I leave mine on Other Work (and do manual entries). My reasoning being that even after I pull the card, I’m still “at work” and have yet to go through the debrief, hand in paperwork etc. Likewise at the start of the day, my time “at work” begins when I walk into the transport office to get my keys, check the delivery notes etc and not some 10-15 minutes later when I get into the driving seat.
Rhythm Thief:
TTX boy:
eject your card on hammers (because you are still working) ,then the next morning do your manual entry to say that you have been on rest from x until y,simple,but probably not for some drivers!Unneccessarily complicated. I’ve never, ever had an issue with the tacho flashing up “insufficient break” (or whatever) and I’ve never ejected it on anything other than crossed hammers, since that’s what it defaults to. I never do manual entries and I never do print outs.
I think it’s a non issue what mode it’s on when you eject it, and all debate on the subject is like trying to determine how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
I’ve had an issue with this very subject tonight. Our FTA inspector recommended the “switch to rest” option, and the first time I tried it I didn’t check the following day, after putting my card in, that it had defaulted to “other work”, which I have always understood is automatic with digital tachos once you put the card in; result, it showed up as rest whilst I was doing my daily checks resulting in a bollocking for leaving tacho on wrong mode. It did not cause a problem for other drivers, however mine is the only vehicle which does not get moved at night; it follows that once the night loader moves the vehicle it would default to “other work” whereas mine would stay on rest.
As I understand it, VOSA guidelines stipulate that if a block of time equivalent to the rest period is shown as “?” then they are to take it as read that the driver has had that rest period, there being no way of proving that he did not do so. I have discussed this with my boss and she is now happy that I leave the tacho on “other work” when I withdraw my card.
The irony of this situation is that despite thirty years of progress we are no more advanced with tachos in this respect than the old system whereby you had to move the switch every time you did something different. The biggest problem we face is too many managers and auditors trying to adopt a belt and braces approach, which inevitably, as in real life, ends up providing two things to trip over rather than one if it comes undone.
If you skip manual entries on the new 1.4 units does it count the time between ejection and re-insertion as other work ?
Like Rhythm Thief, I never do manual entries or print-outs.
I also never use POA.
My card goes in on Monday morning when I unlock the door,[i’m out all week] and stays in 'till Friday evening.
I never show any ‘evidence’ of vehicle checks either.
Got stopped by VOSA last week [first time in 6 years]…full card check…no comments,no suggestions, no problems.
Rhythm Thief:
TTX boy:
eject your card on hammers (because you are still working) ,then the next morning do your manual entry to say that you have been on rest from x until y,simple,but probably not for some drivers!Unneccessarily complicated. I’ve never, ever had an issue with the tacho flashing up “insufficient break” (or whatever) and I’ve never ejected it on anything other than crossed hammers, since that’s what it defaults to. I never do manual entries and I never do print outs.
I think it’s a non issue what mode it’s on when you eject it, and all debate on the subject is like trying to determine how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
Agreed, card in on Monday out on Friday, done and why are people taking printouts, you don’t need to, but I would if working for Agency just for proof of work done.
Roymondo:
I leave mine on Other Work (and do manual entries). My reasoning being that even after I pull the card, I’m still “at work” and have yet to go through the debrief, hand in paperwork etc. Likewise at the start of the day, my time “at work” begins when I walk into the transport office to get my keys, check the delivery notes etc and not some 10-15 minutes later when I get into the driving seat.
+1
i always do manual entries to close down my previous shift and start of current shift since i can be waiting quite a while for a unit and we are paid from our tachos. Every minute gets recorded
It all depends on the companies policies. What they want is what they get and I’ve never had a legal problem with any of the aforementioned ways. My method of choice is to take out on other work just because it’s the quickest and simplest. Some firms, like iceland (dhl) for example, want your tacho, time sheet and clock card to match, so a double manual entry is needed in the morning, one for the night before and one for that morning, as you can’t clock in at 0500 and be down a flight of stairs and in a unit 300 yards away at the same time
Other work, as it can take up to 20 mins to debrief (queueing). I note my final end time (I’ve usually added 20 mins when leaving the cab) and manual entry it on the back of analogue (if using it) or next time card goes in (if on digi).
