I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.
Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Its my break, I take it when I want to.
Radar19:
Its my break, I take it when I want to.
Same here ! It’s my break not theirs , as long as the work gets done
Radar19:
Its my break, I take it when I want to.
Same as that.
Ask your employer what happens when you take it to the wire and get held up because of traffic , accident etc etc. and you cant get to a safe place to stop?
Would he be happy if you then got done for going over 4.5 without a break? Will he volunteer to pay your fine?
Its a crock of ■■■■ mate.
blue estate:
Radar19:
Its my break, I take it when I want to.Same here ! It’s my break not theirs , as long as the work gets done
Yes I was pretty darn miffed when it was queried! It was overnight too. My licence, my life and a 44 ton truck can do a lot of damage.
Sand Fisher:
blue estate:
Radar19:
Its my break, I take it when I want to.Same here ! It’s my break not theirs , as long as the work gets done
Yes I was pretty darn miffed when it was queried! It was overnight too. My licence, my life and a 44 ton truck can do a lot of damage.
You’ve hit it on the head 
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.
Views?
Agree to it, but as long as he sticks by his convictions by signing that clause, with the words ‘‘regardless of how tired you feel before this period’’
I’ll bet you a weeks wage he changes his tune…, thus proving that he knows fully he is in the wrong… 
A break is there for your welfare, not his convenience.
One bunch of clowns we pull trailers for told me once " Straight there mate - no stopping " (about 3 hours down the road ) . I asked if they supplied new seats and when he said no I told him that if I needed a toilet stop I’d be stopping and that was all that would be about it .
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Hard to belive its 2016 and you get a post like that, as i said many times before there are many many num nuts working as truck drivers and not only for buttons but now they need to be told when to take a break and when to stop or when they can have a ■■■■, all very professional of course.
Just tell him your not a robot.
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Just out of interest, what did you say to him ?
nightline:
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Hard to belive its 2016 and you get a post like that, as i said many times before there are many many num nuts working as truck drivers and not only for buttons but now they need to be told when to take a break and when to stop or when they can have a ■■■■, all very professional of course.
Bed time.
Pee in a few bottles and hand them in with your paperwork.
Ask them what their policy is for disposal of biological waste. Works better if you crap in a carrier bag and hand that in as well.
Walk away with a smile.
It’s all about communication.
Take breaks whenever you want as long as it’s all legal, don’t run bent or drive tired for anyone because at the end of the day it’s your life/licence on the line not theirs.
robroy:
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Just out of interest, what did you say to him ?
I said that I needed to stop to go to the loo, and he said “What after two hours?” At this I was frigging livid. I replied “Look, you work in an office, you can go when you want, when I’m driving a truck I can’t.” “Oh, oh, no one’s saying you can’t stop to go for a ■■■■, but you said you were stopping after two hours?”, I said “Yes because I think two hours is reasonable before taking a break”, “Oh but you can’t just take a break regardless and that’s what you said”, “Well, I didn’t think I needed to advise you of my personal medical history when it doesn’t stop me from doing the job.” “Why can’t you last longer than two hours?”, “Because I have a prostate problem if you must know!” “Ah but we need the trailer there and if you stop it can mess up the schedules, you don’t know what’s down the road ahead of you”, What for 15 minutes?" and at that point I walked out of the office and nearly off the job.
The operator is Yodel.
Sand Fisher:
robroy:
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Just out of interest, what did you say to him ?
I said that I needed to stop to go to the loo, and he said “What after two hours?” At this I was frigging livid. I replied “Look, you work in an office, you can go when you want, when I’m driving a truck I can’t.” “Oh, oh, no one’s saying you can’t stop to go for a ■■■■, but you said you were stopping after two hours?”, I said “Yes because I think two hours is reasonable before taking a break”, “Oh but you can’t just take a break regardless and that’s what you said”, “Well, I didn’t think I needed to advise you of my personal medical history when it doesn’t stop me from doing the job.” “Why can’t you last longer than two hours?”, “Because I have a prostate problem if you must know!” “Ah but we need the trailer there and if you stop it can mess up the schedules, you don’t know what’s down the road ahead of you”, What for 15 minutes?" and at that point I walked out of the office and nearly off the job.
