seems it’s a full time hoby for quite a few on here to accuse drivers of running “bent” especially o/d’s so i’d just like all of you who are so quick to make accusations to explain just how you think a driver can get away with breaking the law? i certainly don’t know how to do it without it being obviouse to anyone with half a brain to spot.
paul, if there was a foolproof way of “running bent”, then it would certainly not be published for all to read on here.
why, because it would be worth something to someone. and secondly the more that people new about it, the less foolproof it would become.
in the past i have known plenty of drivers that have admitted to “running bent” and whilst there maybe a few still doing this the majority would not, its not worth it.
running bent ey!!! tut,tut, but saying that what as it to do with any one else what the other person is doing!!!
now most people will say they dont run bent■■?
but when they are total honest with their selfs who hasnt run bent■■?
5 mins over their drive time? 5 mins under a 45 min break etc, thats still running bent in the eyes of the law ok they prob wont do anything about it,
but paul i aint saying running bent is right no no no, but its got nothing to do with me or anyone what the other guy is doing, to many do gooders about today,who are quick to jump on to something,
this will prob start something of now with what i have said but thats my thoughts on it anyway
but running bent is for fools to be honest i know
£1000.00 fine and got a months suspension of the hgv licence to go with it a few years ago now
and the question is was it worth it…NO!!! daz
its the drivers who deliberately run bent who are causing the rest of us problems with the authorities. if anyone was driving up the A34 at around 330 pm friday afternoon in a green/silver MAN with a yellow grill pulling a blue skellie and a grey forty foot container, i have your reg no. i was sat at 60 and you were gaining on me ON THE FLAT! i clocked you doing 70MPH downhill on several occasions. the names i called you are not allowed on here 
scanny77:
its the drivers who deliberately run bent who are causing the rest of us problems with the authorities. if anyone was driving up the A34 at around 330 pm friday afternoon in a green/silver MAN with a yellow grill pulling a blue skellie and a grey forty foot container, i have your reg no. i was sat at 60 and you were gaining on me ON THE FLAT! i clocked you doing 70MPH downhill on several occasions. the names i called you are not allowed on here
60mph on an A-road■■? I take it you were in your car. 
yes mate. i took a long weekend which is why i havent been online. a nice holiday in skegness to meet Bazman and Lesley T. i also had a look at the local hospital but thats another story
jase11:
scanny77:
its the drivers who deliberately run bent who are causing the rest of us problems with the authorities. if anyone was driving up the A34 at around 330 pm friday afternoon in a green/silver MAN with a yellow grill pulling a blue skellie and a grey forty foot container, i have your reg no. i was sat at 60 and you were gaining on me ON THE FLAT! i clocked you doing 70MPH downhill on several occasions. the names i called you are not allowed on here60mph on an A-road■■? I take it you were in your car.
scanny77:
yes mate. i took a long weekend which is why i havent been online. a nice holiday in skegness to meet Bazman and Lesley T. i also had a look at the local hospital but thats another story
Cool mate, cool 
scanny77:
its the drivers who deliberately run bent who are causing the rest of us problems with the authorities. if anyone was driving up the A34 at around 330 pm friday afternoon in a green/silver MAN with a yellow grill pulling a blue skellie and a grey forty foot container, i have your reg no. i was sat at 60 and you were gaining on me ON THE FLAT! i clocked you doing 70MPH downhill on several occasions. the names i called you are not allowed on here
Call me subversive, but could it be someone wanting to get home with his/her hours running low after a week away - how would you like to be sleeping in the cab on a Friday night 
?
The A34 is a 50mph limit for trucks, but how many do you see doing that down their, come to think of it, how many do you see doing 50mph on a dual carridgeway full stop. Suppose they’re worth reporting as well for running “bent,” because they’re speeding.
Personally, I’ve gone 20mins over my driving time after being held up in traffic, written it on the back of my tacho, with location of traffic etc, the fact that I required a “quality weekley rest” rather than sleeping in the cab and not heard anything back. This was 6 months ago. Stuff like loading whilst on break etc I’ll do, but only if it’s for my benifit, not the companies or anyone elses. However I make ■■■■ sure I show some loading time as well, so prove your suspicions mr VOSA.
Their’s different levels I reckon. Sorry for the rant, but as for the original question, I wouldn’t have a clue . 
.
the trade press regularly feature drivers that didn’t quite get away with it - recently you may recall the olivers, r f fielding, whitkirk produce (who even included a column on the drivers timesheet for ‘time worked off tacho chart’)and even james irlam (who incidently escaped any action due to the amount of time taken to reach the court).
there are regular reports of odd drivers doing something naughty and just lately there have been at least 3 reports reference disqualified drivers or drivers without the correct licence for the vehicle they are driving.
as for how easy it is to the answer is very easy - as to how to do it so it cannot be traced - almost impossible.
i have seen drivers that stupidly insert tacho’s from previous days when they run out of time because those discs have spare driving time on them (that really is dumb), winding on and winding back of clocks too which is also very noticeable, other methods including power supply interuption and deliberate fuse blowing.
there have even been a couple of instances where drivers have used a scribe type tool to mark the disc with false information - extremely tricky thing to do i would think and very noticeable.
the question really has to be WHY?
WHY would any driver do this?
what do they gain?
browny points or something similar from the boss or traffic desk?
the same question has to be asked about the drivers on single carriageway roads - driving at more than 40mph, WHY?
is the boss going to give you more money?
is the boss going to pay your fine?
will the boss lie on the nip about who was driving?
will the boss keep you on or take out a higher premium insurance policy when your points are greater than those allowed by his current insurer?
if you lose your licence through speeding to and from your deliveries and collections will the boss keep paying your wages until you can come back to driving?
and what if you want to change jobs later but nobody will set you on because you have too many points for speeding on your once clean driving licence?
