Was out yesterday with an ‘old timer’, he was ‘showing me the ropes’. We got in after loading and he put his Digi Card in and started to drive off. “What about the vehicle checks” I asked, “done them” he said and started to drive off. I said “you need to ‘show’ on the card that you’ve done your checks”. “No you don’t” he said, “where does it say that”? CBA with it.
I put my card in on ‘other work’ whilst I do my checks, takes around 8 - 10 minutes.
So, where does it say that you must do these checks wit your card in on other work cos I’m buggered if I can find it. Am I wrong
Don’t think it does but if you get tugged by VOSA, you’ll have a good time trying to convince them you actually did carry out your daily checks. I reckon its best to show 10-15mins of other work before you start driving to err on the side of caution.
It does t say it anywhere it’s just seen as good practise. I for one go straight from rest to drive everyday but I know my lorry inside out and keep a good eye on it all the time so other than a quick check of fifth wheel I jump in the seat and I’m off.
damoq:
Don’t think it does but if you get tugged by VOSA, you’ll have a good time trying to convince them you actually did carry out your daily checks. I reckon its best to show 10-15mins of other work before you start driving to err on the side of caution.
Tell them the workshop/night driver/shunter/tea boy (sorry tea-person) did them. Tell them you did them last night. Ask them to prove you wrong.
Honestly, this is getting out of hand. Every little bit more rubbish we put up with is a little less freedom to do what we choose to do. Death by a thousand cuts mate.
Don’t take it from these mugs. You’ll know a proper ministry man when you meet one (he’ll be the one with the dirty clothing). Stand up for yourself, these clowns are getting too big for their boots.
switchlogic:
It does t say it anywhere it’s just seen as good practise. I for one go straight from rest to drive everyday but I know my lorry inside out and keep a good eye on it all the time so other than a quick check of fifth wheel I jump in the seat and I’m off.
I’m with you Luke, if you are the only one who drives your truck day in day out then i dont see that you need to spend the 8-10 mins walking round checking everything… Thats 8-10 mins you may need in the later stages of the day…
Most companies require it now, it takes 15 mins at least to check our trucks have all the equipment needed for the job, intact and serviceable, without checking the usual stuff too.
Seeing i only have normal eyes and not X ray vision it usually takes me a further 15 to 30 minutes to clean the windows and lights (which morphs into a full cab wash usually) after the previous driver, Superman presumably, leaves them covered in grime, and the obligitory smoke haze inside…thats without changing the blown bulbs and putting 5 litres of oil in.
switchlogic:
It does t say it anywhere it’s just seen as good practise. I for one go straight from rest to drive everyday but I know my lorry inside out and keep a good eye on it all the time so other than a quick check of fifth wheel I jump in the seat and I’m off.
I’m with you Luke, if you are the only one who drives your truck day in day out then i dont see that you need to spend the 8-10 mins walking round checking everything… Thats 8-10 mins you may need in the later stages of the day…
Just because you are the only one who drives it doesn’t mean things dont break or fail. VOSA man finds a large cut in your sidewall or whatever, and your defence is that you checked it a couple of days ago and it was fine■■? I think you will find that won’t wash with Mr VOSA!!!
dinosteveus1:
So, where does it say that you must do these checks wit your card in on other work cos I’m buggered if I can find it. Am I wrong
Here, from VOSA’s guide book Gv262-03.
When driving a vehicle that is equipped with a digital tachograph, drivers should: ensure that their driver card is inserted into the correct slot (driver in slot 1, second driver in slot 2) from the moment they take over the vehicle, and that it is ready for use, before the vehicle is moved; ensure that all duties conducted since the driver card was last removed from a tachograph are manually entered onto the card record, using the manual entry facility on the tachograph;
If your duty starts at 18:00, you stick your card in at say, 18:07, meaning you shouldn’t drive off until about 18:15 thus showing a 15 minute “other work” lead-in to your driving.
If you start at 18:00, stuck your card in at 18:01, and by 18:02 you’re on the move, then you’ll get done by VOSA for not doing your vehicle checks. It’s not on the card, it’s the time recorded NOT driving on your card they are looking for here. Same applies to changes of vehicle mid-duty, since the vehicle change IS recoreded on the card, you’ll need to record that extra other work check time as well for each new vehicle.
