Afternoon all. It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here, but I’ve been lurking regularly. I considered taking my LGV tests a couple of years ago when I went through a redundancy consultation, but for one reason or another it never happened and I managed to hang onto my job. Anyway, I’ve got to a point now in my office job where I can’t take it any more. I’ve always wanted to drive, so I’m once again seriously looking into getting on with it. As I can’t afford to just jack my current job in in order to train and then look for a driving job, there will have to be some crossover between the two.
What I was wondering was if it would be possible (once I’ve passed my tests) to get some casual driving on weekends etc to get experience, and how that would work in terms of working hours if I’m doing 37.5 per week monday to friday in an office? What are the rules on that?
Cheers
Legally in any week (00:00 Monday to 24:00 Sunday) when you drive in-scope of EU regulations the office work would count as other work and should be recorded as such on a chart/printout.
Without knowing what time you finish your office job on Friday and re-start on Monday it’s difficult to say exactly when you could legally drive but generally we find that people doing full time jobs Monday to Friday can legally do one days driving every second week.
Best case would be finish at 3pm Friday, start again 1pm Monday. Wrist case is finish at 9pm Friday, start at 7am Monday. More often than not it’s a 9pm finish on Friday though, with a 12 or 1pm start on Monday.
Getting my head around the driving hours laws is my biggest concern in all this, as maths/numbers isn’t my strong point!
That’s what I was going to do, I didn’t realise it would affect the driving hours like that. Time to get more info I reckon.
Is it doable to sign up to an agency that takes on new drivers, finish full time work ad live off the agency until summat permanent comes along?
Rules on Drivers’ Hours and Tachographs (Goods vehicles in GB and Europe)
Trying to live off agency work as a new driver is risky, not impossible but risky.
Before giving up a full time job I would certainly advise you to get definite work lined up first and if it’s agency work be sure it’s going to be ongoing work.
Taking the word of an agency driver consultant is about as wise as expecting a chocolate fire-guard to hold back a bush fire 