Liberace:
so prove your suspicions mr VOSA.
…they don’t have to Lib, you just confessed!!
I honestly don’t think the type of serial offenders would be on here anyway; they’ll be too busy driving all hours.
Paulb, I can guess why you’ve posted this topic and as i’ve followed the other thread I think there might have been some ‘crossed wires’.
I really don’t think anyone was saying that you (or most OD’s) do run bent.
marcustandy:
Liberace:
so prove your suspicions mr VOSA.…they don’t have to Lib, you just confessed!!
I honestly don’t think the type of serial offenders would be on here anyway; they’ll be too busy driving all hours.
Paulb, I can guess why you’ve posted this topic and as i’ve followed the other thread I think there might have been some ‘crossed wires’.
I really don’t think anyone was saying that you (or most OD’s) do run bent.
There is a reply in one of the earlier threads that states “99% of owner drivers of artics run illegally”
marcustandy:
Liberace:
so prove your suspicions mr VOSA.…they don’t have to Lib, you just confessed!!
My tacho’s are spotless and will come back from the analysts without a flaw .
i admit a few years ago i use to push my luck a bit…
i used to pull my card while loading and tipping ive never ran on the road without a card in but i have around the docks and ports. i remember loading at glenrothes and pulled my card at 6pm and was still loading at 10pm the 3am next morning ( sat ) was back in the hot seat hiking it back to leeds in fact if i remember rightley i had to tip the loaded trailer in hull then take the empty to potters at selby change there back to the yard and i wasnt going to be working sat afternoon for no one.
so theres my confession so hang me for it.
To be honest, I have only ever been pulled once, which was while I was on my week-long training on the drays, and that was C&E who checked the fuel. No other checks were made at the time.
I did, however, see a driver get ‘caught’ quite early on in my tramping days. I was tipping at a Tesco RDC in Scotland (I can’t remember where but some of you will know it; end of the road on an industrial estate & you can look down into the yard from the road/est).
Anyway, the police had been sat (quite discreetly) on the estate and were looking down into the yard. This place was always a bad tip which took ages and one guy had tipped ‘off his card’. As he pulled out to park up for the night the police checked his card and could easily see what had happened; got him. 
That was always my own justification for being ‘stubborn’ and refusing to tip off the card or get caught out because an RDC took so bloody long to tip me. I even had my 9 hrs rest on the bay at Safeway Ashford once! Perks of being paid hourly.
I’m an O/D with 3 motors, and just sacked a guy who couldn’t keep to the hours regs. What would happen if the ministry pulled him for bending the rules? They would probably fine him, and me and maybe suspend or curtail my O licence. I can’t carry a truck ,they all have to earn, so my business would fold, I’d loose everything, and the driver would go off and work for someone else. Run bent, never worth it. I also think that most of the people you speak to who admit to doing it are trying to make themselves look big.
Call me subversive, but could it be someone wanting to get home with his/her hours running low after a week away - how would you like to be sleeping in the cab on a Friday night ?
Hey subversive ,if his/her hour’s are up then tough.If he/she has to sleep in the cab on friday night’s then such is life,orginise themselve’s better the next time, instead of taking on that extra job just to make a few extra quid.Knowing that it will push him/her to the limit or put them over their hour’s.
Just to add Paul no one said that you personnelly run bent
It’s a well know fact that certain o/d’s bend the rule’s to suit themselves,like tacho’s going missing or winding clock forward etc,or just forgetting to put tacho in and hoping for the best that they don’t get caught.I have spoken to some o/d’s recently who have run round the clock just to get back home,( and they do europeon work).And also admit to taking a few pil’s to help keep them awake.If that ain’t running bent what is.
In the past I met lots of idiots who thought they could get away with running bent using Tacho’s
There is no way you can fool that tacho 
I have known those who bent the needle down to give more speed (before limiters) this shows in fact the behicle doing speed in reverse when still
The trace in a tacho accounts for the slightest movement and any slight deviation from the previous trace will be found by computer, you may not see the difference but technoligy can
Some fools remove the fuse, but this does nothing to hide the fact that certain miles have gone by and do not show on the tacho card
A tacho is infalable no matter what tricks you try, don’t let others try and tell you fixing them is possible
i just hope this thread dispells some of the myths surounding owner drivers,
the fact is it’s impossible to run outside of the law in the uk and get away with it when the ministry check your tacho’s, all the above, like pulling a chart to tip are so blatantly obviouse to anyone who knows what they’re looking at it’s riddiculouse for any driver to think he’d get away with it, sure their maybe some who think they’ve got it sussed and can beat the system, they’re the ones you read about every week who’ve just lost their o’license!
think tramper made a good point, there are those who’ll stand in a boozer and brag how they’ve done this and done that but if they’re telling the truth they’re fools because it’s only a matter of time. i don’t think people realise just how strict it is in this country and just how many times an owner driver/small operator gets checked out, i personally have been stopped twice in the last three months and i only average 250 mile a day! on top of that the ministry can request your charts for the last twelve months at any time so basically anyone who is planning on earning a living out of the job for any lengh of time is going to bend over backwards to make sure everythings how it should be.
statements like we’ve had on here recently like “all o/d’s run on red diesel” are not only laughable but insulting!
paul.
TBH i really couldnt give a duck if anyone runs bent or not , as long as i stay legal and dont get fined then i dont give a hoot what anyone else does …
as the saying goes " i,m alright jack "
its there buisness and not mine so i dont comment nor stick my nose into it .