can any one explain how the spread over rule works, i sometimes work weekends which reduces my break to 36 hours, can i make this up by adding it on to my daily rest break. i work 4 nights mon to thursday (10 hours per night) i only drive 1 hour a night,so can the short fall be added to this 
Technically there is no such thing as the spread over rule but it is the term generally used to describe the number of hours between starting and ending work.
The rules are all based around the amount of daily rest needed in a 24 hour period, the 24 hours starting from when you begin work after a daily or weekly rest period, and this rest is 11 hours. so if you need 24 -11 hours rest = 13 hours left for working and this what is generally referred to as āspread over.ā To take an 11 hour rest you must finish work a maximum of 13 hours after beginning.
Three times a week you can reduce this daily rest to a minimum of 9 hours rest, 24 - 9 = 15 hours āspread overā
You can also divide the daily rest into two or three periods, the shortest being no less than 1 hour and the last being at least 8 hours. In this case if after taking say a 3 hour and a 1 hour rest during the day you then take an 8 hour at night this would mean 24 - 8 = 16 hours āspread over.ā There is no weekly limit on the number of times you can use this method and no compensation is needed unlike the 9 hour option when you must compensate.
Any reduction in weekly rest must be added en bloc to another daily or weekly rest period of at least 8 hours and taken before the end of the third week following the reduction. you say you work 10 hours a night which leaves 14 hours daily rest and isnāt enough to make up the 9 hours you need to compensate for your 36 hour weekly rest, you would need a minimum of 18 hours (9 hours rest + 9 hours compensation, assuming you arenāt doing the 8 hour and two other breaks thing.) You say you normally work 4 nights so between finishing Friday morning and starting again on Monday night you will have more than compensated for the 9 hours reduction on the odd weekend that you work.
Nice, concise explanation ! Never understood it properly until now !
Why is tachograph legislation so confusing generally ?
brummie:
Nice, concise explanation ! Never understood it properly until now !Why is tachograph legislation so confusing generally ?
Now that is a foolish question 
.
Its so that they donāt have to work very hard to do us, of course. 
Itās not confusing and itās also not a very long read, trouble is many drivers never bother to read it and operate instead on the āMy mate told meā¦ā rules. 
Should be 12 on, 12 off, no exceptions, no reductions etc. No excuses for āI donāt understand the rulesā then either.
Rob K:
Should be 12 on, 12 off, no exceptions, no reductions etc. No excuses for āI donāt understand the rulesā then either.
You may get something close to your wish when the new rules come in Rob, 12 hours daily rest between driving shifts, reduce to 9, 3 times a week no compensation required. But then there would be the added ācomplicationā that the 12 could be split into 9 and 3 so I guess itās not what you want after all meaning you could have 9 every day as long as on three of the days you also had 3. 
clear as mud eh?
Rob K:
Should be 12 on, 12 off, no exceptions, no reductions etc. No excuses for āI donāt understand the rulesā then either.
Bloody hell I agree with Rob!! 
Thecritic:
Bloody hell I agree with Rob!!
Right thatās it we might as well close down the forums now.
Thecritic:
Rob K:
Should be 12 on, 12 off, no exceptions, no reductions etc. No excuses for āI donāt understand the rulesā then either.Bloody hell I agree with Rob!!
tc plese check your computer is ok,itās gone mad
its says that you agree with rob k
you need to get back to work mate, being in that house is doing strange things to your head