I was told recently that if you begin your day before 04:00 then it is classed as a night shift and therefore your duty day would only be 10 hours.
Can anyone confirm if that is correct? or give me advice?
Thank you
Moley1972:
I was told recently that if you begin your day before 04:00 then it is classed as a night shift and therefore your duty day would only be 10 hours.Can anyone confirm if that is correct? or give me advice?
Thank you
If your shift is between 00:00 and 04:00 then yes it is classed as night work and you can only work 10 hours.
This does not apply of you have a collective workforce agreement in place.
Tachograph will be along shortly to word it a bit better than I have.
This opt out crap does my head in, tjey bring thesr laws in to stop drivers falling asleep at the wheel and them give companies a way out of it it’s horse ■■■■. Yeah you guessed it my place opted out of the rule
I’ve been doing longer than 10 hours a night for over 20 years. I signed the opt-out back longer ago than I can remember. I think I signed it again when I signed up with agency.
Attempting to get home early by trying to enforce 10 hours though, is likely instead to get you passed over at the first opportunity.
At some establishments, trying to go home after a “flat 8” is like asking for a 7-pin DIN plug at Tandys for all the derision you get. 
I don’t mind doing more than 8 in fact I don’t think I have even done an 8 where I a at now, it’s the 3x 15hr shifts starting at 0100 that do me
NewLad:
This opt out crap does my head in, tjey bring thesr laws in to stop drivers falling asleep at the wheel and them give companies a way out of it it’s horse [zb]. Yeah you guessed it my place opted out of the rule
The companies don’t have a way out at all because they’re not allowed to make the decision. The company and the management is not allowed to have anything to do with the opt-out for night working. It has to be done purely as an agreement amongst the drivers so if anyone is to blame it is your fellow drivers.
Conor:
NewLad:
This opt out crap does my head in, tjey bring thesr laws in to stop drivers falling asleep at the wheel and them give companies a way out of it it’s horse [zb]. Yeah you guessed it my place opted out of the ruleThe companies don’t have a way out at all because they’re not allowed to make the decision. The company and the management is not allowed to have anything to do with the opt-out for night working. It has to be done purely as an agreement amongst the drivers so if anyone is to blame it is your fellow drivers.
Meanwhile, in the real world…
Scanner:
Conor:
NewLad:
This opt out crap does my head in, tjey bring thesr laws in to stop drivers falling asleep at the wheel and them give companies a way out of it it’s horse [zb]. Yeah you guessed it my place opted out of the ruleThe companies don’t have a way out at all because they’re not allowed to make the decision. The company and the management is not allowed to have anything to do with the opt-out for night working. It has to be done purely as an agreement amongst the drivers so if anyone is to blame it is your fellow drivers.
Meanwhile, in the real world…
made me genuinely chuckle
A LGV driver who works during any part of the period between midnight and 4am is under RTD night rules
Those rules restrict the driver to max of 10 hours work which is driving plus other work added together - breaks and POA do not count
It is not 10 hours duty/shift time
It can be opted out of by collective workforce agreement - at least 50% I think needed
A driver could do a 15 hour night shift if the work in that shift was 10 hours or less and they had not opted out
One way to do it is agree a maximum 12 hour shift like we have at our place that way you can do more than 10 hrs work but you’ll always be wrapped up in 12 hrs max.
My place opted us all out so we can work 12 hours night shift. Note that is 12 hours WORK as opposed to duty time. With POA and break we still end up having a 15 hour or 13 hour duty time so it’s worth jack ■■■■.
When I say duty time I mean completing either a 9 or 11 hour break within a 24 hour period.
I was drawn to driving hgv because I’d read that there are strict rules regulating hours worked. Turns out I’m doing more hours a day/week driving a lorry than any other job I’ve ever had.
Ched:
My place opted us all out so we can work 12 hours night shift. Note that is 12 hours WORK as opposed to duty time. With POA and break we still end up having a 15 hour or 13 hour duty time so it’s worth jack [zb].When I say duty time I mean completing either a 9 or 11 hour break within a 24 hour period.
I was drawn to driving hgv because I’d read that there are strict rules regulating hours worked. Turns out I’m doing more hours a day/week driving a lorry than any other job I’ve ever had.
No one chooses truck driving for the working hours or benefits!! Thats madness. Been driving hgv for 17 years, one marriage and several girlfriends later you’d think I’d learn my lesson.
Anyway thanks everyone for their input. So a collective agreement of atleast 50% of the workforce can null and void the regulation? Thats good. Also the 10 hours is work time not duty time? Also good.
Cheers everyone.