The operator is Yodel.
All the big parcel/pallet carriers are the same. They have planned their trailer movements like a railway time table. One trailer not showing up on time upsets all onward movements (like passengers missing a connection )… Not my/your problem though. They promised they would deliver it tomorrow, not me/you.
the nodding donkey:
Sand Fisher:
robroy:
Sand Fisher:
I just wondered the view on an employer ‘telling you’ that you cannot take a break until you’ve driven 4.5 hrs.Personally I look to take a break roughly every two hours (so if I was driving 4.5 after 2h 15min subject to suitable services etc.) Obviously the first one would be 15 mins.
Views?
Just out of interest, what did you say to him ?
I said that I needed to stop to go to the loo, and he said “What after two hours?” At this I was frigging livid. I replied “Look, you work in an office, you can go when you want, when I’m driving a truck I can’t.” “Oh, oh, no one’s saying you can’t stop to go for a ■■■■, but you said you were stopping after two hours?”, I said “Yes because I think two hours is reasonable before taking a break”, “Oh but you can’t just take a break regardless and that’s what you said”, “Well, I didn’t think I needed to advise you of my personal medical history when it doesn’t stop me from doing the job.” “Why can’t you last longer than two hours?”, “Because I have a prostate problem if you must know!” “Ah but we need the trailer there and if you stop it can mess up the schedules, you don’t know what’s down the road ahead of you”, What for 15 minutes?" and at that point I walked out of the office and nearly off the job.
The operator is Yodel.
All the big parcel/pallet carriers are the same. They have planned their trailer movements like a railway time table. One trailer not showing up on time upsets all onward movements (like passengers missing a connection )… Not my/your problem though. They promised they would deliver it tomorrow, not me/you.
That explains why I see Yodel trailers pulled by subbies overtaking 3 abreast down the M1 at night.
Grrrr…
Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.
Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.
ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…
‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’
‘I don’t want to have my break there.’
‘That’s where it’s planned for.’
‘Well un-plan it then.’
‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’
‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’
yourhavingalarf:
Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.
.’
This isn’t confined to road transport. I’m talking this as it’s relevant to what’s being talked about in road haulage. Not indulgence. I work for someone who not only expects you to work up to the legal maximum but demands you work to legal maximum, no ifs, no buts. This is in the UK passenger aviation transport industry. I dare say it happens in the shipping industry as they are always cost cutting with foreign labour and flags of convenience and it’s out of the public eye. Not so much in trains maybe with their still strong unions clinging on for dear life. In my job people are working for the first time ever to maximum legal hours and it’s dire.
Quite simply, you feel like death, worse than I ever felt driving hgvs even tramping on 70 hours a week. I worked with a bloke the other day who was an ex para, a second career guy in his early 40s. We had a beer together downroute and he said he’s thinking of jacking it in to find something easier in the job with another airline or out altogether. He described how after a series of trips he didn’t feel quite on the planet. He was due out a day later went out shopping with his wife before his trip and he collapsed in the street. Fatigue. This bloke is very fit, seriously tough and his job did this to him and this is legally deemed safe according to EU ops hours 
.
yourhavingalarf:
Grrrr…Makes my blood boil this does. Four and a half hours is the maximum period of time you can drive for continuously, it’s NOT a target.
Take your break when you want it. Stuff what bossy TMs, stroppy drivers, Billy Bigwheels tell you, stop where you need to.
ie; Next out of South Elsmsall years ago…
‘When you get to Bristol, have your 45 and come back’
‘I don’t want to have my break there.’
‘That’s where it’s planned for.’
‘Well un-plan it then.’
‘You can’t stop en route, you’ve got a high value cargo on.’
‘Put a bigger padlock on the door or shadow me with a security ■■■■■■ if it’s that important.’
Oh yes I totally understand how the system works (and I used to be in the rail industry too) and I have been a transport manager and an o/d. I get all that but ffs today more than ever in this litigious society it’s all about risk and there I was minimising their bloody risk by making sure I had adequate breaks i.e. keeping as refreshed as one could driving overnight. As we all know just stopping driving for a bit can be a rest as it is a release from the concentration.
Hey ho.