Just started working on 7.5 tonne or Class C HGV multidrop and was wondering about breaks. My normal driving hours don’t ever seem to exceed 4.5 hours during a normal shift (rest is on standby or loading/unloading) so what is the position regrading tacho rest breaks? Help much appreciated as it seems to be a minefield… 
ROG is the expert, but I’ll jump in first and have a bash.
You can take as much rest/breaks as you like.
You are not driving more than 4.5 hours, so a 45min break is not required.
The only thing you need to be careful of from what you say, is that you need to take a 15 minute break before/when you have worked 6 hours solid, which could be made up of other work and driving. This is a WTD (Working time directive rule, not a drivers hours rule)
How did I do ROG? 
If you aren’t reaching the 4.5 hours driving then you’ll need to ensure you do not work more than 6 hours of working time (not duty) without a break of at least 15m. Once you’ve had that break you can work for another 6 hours.
If you only take 15m and your total working time is less than 9 hours you will need another 15m before you finish work. If your total working time is more than 9 hours you’ll need another 15m on top of that.
I’ve tried to keep the above as simple as possible. Someone will be along shortly to either help or make things worse 
Also - from what you describe as your work you need to be very careful with your record keeping and ensuring all activities correctly recorded.
My main advice - go and sit a DCPC course on drivers hours. You’ll need to get some hours in anyway and it sounds like you’d benefit.
Multidrop work is the hardest to keep track of hours on as they don’t match up. Best way is to remember what time you started then count on 6 hours. By that point you need to of taken at least a 15 minute break. On the way back to the yard, pull over and bung in another 15 if you shift is over 6 but less than 9 hours.
Thanks for all the info chaps. I need to download my digi card at some stage in the office & I’m sure that they will can back with any problems after analysis (sigh - another session in the Headmasters office 
)
Another point to maybe consider. If your company does not pay breaks, I would have 45 mins for my break rather than 30.
Most companies take 45 mins per shift off you. So 15 mins per day= 1 hour, 15 mins per week. (Based on 5 shifts).
Which could end up coming off your overtime. (Lets assume £12 per hour); £15 per week or £60 per month!!!
If you are salaried, it is probably in your interests to get done asap. But for hourly pay with a company that does not pay breaks, you get your pants pulled down.
eagerbeaver:
Another point to maybe consider. If your company does not pay breaks, I would have 45 mins for my break rather than 30.Most companies take 45 mins per shift off you. So 15 mins per day= 1 hour, 15 mins per week. (Based on 5 shifts).
Which could end up coming off your overtime. (Lets assume £12 per hour); £15 per week or £60 per month!!!
If you are salaried, it is probably in your interests to get done asap. But for hourly pay with a company that does not pay breaks, you get your pants pulled down.
I’d take a 45 anyway its easy to claw back that extra15 min if paid by the Hr
if i was to do say a 12 hour day if i was to say do 6 hours work and in that time i did 4 hours driving , if i was to take a 45 , am i clear to do another 6 hours work amd in the second 6 i did another 4 hours driving i would be on 8 hours driving and 12 hours work ?
Keep it simple. Make a note of your start time, I like to keep my start times to 15 minute intervals so 06:00am or 06:15 etc as its easier to keep a track of things.
Lets say you started at 06:00am. Now by 12pm midday you need to of taken at least a 15 minute break, by 3pm you need of taken another break of a minimum of 15 minutes. That should cover you as your shift time as gone past the 6 hour cut-off point. By 6pm you will have gone past the 12 hour mark and you will need to of taken another 15 minute break minimum.
At our place, our tacho software will flag you if you work more than 6 hours without a break so in my eyes, if I take at least a 15 minute break every 6 hours then I should be ok.
Now, your driving breaks should cover you for WTD most of the time. For example, I do a run to Newcastle on a Monday morning. I start at 3am for a 7am tip in Newcastle city centre. By the time I’m done there, I’ve already done over 3 and a half hours driving, getting on for 4 hours and I’m getting very close to the 6 hour mark on my shift so I know I need to take a break. My 45 minute break to reset my drive time will always count towards the WTD.
Of course, its not always that simple but the more you think about it, the easier it will become.
Keep it even more simple if I start at around 5 - 6 - 7am at 10:30 I am looking for a window to have a 15 minute break most of the time it is while waiting to be tipped. At 12:30 I am looking for another 15 minute and then I am wanting to finish work but to be honest I rarely do multi drop and rigids.
Radar19:
Lets say you started at 06:00am. Now by 12pm midday you need to of taken at least a 15 minute break, by 3pm you need of taken another break of a minimum of 15 minutes. That should cover you as your shift time as gone past the 6 hour cut-off point. By 6pm you will have gone past the 12 hour mark and you will need to of taken another 15 minute break minimum.
Err … not correct
By noon if all that time was working and driving mixed only then 15 mins needed - if intending to keep on working after noon
No 9 or 12 hour requirement for 15 min breaks
If work time in shift is between 6 and 9 total then 30 mins in total needed or if over 9 then 45 mins total needed