Walk around checks

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Ok so tomorrow i have my first day out in a truck, its only a 7.5t but everyone has to start at the bottom i guess.

My question though is, when i do my walk around checks in the morning does my digi card need to be in the tacho?

I know it may seem like a really stupid question but would rather be stupid and ask rather than stupid not knowing.

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

Hi Wilko 88

best to be as cool calm and professional, as you can put your card in first then allow roughly 8-15 mins to complete all internal/external checks, your company may have a policy on how long your start-up checks should take, but itā€™s just for an easy experience if you ever meet with the VOSA Massive, they will probs treat you like a criminal so by carrying out lengthy checks its proves on paper that you are legal and compliant.

3

Hiya
I usually sort my paperwork, bag, sat nav out put my card in with the truck running, lets the air run up then walk round and do my checks.
As long as you do a manual entry on your card to show shift start time and select cross hammers as the mode from shift start time to the time you put your card in it will cover it.
You can put your card in after your checks but I always do it before, once all is sorted inside the cab you can sort the outside.
Good luck tomorrow and enjoy it :smiley:

Jeff

4

Ok thanks guys, thought i better check to be safe, dont want VOSA throwing me in prison for 1 little mistake :wink:. Hopefully its a good day but only time will tell haha.

Cheers

Dan

5

Digi card in first - walk round check is ā€˜other workā€™. If on an analogue tacho, disc in first and make sure ā€˜other workā€™ is selected. A lot default to ā€˜breakā€™ when you put a new disc in.

Maybe worth mentioning - before you start the truck check oil and water levels.

I did this yesterday on agency work (I know, us bloody agency drivers - pile of crap - wouldnā€™t want one in MY truck) and the dipstick didnā€™t even reach the oil - it needed 5 litres. If it had seized-up it would have been my fault, of course.

Makes me wonder when the regular driver last checked it. Probably the same time he last cleaned the crap out of the cab, which was Nov 2011 according to one of the newspapers in there.

Be glad to get off agency and get a proper job where low oil levels and crap in the cab are allowed. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

6

I donā€™t mean to put a spanner in the works here but i work for a very compliant company and we were told (by our chief training man who spoke to VOSA) itā€™s perfectly acceptable to put your card in after you have done your checks but as long as you do your manual entries showing the time that it took to do these checks. I always do it this way as itā€™s annoying to put your card in and then find a fault with the wagon and then has to be defected.

But it is also acceptable to put card in first as long as either way some time is shown for these checks.

7

bald bloke:
I donā€™t mean to put a spanner in the works here but i work for a very compliant company and we were told (by our chief training man who spoke to VOSA) itā€™s perfectly acceptable to put your card in after you have done your checks but as long as you do your manual entries showing the time that it took to do these checks. I always do it this way as itā€™s annoying to put your card in and then find a fault with the wagon and then has to be defected.

But it is also acceptable to put card in first as long as either way some time is shown for these checks.

Perfectly fair point as long as you remember to do the necessary entry.

Personally, I prefer the card in first but it is down to preference. With a disc I certainly would rather have the ā€˜walk roundā€™ time on the disk to remove any doubt about my start time.

Probably no real rights or wrongs, I guess.

8

All great info lads

Cheers

9

If doing a check in the dark and if stopped they may ask how you could see in the dark to do a check without a torch.
Some yards are lit up but proving that at the road side is another thing.

10

Can someone tell me how I should do the tacho disc? I mean. Do i just fill out my name, place of start, date, reg, kmā€™s then do walk around checks? Or do I need to draw onto the chart then out it in? First day tomorrow and just worrying.

11

toby1234abc:
If doing a check in the dark and if stopped they may ask how you could see in the dark to do a check without a torch.
Some yards are lit up but proving that at the road side is another thing.

ā€œi left my torch at the yard officerā€

12

ajames10:
Can someone tell me how I should do the tacho disc? I mean. Do i just fill out my name, place of start, date, reg, kmā€™s then do walk around checks? Or do I need to draw onto the chart then out it in? First day tomorrow and just worrying.

Hiya
When I used discs put your disc in when your in the cab before your checks set to ā€œother workā€ cross hammers at the end of the day draw a line on the disc inside to out at the time your shift started,I used to write EDR (end daily rest) next to it and another line on the time I finished SDR ( start daily rest) the ā€œother workā€ on your disc at both ends of the day covers walk round checks and paperwork.
Hope this helps

Jeff.

13

Similar to above (analogue) , I line the disc with ā€œSODā€ (start of duty) and after the disc is removed ā€œEODā€ (end of duty) should that be later than the time the disc was remved.
I have the thinking this would comply with the WTD (working time directive)
This is my understanding as a newbie with old grandfather rights :laughing:

14

Thanks for your help. Iā€™ll let you know how I get on :slight_smile:

15

Daytrunker:

ajames10:
Can someone tell me how I should do the tacho disc? I mean. Do i just fill out my name, place of start, date, reg, kmā€™s then do walk around checks? Or do I need to draw onto the chart then out it in? First day tomorrow and just worrying.

Hiya
When I used discs put your disc in when your in the cab before your checks set to ā€œother workā€ cross hammers at the end of the day draw a line on the disc inside to out at the time your shift started,I used to write EDR (end daily rest) next to it and another line on the time I finished SDR ( start daily rest) the ā€œother workā€ on your disc at both ends of the day covers walk round checks and paperwork.
Hope this helps

Jeff.

This is what i used to do ^^.