I seem to be being asked to work my maxumum amount of reduced breks every week.
I here that you dont get the time back or compansated.
Whats the rules on this as our company seems to be asking way to much of it drivers
Cheers Keith 
. 
Welcome valleyforge1 .
There is no payback required for reduced daily rests in the current regs 561/2006 which came into force in 2007.
There have been a few posts asking if a company can MAKE a driver take those reduced daily rests.
The answer is that they can PLAN your day like that if it is legal to do so BUT it is ultimately up to the driver because if the driver feels that in doing so, they will be too tired, then safety overrules the planners.
If the planners do not agree with the driver on the safety issue then get that in writing - the planners will not do that and back off as they wil be shooting themseves in the foot !!
Thats brillant. Thank you for that. I can see this website is going to put to rest a few probs i have with little niggling questions.
Got a little rusty with things andf its time for a catch up.
Thank you for the welcome to
Cheers Keith.
ROG:
valleyforge1:
I seem to be being asked to work my maxumum amount of reduced breks every week.I here that you dont get the time back or compansated.
Whats the rules on this as our company seems to be asking way to much of it drivers
Cheers Keith
The answer is that they can PLAN your day like that if it is legal to do so BUT it is ultimately up to the driver because if the driver feels that in doing so, they will be too tired, then safety overrules the planners.
If the planners do not agree with the driver on the safety issue then get that in writing - the planners will not do that and back off as they wil be shooting themseves in the foot !!
The EU commission regard it as safe for a driver to reduce the daily rest to nine hours and you believe that a driver can over rule a planner on a regular basis without putting his job and therefore his livelihood in jeopardy 
Take a situation where some drivers are happily reducing the daily rest but one driver claims it to be unsafe, why would the management not simply conclude that the driver is not up-to the job ?
I would have thought that the answer to this would depend largely on the circumstances rather than being as simple as a driver saying āno itās not safeā.
some people need little sleep and others need 8 hours
If the driver has a 1 hour drive to get home and the same back then that may not leave enough rest time for that driver
If the company wants drivers that need less sleep then they must make that clear at job interview
But valleyforge1 never mentioned where he is being asked to reduce the daily rest periods, he could be on a night out and therefore have no after work travelling time to consider.
Iām sorry ROG but to make sweeping statements about what employers must and mustnāt do is fine, but in the real world you could find yourself in a world of [zb].
Iām certainly not suggesting that employers or planners should be able to do what they want with no regard to the driver but there has to be some co-operation from the employee, to simply dictate to your employer or the planning office what you will and wonāt do because you feel a little tired believing that they canāt do anything about it is a little unrealistic especially in the current work situation.
tachograph:
But valleyforge1 never mentioned where he is being asked to reduce the daily rest periods, he could be on a night out and therefore have no after work travelling time to consider.Iām sorry ROG but to make sweeping statements about what employers must and mustnāt do is fine, but in the real world you could find yourself in a world of [zb].
Iām certainly not suggesting that employers or planners should be able to do what they want with no regard to the driver but there has to be some co-operation from the employee, to simply dictate to your employer or the planning office what you will and wonāt do because you feel a little tired believing that they canāt do anything about it is a little unrealistic especially in the current work situation.
I agree with all that.
For instance you start work at 11am on a Monday and do a 10 hour drive, 4 hours to Folkstone, 50 minutes, eating on the train, 3 hours to Paris area, 45 minute shower & coffee break and another 2.50 before parking for the night, you can have 9 hours rest and do another 10 hour drive and still be in bed at a reasonable hour on your second day or you have a driver enforced 11 hours in your pit and donāt even get a meal in the centre routier 
Tramping and doing 9 hour reduced daily rests are not usually a problem for most - in fact, they are usually more preferrable !!
The problem seems to arise when home based due to the travelling time to and from work which reduces the available sleep time.
Sorry for not to much detail on this. Its really ive always done driving jobs where by the rules have nvever had to come into the job that much, but as I have been working for this company and the work loads seem to be getting more and more work is coming in Ive took more notice of the rules as trying to stay with in the law.