Once I have fuelled up and the parked up the tacho will default straight to hammers, then without ejecting it do your paperwork, walkaround checks, get my personal bits together and then eject. Next morning because of the time spent walking from wagon to canteen then getting a coffee and then handing keys in and debriefing I would do a manual entry from time of ejection to actual time of clocking off which is normally 15mins and the manual entry would be hammers.
EG: 20.00 hrs : Park up ( Hammers)
20.15 hrs : Eject
20.30 : Clock off
Next day : 0900 : Insert
: 0900 : Manual entry: 15 mins (hammers) from 20.15 to 20.30, followed by rest till 0900hrs and then hammers for the time it takes to get from office to wagon and then confirm manual entry, then continue with checks and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.
I am a waste of skin:
… and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.
Can I be the first to point out that you only need 15 minutes’ break to be legal? 
Never given it a second thought, mine defaults to rest mode when stopped so I just give it a couple of mins of turbo rest while I get stuff together then out. No debriefs to attend, just bed & book one night, pass paperwork to security man next night.
Rhythm Thief:
I am a waste of skin:
… and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.Can I be the first to point out that you only need 15 minutes’ break to be legal?
{{{{Shudders}}}} dont start all that again 
And whilst on the subject, did you know that POA can be counted as a break 
206doorman:
Like Rhythm Thief, I never do manual entries or print-outs.
I also never use POA.
My card goes in on Monday morning when I unlock the door,[i’m out all week] and stays in 'till Friday evening.
I never show any ‘evidence’ of vehicle checks either.Got stopped by VOSA last week [first time in 6 years]…full card check…no comments,no suggestions, no problems.
Maybe because they can see you’re the only driver.
Not that it matters as it tells you when it was last inserted and it asks you the next time you insert your card “rest until now?”, but I always stick it on bed when ejecting the card.
Upon finishing my shift I do all my paperwork, eject my card, hand keys in and go home. Next day get keys, put card in, OK it all (unless I been waiting for a truck) and start my shift.
Rhythm Thief:
I am a waste of skin:
… and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.Can I be the first to point out that you only need 15 minutes’ break to be legal?
Point noted about the 15 mins break and that being legal, infact as I understand it, you can have a 16 mins break but would also need another 16mins break before 6 hours work, I am not including driving time I am just on about the 6 hour rule.
I am a waste of skin:
Rhythm Thief:
I am a waste of skin:
… and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.Can I be the first to point out that you only need 15 minutes’ break to be legal?
Point noted about the 15 mins break and that being legal, infact as I understand it, you can have a 16 mins break but would also need another 16mins break before 6 hours work, I am not including driving time I am just on about the 6 hour rule.
Before 6hrs WORK has been completed, you only need to have a 15 min break, between 6 and 9hrs for 30 mins.
And remember, that’s 6hrs work, so if you record any POA then you can add that time onto the 6hr, ie start at 6am, have 20 mins POA whilst waiting for truck, and another 20 mins at Tesco gates at 10am, then you have to have had 15 mins break by 12:40pm - but in all honesty you’d record the 20 mins at Tesco as break not POA
Lusk:
Rhythm Thief:
I am a waste of skin:
… and once start driving make sure I get a 31 min break minimum before 6 hours as elapsed.Can I be the first to point out that you only need 15 minutes’ break to be legal?
