of coarse they did, i get regular calls from brussels asking me for advice on new regulations before they’re put in place, infact i’ve got to hold my hands up here, the wtd was actually my idea, i thought if i can get all company drivers restricted to a minimum amount of hours that would leave the roads empty so us o/d’s could make a fortune running our v8 scania’s!
it was also me that instigated the rise in uk fuel prices to a £1 a ltr, unbe known to many, very shortly the goverment are to announce that o/d’s will be classed as farmers and can run on red diesel, we’ll still be under the same tacho laws but will be issued a card which when stopped we’ll show to the ministry man in a discrete manner and he’ll wave us on our way.
i hope you appreciate that the above is strictly between me and you?
we don’t want the world knowing, do we!
paul b:
of coarse they did, i get regular calls from brussels asking me for advice on new regulations before they’re put in place, infact i’ve got to hold my hands up here, the wtd was actually my idea, i thought if i can get all company drivers restricted to a minimum amount of hours that would leave the roads empty so us o/d’s could make a fortune running our v8 scania’s!
it was also me that instigated the rise in uk fuel prices to a £1 a ltr, unbe known to many, very shortly the goverment are to announce that o/d’s will be classed as farmers and can run on red diesel, we’ll still be under the same tacho laws but will be issued a card which when stopped we’ll show to the ministry man in a discrete manner and he’ll wave us on our way.
i hope you appreciate that the above is strictly between me and you?
we don’t want the world knowing, do we!
oh Paul,if i didn’t know you i’d think you were extracting the urine 
But hey man you might be right
For what it’s worth, I would like to see the hours laws simplified, the whole thing is way too complex , too many laws, too much confusion!
I reckon that people working over 70 hours a week is too long,but I am sure many people would be happy with around 55 to 60 hours per week. Let’s allow people the option for some decent weekly rest, so that those that want to spend some quality time with their families can do so.
There are firms that do very good weekly rotas 4days on/ 3 days off on a rolling week or 5 days on/ 2 days off.
To me, I don’t mind working long hours, but your quality time ( weekly rest)
needs to be just that, you need to get your job out of your system & get a life!!
Spend some time with the family and the Mrs ( preferably your own Mrs)
you’ve hit the nail on the head there mate, it should be the drivers option, an option he takes either when he takes a job on or when he tells his current boss what he’s prepared to do. the current regs and possibly even tighter revised regs, take that option away by basically telling the driver you can’t work six days a week and you can’t do long days even if you want to.
paul b:
you’ve hit the nail on the head there mate, it should be the drivers option, an option he takes either when he takes a job on or when he tells his current boss what he’s prepared to do. the current regs and possibly even tighter revised regs, take that option away by basically telling the driver you can’t work six days a week and you can’t do long days even if you want to.
It’s okay saying the driver should decide when there are plenty of jobs, but when they aren’t the employer calls the shots and trucking jobs were in short supply a few years ago and if we have a major downturn in an economy then jobs might be in short supply again.
Without regulations bad employers have the advantage and devalue the industry an road users lives at risk.
I think no 1 should work more than 8 hours a day or have to for that matter i like to see my children and my wife, and if everyone worked only 8 hours a day 5 days a week then there would be more jobs for the rest of us. 
so if they stop the use of poa’s and cut the driving hours to 40 a week that will be of benefit to uk drivers?
SORRY PMAC,what you are suggeting is stupid, WHY,because you cannot
complete any sucnificeint amount of work to allow a profit to be earnt where your employer or mine can pay my wages, YES this job is not a
bed of roses BUT any one who comes into this proffession knew what the work involved,withs its BAD & GOOD points, I am prepared to work the hours if my employer pays the wages that I wish to recieve, the only way a 8 hr day works would be in a factory or quarry where no one
needs to go on the road and he would get away with a break of 30minutes
in the 8hr work period,BUT NEVER WOULD THAT IDEA WORK IN A NORMAL TRANSPORT FIRM;
PMAC:
I think no 1 should work more than 8 hours a day or have to for that matter
I’d be bored. 