Ive always thought that the time got paid back to you en block at the end of the week. Ive always managed 45 hours off and just added on the 3x2 hour blokes that you need to get paided back on to my 45, thus finish friday fine to start at 4am on monday.
I just thought you got paided back some where along the line like you do with the reduced weeky breaks.
I just cant understand how they can ask you to reduce your daily break 3 times a week without some can of pay back. Surely loosing 2 hours sleep 3 times a week is soon going to take toll on you .
You might also think where did I get the idea for the pay back rule as to add on to en block. Well that just shows that when you dont know the rules to well and management dont help and no one helps to much ie other drivers, thinks can get mixed up in a industry that as tgo many confusing rules to start with.
I hope this where you guys will come to help.
Cheers Keith.
The GURUs that frequent this forum can always help you with the regs/rules so if you think that your company is incorrect then try and post what they are asking you to do onto here BEFORE you do it.
That way the GURUs in this forum can help to keep you out of legal trouble.
Thank you.
Its as I say they want us to reduce every week our breaks to the maximum 3 reduced, which I found a little un fair when they dont paid the time back.
Being abit new Iam just getting used to things and will put up a better explainasion. Sorry.
Are you hourly paid ?
valleyforge1:
I just cant understand how they can ask you to reduce your daily break 3 times a week without some can of pay back. Surely loosing 2 hours sleep 3 times a week is soon going to take toll on you .
Just another update on the regulations. Itās now three reductions between weekly rest periods, not three per week. This means if you have a weekly rest midweek you can in fact reduce six times in one week. Work more than 13 hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, weekly rest, work more than 13 hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Six reductions in one week and legal.
Since posting this up a while ago the company I was with went out of business and alot of trouble with redundance ensuded and I have started with another company of quite abit of fame. Ill not mention the name.
So Iam now under the understanding that it is legal to not have this daily rest reduction back. I just find this to be wrong as like I say it means that you vertual looose a good 6 hours of rest or sleep, as you say not bad if you are on a truckstop or living like gypsies, like I do now, not being able to get to fasilieties which are provided at a truckstop because the company wont pay for them. We are part Transport assioation and are asked by the planners to go to these sites for rest periods but then half of the time most of the facilieties are closed by the time we get their. Abit naff I think.
So now the problem is the same still three reduced daily breaks a week but now they are asking me to go home and have them when I get back to the yard. One example
Finish at 21.00, drive home, get a shower, some tea, calm down period, go to bed, get up at 5,drive to work, start at 6. 3 times a week monday, tuesday and then 11 off on wednesday and thursday down road on friday 9 off friday night and then set off at stupid o clock, 3 in morning,to get back into the yard so that I can get abit of qualitey time at home.
Iam feeling abit strained and family life is abit ā ā ā ā .
Another thing is now I have been working 4 out the last 5 saturdays finishing about 9 in the morning on saturday and being told to come in over 45 hours later on monday again, which I see is legal by the looks as I have taken a 45 hour weekly rest period off each of the saturdays I have worked and Iam told that this is with in the regs, it is only when you reduce your weekly rest period that I have to get compensation back enblock and the rest period of 45 hours as not been breached yet on any of the saturdays that I have worked.
Iam now feeling that they are now going to do this all the time with me and Iam feeling abit picked on with really not feeling like I have no one to talk to on this subject and not feeling I can talk to any of the other drivers due to back stabing, to put it in lay mans terms.
Ive never felt so much as if I want to get out of this industry and anyone who says they enjoy driving or as anything to do with trucking is looked at a little strangely by me.
I hope you can help and thanks for your time. Cheers Keith.
valleyforge1:
I hope you can help and thanks for your time. Cheers Keith.
Not really sure what you want help with? From what you have posted nothing that isnāt allowed under the regulations is happening so only you can help yourself by deciding what you will and wonāt do and whether you are prepared to possibly lose the job over whatever stance you take.
You say you feel that you are being picked on, so with regards to the hours you are expected to work are you being treated differently to the other drivers ?