{{{{Shudders}}}} dont start all that again
And whilst on the subject, did you know that POA can be counted as a break
I disagree that POA can be counted as a break, I agree however that it can reset your clock for the driving IE: Done a total of 3 hours driving, then arrive somewhere to tip, the unloader tells you he will be about 1 hour before unloading but could be sooner, so you switch to POA, after 50 mins, he waves you on and you unload, this resets your driving time however it does not reset your 6 hours break because you have not had a break, you have sat in your wagon just incase he waves you on before a hour, POA is a period of availability, in other words you are available to work, but on your rest period be that 16 mins 31 mins or 46 mins, you are NOT available to work and if during your rest period someone interrupts you then you can start it over again at the appropriate point, so if indeed you was on your break and intending to have 46 mins and then after 20 mins you got asked to do something work related then you can do that, but can then have 31mins break and nobody can say “Jack Sh*t”
I am a waste of skin:
I disagree that POA can be counted as a break, I agree however that it can reset your clock for the driving IE: Done a total of 3 hours driving, then arrive somewhere to tip, the unloader tells you he will be about 1 hour before unloading but could be sooner, so you switch to POA, after 50 mins, he waves you on and you unload, this resets your driving time however it does not reset your 6 hours break because you have not had a break, you have sat in your wagon just incase he waves you on before a hour, POA is a period of availability, in other words you are available to work, but on your rest period be that 16 mins 31 mins or 46 mins, you are NOT available to work and if during your rest period someone interrupts you then you can start it over again at the appropriate point, so if indeed you was on your break and intending to have 46 mins and then after 20 mins you got asked to do something work related then you can do that, but can then have 31mins break and nobody can say “Jack Sh*t”
Sorry mate, please disregard me as I’m being a ■■■■ - again. You are correct with what you are saying about POA being a break. If you look back through goodness only knows which post/topic on here you can see somebody pulling their hair out about the subject of POA and breaks 
Lusk:
I am a waste of skin:
I disagree that POA can be counted as a break, I agree however that it can reset your clock for the driving IE: Done a total of 3 hours driving, then arrive somewhere to tip, the unloader tells you he will be about 1 hour before unloading but could be sooner, so you switch to POA, after 50 mins, he waves you on and you unload, this resets your driving time however it does not reset your 6 hours break because you have not had a break, you have sat in your wagon just incase he waves you on before a hour, POA is a period of availability, in other words you are available to work, but on your rest period be that 16 mins 31 mins or 46 mins, you are NOT available to work and if during your rest period someone interrupts you then you can start it over again at the appropriate point, so if indeed you was on your break and intending to have 46 mins and then after 20 mins you got asked to do something work related then you can do that, but can then have 31mins break and nobody can say “Jack Sh*t”Sorry mate, please disregard me as I’m being a [zb] - again. You are correct with what you are saying about POA being a break. If you look back through goodness only knows which post/topic on here you can see somebody pulling their hair out about the subject of POA and breaks
Lusk:
I am a waste of skin:
I disagree that POA can be counted as a break, I agree however that it can reset your clock for the driving IE: Done a total of 3 hours driving, then arrive somewhere to tip, the unloader tells you he will be about 1 hour before unloading but could be sooner, so you switch to POA, after 50 mins, he waves you on and you unload, this resets your driving time however it does not reset your 6 hours break because you have not had a break, you have sat in your wagon just incase he waves you on before a hour, POA is a period of availability, in other words you are available to work, but on your rest period be that 16 mins 31 mins or 46 mins, you are NOT available to work and if during your rest period someone interrupts you then you can start it over again at the appropriate point, so if indeed you was on your break and intending to have 46 mins and then after 20 mins you got asked to do something work related then you can do that, but can then have 31mins break and nobody can say “Jack Sh*t”Sorry mate, please disregard me as I’m being a [zb] - again. You are correct with what you are saying about POA being a break. If you look back through goodness only knows which post/topic on here you can see somebody pulling their hair out about the subject of POA and breaks
No worries my friend, in our place of work it is a constant battle of wits and sometimes I am correct and sometimes I am incorrect it seems everyone as a view of whats what, I try to stay infringement free if possible and just follow the practices I have stated in previous answers on this thread
company I work for close 1pm on Fridays I start my shift at 6am and most times finish by midday I do about 2hrs driving and rest of time is other work do I need to have breaks still?