That’s FAR too much effort! If I can’t sit in the cab, it’s not going to be on break. Friday rules excepting, of course.
Heard it all now. 
the maoster:
Sand Fisher:
Never take your break on a bay unless it’s card out manual entry and truck doesn’t move. Did that once at a chemical place and they loaded me in 25 minutes. Weren’t happy I sat there for another 20, and I agree with them too. If I’d taken card out done a manual 15 and if necessary nipped round the corner for the other 30 would have been no problem. Rarely does one go up to a 45 break which must be taken at a customers premises, and very risky if you do.Seriously? You are making life rather difficult for yourself there. What was wrong with pulling away after 25 minutes and then having a 30 minute break around the corner? The result would have been exactly the same as your proposed method of taking the card out and adding manual entries with the added bonus of not appearing on the radar of some officious DVSA/Police chappy who’s interest would undoubtedly be aroused by you removing your card mid shift.
I got told the only reason to remove a card mid shift is to change vehicles. If asked by police/dvsa ask them to sign a print off first. Anyone else can whistle. Compliance guy told me removing the card opens me up to an accusation of creating a false record
kcrussell25:
the maoster:
Sand Fisher:
Never take your break on a bay unless it’s card out manual entry and truck doesn’t move. Did that once at a chemical place and they loaded me in 25 minutes. Weren’t happy I sat there for another 20, and I agree with them too. If I’d taken card out done a manual 15 and if necessary nipped round the corner for the other 30 would have been no problem. Rarely does one go up to a 45 break which must be taken at a customers premises, and very risky if you do.Seriously? You are making life rather difficult for yourself there. What was wrong with pulling away after 25 minutes and then having a 30 minute break around the corner? The result would have been exactly the same as your proposed method of taking the card out and adding manual entries with the added bonus of not appearing on the radar of some officious DVSA/Police chappy who’s interest would undoubtedly be aroused by you removing your card mid shift.
I got told the only reason to remove a card mid shift is to change vehicles. If asked by police/dvsa ask them to sign a print off first. Anyone else can whistle. Compliance guy told me removing the card opens me up to an accusation of creating a false record
Exactly.
Firstly why not just chill out and stop unnecessarily making the ■■■■ job harder, and secondly why give them an excuse to do you when there is no need.
The ■■■■ job is hard enough as it is contending with the real rules that need to be adhered to. 
sammym:
Well, after all their whining and complaining they asked me if I could work more shifts there this week. No I can’t. I didn’t gob off like I thought I was going to - I decided as the work was okay and the location is good I should leave the door open in case I decide it suits me to go back.I’ve been at a nice job today - driving a much crappier truck. But I’m treated well. The owner himself loaded the steel. And I’m not interrogated about where I took my break (which was in my cab whilst waiting for a crane to take it off). The best part is that I got to start at 8.30 and finish by 3. Still, get paid for 8 hours so I’m happy. Back there tomorrow - and the owner said he’d make sure I got a good run which is a bonus.
I’m not sure delivering steel is my bag - but the job is okay. The part I don’t like is that I’m not very sure about how to secure it. I’m using straps - but on cpc was told for steel you need chains. It’s mainly tubing and straps seemed to hold it. But if anyone knows more about this feel free to message me or post it on here.
An inexperienced, tired, and by his own admission unsure driver, letting loose with steel tubes. Relying on ‘the nice bossman’ to load and strap ( 
) the load.
Please tell us, and the wider travelling public, the itinerary of your future jobs…
Sand Fisher:
Tescos RDC a classic. You go on a bay, you have to take your keys to booking in and you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there. You might need a break and technically you’d be on some kind of POA.So set card to other work, eject card. On return say 38 minutes later if you needed a 30 min break do a manual entry for four minutes other work, a break for 30 and a manual for four minutes other work. The truck has not moved so you are not driving without a card. I ran this post Vosa and they said it wasn’t illegal though had never been tested in the courts.
So far as I am concerned I am accurately accounting for my time.
Like you I do agency. The reason I do this is I don’t want so and so client coming back and saying “Ah he took excessive breaks” or whatever. I also of course don’t have the keys so can’t operate the tacho. Interestingly Vosa said the time walking to/from the booking in office was other work. Another reason to do it.
Jesus wept.
Sand Fisher:
Tescos RDC a classic. You go on a bay, you have to take your keys to booking in and you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there. You might need a break and technically you’d be on some kind of POA.So set card to other work, eject card. On return say 38 minutes later if you needed a 30 min break do a manual entry for four minutes other work, a break for 30 and a manual for four minutes other work. The truck has not moved so you are not driving without a card. I ran this post Vosa and they said it wasn’t illegal though had never been tested in the courts.
