Is the shift pattern 12 on 2 off illegal for a recovery driver? If so wot would the consequences of that be? And wot about nights on call eg normal shift 7-4ish in the day then on call from 10pm till 7am then straight bk 2 ya normal early shift (7am-4pm)■■? What do you reckon? P.s none of the vehicles driven are on an o- licence, if that makes any diff!
Grey area recovery. If you work for someone like the AA for example, everything will be by the book, ie tacho in at start of shift and work strictly to the tacho regs.
However, get on for other (though not all) recovery firms and you’ll find yourself not using tacho’s (50 mile rule iirc) at all. My personal best was two Christmas days off in two years! Really, really crap, but I needed money desperately.
long as your no more then 100km away from base your not on tacho (rarely happens but least when it does your on tacho for a week so use the rest well) so get used to it also coffee and red bull work!! all part and parcel of the job (learn to sleep when ever you get chance)
the maoster:
Grey area recovery. If you work for someone like the AA for example, everything will be by the book, ie tacho in at start of shift and work strictly to the tacho regs.However, get on for other (though not all) recovery firms and you’ll find yourself not using tacho’s (50 mile rule iirc) at all. My personal best was two Christmas days off in two years! Really, really crap, but I needed money desperately.
60 roughly, 100km as mentioned above.
BUT, even then, they’re supposed to run on domestic rules, so 2 days off in 2 years is still illegal. You’re supposed to use a log book (book of lies) and keep an accurate account.
Emergency callouts I believe can over-ride some rules, ie, you do a 12hr shift then take a truck home on call out for police jobs etc, but I used to just say I was too tired (when I was in the pub)
No weekly rest requirements if on domestic regs - a driver on those regs can drive every day for days weeks months or years with no day off !!
As you’re not on O licence, not on permanent tacho and there’s no legal requirement for weekly rest, then 12 on 2 off is not illegal.
Infact, many recovery companies work this shift pattern. We work 5 on 3 off.
Although some use a log book for domestic hours, there is no legal obligation to record domestic hours.
Recovery is such an unpredictable trade, it’s almost impossible to have a 24 hour service and adhere to haulage rules.
Just can’t be done. The job changes every 3 minutes, there’s no way of planning the workload.
OK, so the AA and RAC are on permanent tacho (their recovery drivers, the patrols aren’t), but they rely on a contractor network to deliver the service when their own lads are out of time.
I honestly dont know how you recovery boys can get underneth a lorry on a fast moving motorway to take the prop off, would scare the ■■■■ out of me! Got alot of time for those who do recovery work!
I was working mon - fri every other weekend and every other night! Only time I got some sleep was after a tacho run! 9/ 11 hours off then back on it!
No real rules or regs. Got friends who do 24/7 and have done for 5 years!
Heavies was worse as there is no 1/2 hour jobs. One job could take a day. Then another job on way home and you say hello to 35h before you see the yard again!
You will get worked until you drop on recovery, always have and always will.
Saaamon:
I honestly dont know how you recovery boys can get underneth a lorry on a fast moving motorway to take the prop off, would scare the [zb] out of me! Got alot of time for those who do recovery work!
I spent a few months living on the H/S of the M1 on the tinsley viaduct a couple of year back while they upgraded the m/way, you wouldn’t believe how many cars and trucks ran out of fuel on the uphill stretch n/bound, and as there was no h/s through the roadworks there was no prop dropping or anything, just scoop them up and drag them to next exit. Got my foot clipped once which kinda brings it home to you!
the maoster:
Saaamon:
I honestly dont know how you recovery boys can get underneth a lorry on a fast moving motorway to take the prop off, would scare the [zb] out of me! Got alot of time for those who do recovery work!I spent a few months living on the H/S of the M1 on the tinsley viaduct a couple of year back while they upgraded the m/way, you wouldn’t believe how many cars and trucks ran out of fuel on the uphill stretch n/bound, and as there was no h/s through the roadworks there was no prop dropping or anything, just scoop them up and drag them to next exit. Got my foot clipped once which kinda brings it home to you!
Yes i bet that got your heartbeating! Why cant you drag them off the motorway then drop the prop? What damage does it do just leaving it on? I’d like to try recovery but just couldnt handle working on the hard shoulder.
You can drag them a mile or so to a safe place but if you don’t drop the prop you wind the gearbox up and it gets expensive!
Always rear lift where possible, cleaner and easier!
You can pull a half shaft but it needs to be the side without the diff lock which is normally the side in the live lane!!
We had trucks clipped on the A34 and I know of a company that had 1 pushed down the bank. Makes you arse twitch. If it dosent you will get hurt!!
Mark22_2:
You can drag them a mile or so to a safe place but if you don’t drop the prop you wind the gearbox up and it gets expensive!
Always rear lift where possible, cleaner and easier!You can pull a half shaft but it needs to be the side without the diff lock which is normally the side in the live lane!!
We had trucks clipped on the A34 and I know of a company that had 1 pushed down the bank. Makes you arse twitch. If it dosent you will get hurt!!
How quickly can you get a prop off? Do you just un–bolt it off the diff then strap it up somewhere?
Cheers for the reply btw.
I had to get recovery from Grimsby to south Wales a few weeks back.
He had the prop off in about 5 minutes. Take of a few bolts and slide it out. Then put it somewhere secure.
From the time he got to me an the time we left was 45 minutes. But he dragged the process out for a very obvious reason lol 
Depends on the truck, if you have a lift axle you need to get in the gap by the diff. Not easy when your 6ft!
You unbolt at diff and chain up out the way. Don’t remove prop as it makes it hard for garage!
Normally around 45mins to hook up a full lift. Depending on fault and location!
If you work on recovery you really do need to do some research into the roolz & regs myth’s that surround it.
Start with this : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heck_Rail_Crash
IME. The industry is littered with rogue operators, as it’s a fairly mature industry & very few have been caught out, I can safely say that these rogue operators have it down to a T.
“What if?” is a big question but I’ll put it into the real world scenario of something I personally experienced a few years ago & know still happens to this day :
You work 4 on 4 off 12hr shifts & are expected to be either working or parked locally during the working 12hrs. The 4x 12hr periods you are not expected to be working, you are on call.
You’ve just gone 48hrs without a sleep period longer than 6hrs, you are woken from your exhaustion 3hrs later & told to pick up a Mondeo with 4x occupants & take them approx 35mls to their home.
Decline the job & you lose your job !
20mls into the journey your front passenger is thumping your shoulder to awaken you, you wake to find yourself swerving across 3 lanes of empty motorway, you stop on the hard shoulder & have a think !
What is said above is true. I had just got in on a Sunday night around 10pm after pretty much going to work Friday morning when I got a call to pick up Milton services Didcot and drop in shefield services.
Refuse and you are outta work!!
I think the prop comes off cause when its on it turns n winds the gbox up n does damage 2 that… I’ve never really asked 2b honest I just drop um lol! Although 4 buses in the town we r told 2 leave um on by the bus company, as long as its not goin over 5mile or 25mph?!
I was changing a wheel an the mway not long after I started the job, I heard the rumble strip go n s**t my self, never moved so quick in my life!! I also had a near miss in a traffic jam, decided 2 put the o/s straps on a car as the traffic was stationary, n as I was doin it the car in lane 1 rolled in 2 the truck about a foot from where I was, the spoon was readin the paper n dint put the hand brake on! Makes u think!
Anyway thanks 4 the reply s, was jus concerned that if I was 2 b involved in an accident would they jus blame me cause I hav no tachos only a very very long time sheet! Lol