We collect our unit for the shift from the car park and our trailer from the yard so there are a couple of minutes showing for checks of the unit, doesn’t take long to check lights, tyres, wheels, then a couple of minutes driving to get into the yard and get under the trailer, followed by a couple of minutes other work for coupling up and checking it. Total time shown maybe 4 or 5 minutes at most, but there are two of us on the vehicle so each of us does different things. I stick the cards in and do the manual entries while he does the checks of the unit, while I stick foot on the brake pedal and operate the indicators. After hooking the trailer he does legs and lines while I do the clip and we each check a different side of the trailer.
I think the 15 minutes is advisory, and many companies being what they are instist you show 15 minutes other work before you move off. so that’s time for dialy checks and a brew up then.
But I’m sure I’ve seen something from VOSA saying that if you’re the only driver and you drive it everyday then daily checks could be done quicker as you know your truck.
Coffeeholic:
We collect our unit for the shift from the car park and our trailer from the yard so there are a couple of minutes showing for checks of the unit, doesn’t take long to check lights, tyres, wheels, then a couple of minutes driving to get into the yard and get under the trailer, followed by a couple of minutes other work for coupling up and checking it. Total time shown maybe 4 or 5 minutes at most, but there are two of us on the vehicle so each of us does different things. I stick the cards in and do the manual entries while he does the checks of the unit, while I stick foot on the brake pedal and operate the indicators. After hooking the trailer he does legs and lines while I do the clip and we each check a different side of the trailer.
So, he winds up the stiff, knackered legs, fights with the grease covered suzi lines, and you do a dog clip?
Coffeeholic:
We collect our unit for the shift from the car park and our trailer from the yard so there are a couple of minutes showing for checks of the unit, doesn’t take long to check lights, tyres, wheels, then a couple of minutes driving to get into the yard and get under the trailer, followed by a couple of minutes other work for coupling up and checking it. Total time shown maybe 4 or 5 minutes at most, but there are two of us on the vehicle so each of us does different things. I stick the cards in and do the manual entries while he does the checks of the unit, while I stick foot on the brake pedal and operate the indicators. After hooking the trailer he does legs and lines while I do the clip and we each check a different side of the trailer.
So, he winds up the stiff, knackered legs, fights with the grease covered suzi lines, and you do a dog clip?
Yep, clip is my side and legs and lines are on his. Although the legs are neither stiff nor knackered and the lines on most of the units aren’t covered in grease; I know because I do those when we get back to the yard, now on my side, while he does the clip, now on his side. It’s called teamwork.
Coffeeholic:
We collect our unit for the shift from the car park and our trailer from the yard so there are a couple of minutes showing for checks of the unit, doesn’t take long to check lights, tyres, wheels, then a couple of minutes driving to get into the yard and get under the trailer, followed by a couple of minutes other work for coupling up and checking it. Total time shown maybe 4 or 5 minutes at most, but there are two of us on the vehicle so each of us does different things. I stick the cards in and do the manual entries while he does the checks of the unit, while I stick foot on the brake pedal and operate the indicators. After hooking the trailer he does legs and lines while I do the clip and we each check a different side of the trailer.
So, he winds up the stiff, knackered legs, fights with the grease covered suzi lines, and you do a dog clip?
I’d say that was clever…no need to do allthat if someone else is willing to do it for you
Coffeeholic:
We collect our unit for the shift from the car park and our trailer from the yard so there are a couple of minutes showing for checks of the unit, doesn’t take long to check lights, tyres, wheels, then a couple of minutes driving to get into the yard and get under the trailer, followed by a couple of minutes other work for coupling up and checking it. Total time shown maybe 4 or 5 minutes at most, but there are two of us on the vehicle so each of us does different things. I stick the cards in and do the manual entries while he does the checks of the unit, while I stick foot on the brake pedal and operate the indicators. After hooking the trailer he does legs and lines while I do the clip and we each check a different side of the trailer.
So, he winds up the stiff, knackered legs, fights with the grease covered suzi lines, and you do a dog clip?
I’d say that was clever…no need to do allthat if someone else is willing to do it for you
Am I wrong 
Although the legs are neither stiff nor knackered and the lines on most of the units aren’t covered in grease; I know because I do those when we get back to the yard, now on my side, while he does the clip, now on his side. It’s called teamwork. 