So far as I am concerned I am accurately accounting for my time.
Like you I do agency. The reason I do this is I don’t want so and so client coming back and saying “Ah he took excessive breaks” or whatever. I also of course don’t have the keys so can’t operate the tacho. Interestingly Vosa said the time walking to/from the booking in office was other work. Another reason to do it.
Surely your client knows what these places are like. IMO you’re leaving yourself open to accusations of fraud doing what you’re doing.
Simple they might get the keys but never ever have i given up my cab that’s my workplace, it’s hard to believe what you read here about where drivers have to wait sometimes i think mostly it’s a windup
Sand Fisher…on another thread you say you’ve been doing this job since the same time as me.
I can’t believe that as an experienced driver you allow yourself to be treated this way by whoever you work for.
Just leave that sort of treatment to the ‘‘naive, the new and the spineless’ , You do not have to cover yourself, or prove exactly what you have done for every bloody minute of the day, for one reason…
You have done NOTHING wrong.!! , so my usual mantra to this would be simply…’‘■■■■ em’’ !
The title of this thread is very apt in your case mate.
robroy:
Harry Monk:
AndrewG:
Tipping on break saves time. Why sit on a bay waiting to be tipped for an hour then leave the yard only to stick it on break for 45The OP did mention that he was required to tip the load himself with a pallet trolley and this obviously isn’t “taking a break” in any meaningful sense of the expression.
Agreed Harry.
I always respond to many of Andrew’s posts with the same line ie ‘You are an owner driver’ so he obviously and quite rightly comes at situations from a different perspective.
Of course you should take proper breaks, it’s one of the few things left in the job that is ‘‘for’’ the driver.If it would not create safety and fatigue issues it would be on the constantly increasing list of yet another worker’s right that has been taken away from us.
Drivers make me mad when they say things like ‘‘I got that break in’’ or ‘‘I got my 11s off out of the way’’.
They aren’t their to ‘‘get in’’ or ‘‘get out of the way’’ they’re there for your benefit to stop you being exploited my unscrupulous planners and TMs
Wake up some of you… FFSI admit I do bend things, I too will tip on break quite often, but I sure as hell make sure I still get a proper break later when I feel the need, and when it benefits me more.
Yes, I don’t think you have to be a Charlie Uniform November Tango but sometimes it is better to unload, (particularly if multi-drop) but because a break is due put it on break whilst unloadng and then nip around the corner park up and put it on other work for the 15 or 30 minutes or whatever. After all many office workers can delay a lunch break by 15 minutes. Not sure Vosa would accept it though!
Sand Fisher:
robroy:
Harry Monk:
AndrewG:
Tipping on break saves time. Why sit on a bay waiting to be tipped for an hour then leave the yard only to stick it on break for 45The OP did mention that he was required to tip the load himself with a pallet trolley and this obviously isn’t “taking a break” in any meaningful sense of the expression.
Agreed Harry.
I always respond to many of Andrew’s posts with the same line ie ‘You are an owner driver’ so he obviously and quite rightly comes at situations from a different perspective.
Of course you should take proper breaks, it’s one of the few things left in the job that is ‘‘for’’ the driver.If it would not create safety and fatigue issues it would be on the constantly increasing list of yet another worker’s right that has been taken away from us.
Drivers make me mad when they say things like ‘‘I got that break in’’ or ‘‘I got my 11s off out of the way’’.
They aren’t their to ‘‘get in’’ or ‘‘get out of the way’’ they’re there for your benefit to stop you being exploited my unscrupulous planners and TMs
Wake up some of you… FFSI admit I do bend things, I too will tip on break quite often, but I sure as hell make sure I still get a proper break later when I feel the need, and when it benefits me more.
Yes, I don’t think you have to be a Charlie Uniform November Tango but sometimes it is better to unload, (particularly if multi-drop) but because a break is due put it on break whilst unloadng and then nip around the corner park up and put it on other work for the 15 or 30 minutes or whatever. After all many office workers can delay a lunch break by 15 minutes. Not sure Vosa would accept it though!
