m really worried I’m going to get into trouble if I get pulled over as the data stays on the card for 28 days?
I like the alarm idea. When I stop for a collection. The tacho will change to other work. I keep an eye on the time on the dash as it’s on option to display it (Renault)
Thanks for the replies. I guess time and experience you learn.
Sometimes you just have to take a second 45 minute break (and again, you can split this 15/30). Yes, it can be frustrating having to sit in a layby for 45 minutes when all you really want to do is crack on and do that last 15 miles to the yard, book off and get home. As you gain more experience, you’ll get a better handle on how long it’s going to take to get back from different points on the road (a SatNav can be a great help here).
I’m going to invest in a better sat nav as mines a little dated. Also getting a good road map.
I’m just worried about driving, being pulled over and getting into trouble when they see I’ve gone over. It’s playing on my mind a lot.
Sorry to keep going on guys. Just not a good start to my new career 
For all the talk on here, getting pulled over is comparatively rare, so don’t lie awake at night worrying about something that probably won’t happen.
I have an analogue chart in my current collection where I got hopelessly lost in rural country lanes in an artic, and I’d done a 5 hour drive before I found a safe stopping place, and will be glad when that one isn’t on my person, but I’m not losing sleep over it.
Relax, and do your best! If you have a smartphone, look at an app called TruckerTimer - it has helped me get things right.
Going over by 10-15 mins due to traffic is ok, simply do a printout and write on the back. In theory the printout will show stop/start traffic. But beware, you digital tacho also records your speed at 1 minute intervals but does not show this on a printout. If you get pulled by Vosa over your time and you explain traffic to them and they then read your card and find you have been doing 30-40mph for the past hour, then you are in trouble. Going over time is only to be used to find a safe, legal and suitable place for your load (if loaded). Going over because you are only 10 mile away from depot and didn’t want to have the extra 45 break to be legal is sadly going to get your license taken off you.
Djelmo:
Going over by 10-15 mins due to traffic is ok, simply do a printout and write on the back. In theory the printout will show stop/start traffic. But beware, you digital tacho also records your speed at 1 minute intervals but does not show this on a printout. If you get pulled by Vosa over your time and you explain traffic to them and they then read your card and find you have been doing 30-40mph for the past hour, then you are in trouble. Going over time is only to be used to find a safe, legal and suitable place for your load (if loaded). Going over because you are only 10 mile away from depot and didn’t want to have the extra 45 break to be legal is sadly going to get your license taken off you.
you can get a speed trace just like on an analogue tacho so that knocks that out …
You need to work out where you can stop either in 2 places within the first 4.5 hrs or as near to your 4.5 hrs driving.
if you need to have a 2nd 45 have it in which case you could have a nice stop for breakfast 11’sis and a spot of tiffin (tea) in the afternoon getting home all refreshed and calm
As for the digital tacho cards holding data for 28 days, it holds a minimum of 28 days, you’ll find that it only overwrites the oldest data when you run out of space on the card, quite often that could be up to a year. As you get more experience you’ll learn the road network, where all the truckstops & services are etc. and shuffle the hours around better.
Thanks for the replies guys.
I’m going to try and put last week behind me and start a fresh next week. Going to an area that’s a little more familiar to me so that helps.
Everyone in the yard said the work I was given was the worst and no one likes doing them collections.
MikeGSi:
I’m going to invest in a better sat nav as mines a little dated. Also getting a good road map.
I’m just worried about driving, being pulled over and getting into trouble when they see I’ve gone over. It’s playing on my mind a lot.
Sorry to keep going on guys. Just not a good start to my new career
I am new as well. Do not know the roads yet and time needed to get here and there.
Currently using TT 5150. Ideal to me. I know exact arrival time (with all congestions as TT counts them aswell). When I am going for a night out I can see how far I can get within my shift or driving time. I am using it even when I know where I am going as I get used to see when I’ll be there.
I’ts not cheap solution but worth of it.
Hope it helps.
I will definitely give it a look mate thanks.
Anyone used the ones from ebay? Around £50 which seems pretty cheap and claims to be able to enter the dimensions of the truck and it will calculate the route.
There is no driving time 6 hour rule but there is a 6 hour working time (driving + other work) rule
TIP for London - always take a break to reset driving time when 1 hour of driving time is left to avoid going over
Hi Mike, I feel your stress too. I started driving on Tuesday and done 4 days. I’m working out of the quarrys in the North West. On my first day I started at 5am, did 4.5 hours then had my break then 4.5 hours. Only in the afternoon my last drop was Bowden to Newcastle upon Tyne. On route there was a hgv diversion which got me stuck in shed load of traffic. I should of finished driving at 2:45 for the day. I was panicking like hell my driving went to pot and everything. In the end I just thought if this is what life is like as a Trucker they can take my hgv entitlement I don’t care. And I carried on driving. I finally got back to the yard at 8pm. The next day I was on a job with another driver, he looked at my taco disc and told me I’d not gone over my driving time due to the amount of sitting around I’d done that day. He told me it’s better to have a split break in the morning which is what I now do and found myself with more time in the afternoon. I’m on the analogue tacho that sits behind the speedo clock. Iv got the trucker timer app I need to start using it. I use a app called waze for navigation but it’s for cars. Now the only reason I use it is because it free, updated daily, has live traffic/roadworks and speed cams. So I use like Google maps to plan my route write it down like we did in the old days, then punch my destination in to waze and have running in the background and listening for traffic etc. The tacho rules are far to East to trip yourself up with. So I just keep it basic at the moment.
Thanks guys. I must admit I thought Friday sod this they can take my licence.
Hopefully I will have a better week this week. I’ve got some apps on my phone now, sat nav and maps. I’m also going to try and plan my route as best I can the night before.
My only concern is the data on my card showing I’ve exceeded driving time.
MikeGSi:
My only concern is the data on my card showing I’ve exceeded driving time.
Do printouts and keep copies explaining exactly why it happened - especially the London bit
MikeGSi:
Thanks guys. I must admit I thought Friday sod this they can take my licence.
Hopefully I will have a better week this week. I’ve got some apps on my phone now, sat nav and maps. I’m also going to try and plan my route as best I can the night before.
My only concern is the data on my card showing I’ve exceeded driving time.
That’s where I notice I lose time, is find way from a to b quickly and then finding my way round the quarrys. As you say it will all come with experience as we get better. What sat nav you using
A good map yep a sat nav has it uses but remember it is only a electronic map I have the best sat nav out the mark 1 eyeball read the road ahead
Yep see if you can get the address so you can plan your route but try to plan an alternative just in case