PMAC:
i like to see my children and my wife,
While I am sure they are a very nice, I have no desire to see your wife and children so does that mean i can work more than 8 hours?
and they said chairman mow was a nutter! we’re all gona end up wearing the same grey clothes, all riding to work on identical push bikes and if anyone works one minute more than the government stated limit, he’ll disappear in the dark of night to be replaced by someone more willing to tow the line 
As opposed to the completely unregulated free economy were, the lowest price gets the work and that is acheived by lowest wages and longest hours. Unless you want to go back to the employment priciples of the 19th centry Mill Owners you need some regulations. You rely on induvidual agreement between employer and employee, as the employer always ends up with the upper hand.
muckles:
As opposed to the completely unregulated free economy were, the lowest price gets the work and that is acheived by lowest wages and longest hours. Unless you want to go back to the employment priciples of the 19th centry Mill Owners you need some regulations. You rely on induvidual agreement between employer and employee, as the employer always ends up with the upper hand.
and to be honest we probably need more regulation…coz that doesn’t sound very different to the way transport is run today!
I think a lot of you are very wrong here. Paul B thinks that everyone should be able to drive 5 or 6 hours without a break, TC wants to earn 600 quid for 40 hours and many more wrongthinking ideas.
If you drive constantly for 4.5 hours that is more than enough, if you are held up because of a traffic jam, pull up and have a break. If you want to drive 6 hours without a break, buy a tractor and go and plough some fields. I have driven very long periods as well as many others, like Trucky and Neil. Concentration drops after too long at the wheel, even more so so when you are frustrated and want to get home.
Everyone who comes into thiis industry knows that you are liable to be away from your family and mine for long periods. That was my choice, Dont spoil it!
The driving hours use to be 4 hour periods on log sheets, Tachos made it a bit more serious. there even used to be a limit on driving distance of 491 miles if memory serves me correctly. Heroes in those days used to be counted by km.
Pete Kenworthy is a good lad, he can do 700 clicks a day 
Maybe a local driver who drives from South Yorkshire to the Midlands can do a 6 hour drive with holdups, let me see him doing 9 hour drives day in and day out with minimum rest periods. Not being clever but I have done several million miles on the road in 30 years. I think the hours rules are suitable as they are, they cater for the bloke dong local deliverys, they cater for the bloke doing long distance, they also cater for the company boss who wants to pay you for 40 hours and expect you to work 90.
Harsh, (maybe) True, (definately)
At the end of your day you have a choice, If you are allowed to drive for 6 hours without a break, there will be some poor owner driver who wants to drive for six and a half hours
Coffeeholic:
PMAC:
I think no 1 should work more than 8 hours a day or have to for that matterI’d be bored.
PMAC:
i like to see my children and my wife,While I am sure they are a very nice, I have no desire to see your wife and children so does that mean i can work more than 8 hours?
pmsl.
For me, and most other non-hourly paid container drivers (and there are a lot of us about), losing the potential to do a 15 hour shift or to split shifts would be financially disasterous - and it would leave a lot of hourly-paid box jockeys out of pocket too…after all, the key to making money on this work is playing the rules and maximising your working time in order to keep going for as long as you can despite the queues. I’m in my 5th year on boxes now, and I make my wage by knowing how to use the mode switch to my own advantage.
I WOULD, however, like to see the 9 hour break raised to a minimum of 10 hours - giving a 14 hour standard increased spreadover, but keeping the capacity to split to anywhere up to 16 where legally appropriate. That gives the realistic potential for you to get eight hours sleep with an hour either side for washing, eating, relaxing etc.
I also think that breaks at home should be a minimum of 11 hours, ie.reductions only permitted when away from base, as with the existing 24hr break.
Lucy:
I also think that breaks at home should be a minimum of 11 hours, ie.reductions only permitted when away from base, as with the existing 24hr break.
Here Here i,m with you on that one its different just pulling in to a layby and getting your head down as it is having to go home, bathe,eat etc etc which takes a lot longer at home than on the road.