They probably wouldn’t realise, until they started digging to find why you removed your card mid shift
Captain Caveman 76:
Sand Fisher:
Tescos RDC a classic. You go on a bay, you have to take your keys to booking in and you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there. You might need a break and technically you’d be on some kind of POA.So set card to other work, eject card. On return say 38 minutes later if you needed a 30 min break do a manual entry for four minutes other work, a break for 30 and a manual for four minutes other work. The truck has not moved so you are not driving without a card. I ran this post Vosa and they said it wasn’t illegal though had never been tested in the courts.
So far as I am concerned I am accurately accounting for my time.
Like you I do agency. The reason I do this is I don’t want so and so client coming back and saying “Ah he took excessive breaks” or whatever. I also of course don’t have the keys so can’t operate the tacho. Interestingly Vosa said the time walking to/from the booking in office was other work. Another reason to do it.
Surely your client knows what these places are like. IMO you’re leaving yourself open to accusations of fraud doing what you’re doing.
How? The print out shows the mileage at end, mileage at start how the hell am I defrauding anybody? I am actually recording what I did not what I didn’t do which as pointed out by Vosa is strictly not correct.
The story told me was that an operator had complained to Vosa that a driver had tipped at an RDC, then gone outside and parked up for a break. The operated argued he was on break at the RDC because they tipped him. He was complaining to that the driver was taking advantage, a kind of ‘double rest’.
What I am doing is accurately recording what I did, but to do so I have to remove the card because I have no access to the card because I have to lock the truck and give to a 3rd party for H&S reasons. End of. The truck doesn’t move and I can prove it doesn’t move, so in the end it will come down to do I record what I did or what I didn’t do?
There is a very good reason for doing this. So I can take breaks when I want to and not have comebacks afterwards saying why did I take 55 minutes there or whatever and then have to drive bloody 4 hours without a break.
Tbh, it doesn’t happen that often. It is not every day, but sometimes certain jobs can lend itself to doing it. Usually where I can’t get access to the cab. If tipping at a store and unloading you can get access to the cab in some situations (sometimes not if the keys are on an up and over roller shutter door - without seriously hacking off the co-unloader!). Like most on here you try to get the job to work for you, but I also believe in being fair, so it is always a bit of a balancing act.
Sand Fisher:
What I am doing is accurately recording what I did, but to do so I have to remove the card because I have no access to the card because I have to lock the truck and give to a 3rd party for H&S reasons. End of. The truck doesn’t move and I can prove it doesn’t move, so in the end it will come down to do I record what I did or what I didn’t do?
If I’m at a RDC and have an inkling will be a while what I do is get on bay, sit there for 5 mins then put it on break before heading to office / cage to hand keys in.
If asked why not leaving Cab yet I just say getting paperwork in order/coffee whatever then if get pulled it works show 5min other work before a break. That way not going straight from driving to break in an RDC and no reason to pull cars. Certainly not going to die in a ditch over the min it takes to hand keys in when Tacho on break between me leaving it and walking to office.
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dcgpx:
Sand Fisher:
What I am doing is accurately recording what I did, but to do so I have to remove the card because I have no access to the card because I have to lock the truck and give to a 3rd party for H&S reasons. End of. The truck doesn’t move and I can prove it doesn’t move, so in the end it will come down to do I record what I did or what I didn’t do?If I’m at a RDC and have an inkling will be a while what I do is get on bay, sit there for 5 mins then put it on break before heading to office / cage to hand keys in.
If asked why not leaving Cab yet I just say getting paperwork in order/coffee whatever then if get pulled it works show 5min other work before a break. That way not going straight from driving to break in an RDC and no reason to pull cars. Certainly not going to die in a ditch over the min it takes to hand keys in when Tacho on break between me leaving it and walking to office.
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Yeah agree dcgpx. For most drivers it isn’t an issue, but could be an issue for us agency wallahs. I have encountered firms moaning about excessive ‘break’ time. Each firm varies on this. Most operators are rational about this as they know the issues at certain sites, but some aren’t, no doubt pre-occupied by KPI’s. One wonders if they have this in their ■■■ lives!!
cheekymonkey:
The last time I Got treated badly was 11 years ago when working for a large so called blue chip company. I’ve been agency ever since and have always been welcomed by the client and treated well. Starting early doors 5 or 6am, I’ve stuck it on break whenever, then had my kip/real break later in the day when I need it more. I find a nap on the way home more beneficial than a “legal” break when I’m not ready for one.
Never has anyone questioned my breaks. When I did a bit for Stobarts the guys told me I shouldn’t stop between RDCs, but I always did. Nobody said owt.
I’ve always had a simple rule…if I want to stop… I stop.
I like your rule…Or I would say if I need to stop I stop.