Wheel Nut:
I think a lot of you are very wrong here. Paul B thinks that everyone should be able to drive 5 or 6 hours without a break, TC wants to earn 600 quid for 40 hours and many more wrongthinking ideas.If you drive constantly for 4.5 hours that is more than enough, if you are held up because of a traffic jam, pull up and have a break. If you want to drive 6 hours without a break, buy a tractor and go and plough some fields. I have driven very long periods as well as many others, like Trucky and Neil. Concentration drops after too long at the wheel, even more so so when you are frustrated and want to get home.
Maybe a local driver who drives from South Yorkshire to the Midlands can do a 6 hour drive with holdups, let me see him doing 9 hour drives day in and day out with minimum rest periods. Not being clever but I have done several million miles on the road in 30 years. I think the hours rules are suitable as they are, they cater for the bloke dong local deliverys, they cater for the bloke doing long distance, they also cater for the company boss who wants to pay you for 40 hours and expect you to work 90.
Harsh, (maybe) True, (definately)
At the end of your day you have a choice, If you are allowed to drive for 6 hours without a break, there will be some poor owner driver who wants to drive for six and a half hours
why do you assume that your the only bloke in the world thats done max driving week in week out? i’ve done it and more and i am sure so has everyone else, whats so special about you?
what i can’t understand reading through all the reply’s to this thread is that every company driver see’s the regulations as something that dictates how they work, some have said they’d like to see the minimum daily rest extended from nine hours because they don’t feel thats long enough, so what happens, does someone from your firm come and knock on the cab door to make sure your back on the road on the nine hour mark? if you feel you need eleven hours rest then why not take that? it’s the same with the drivers hours, it’s say you can drive upto 4.5 hours at a time but that dosn’t mean you have to, it just means you can if you wish, so why would anyone want those driving hours reduced? is it so you can go to your bosses and say i’m only driving eight hours a day from now on because the regs say so? surely if thats all your prepared to do then go and find a job that only requires that or have the gumption to tell the boss thats all you want to do! i really don’t see whats so difficult?
why do you assume that your the only bloke in the world thats done max driving week in week out? i’ve done it and more and i am sure so has everyone else,
Paul, I dont assume I am the only bloke who does maximum hours, I am also my own boss, in that I decide on my working hours, If I want to sleep for 13 hours, or drive for 10, I can, I plan my days that way
whats so special about you?
Thats easy, I have an opinion,
I believe 4.5 hours driving without a break is too much, if anything maybe 1/2 hour break every 3 hours would be better.
Legislation is needed to stop drivers falling asleep, you have to have an agreed limit, it will not suit everyone
paul b:
What i can’t understand reading through all the reply’s to this thread is that every company driver see’s the regulations as something that dictates how they work, some have said they’d like to see the minimum daily rest extended from nine hours because they don’t feel thats long enough, so what happens, does someone from your firm come and knock on the cab door to make sure your back on the road on the nine hour mark? if you feel you need eleven hours rest then why not take that? it’s the same with the drivers hours, it’s say you can drive upto 4.5 hours at a time but that dosn’t mean you have to, it just means you can if you wish, so why would anyone want those driving hours reduced? is it so you can go to your bosses and say i’m only driving eight hours a day from now on because the regs say so? surely if thats all your prepared to do then go and find a job that only requires that or have the gumption to tell the boss thats all you want to do! i really don’t see whats so difficult?
There are hauliers out there who expect you to have no more than the minimum legal breaks and they build there JIT deliveries to the minimum breaks.
Now most of us in the present climate when pushed like this would say up yours mate, I’m off to work for a decent haulier. So this bloke employs inexperienced drivers and you know the one that’s asleep at the wheel heading for you. 
Also in the present job climate there are plenty of jobs to move to, there was a time that it was a choice between sticking with your job or being unemployed and these thing come round again.
to be honest i’m baffled, can anyone honestly say 4.5 hours without a break is dangerouse? you all complain about how your bosses use the tacho regs to work you like dogs but then all claim you should get more money!
i’m affraid the reality is, unless your very fortunate or highly qualified the only way of making a decent living is to put the hours in and 45 hours a week isn’t a lot of hours.
so how do you see less driving hours to be an advantage? your just be put under more pressure by your bosses to do the same work in less hours, the wagons still got to earn it’s keep regardless of tacho regs.