I am having to work rather long days as a HGV driver. I know that you must have 11 hours daily rest which can be reduced 3 times per week to 9 hours. OK…my first day (Monday) I worked 15 hours and 5 minutes. Is that legal as long as I have a minimum of 9 hours break from when I finished work Monday night to beginning of work Tuesday Morning. Then on the Tuesday I also slightly go over the 15 hours working day but again I have a minimum of 9 hours break until I work Wednesday morning. I can do this 3 times right in one week? Then on the 4th day I would have to have a minimum of 11 hours break. My working week is four on and then four off. Just as an example for arguments sake, is this fine. I don’t think it is but I can’t remember what the rule is that prevents be from doing this? I know that there’s some really knowledgeable people on here so I thought I would ask here. Thank you.
In any 24 hours, you have to have had at least 9 hours rest. So if you start at 9am, by 9am the next day you have not worked more than 15 hours. (That’s how I understand it).
Edit: Also don’t forget your daily driving limits (10hours twice). So like you, I sometimes work 15 hour days. However it’s usually about 6/8hours drive time and the rest is other work+breaks. In my case, cage deliveries to stores.
Yes you don’t work “days” as in calendar days, you work in 24hr blocks. In that 24hr block you much have at least 11hrs daily rest or a reduced daily rest of no less than 9hrs.
Nowhere dies it say your maximum shift length, its all to do with rest periods. For instance you must have at least 9hrs off, that only leaves 15hrs left of your 24hr period (15+9=24) and that is where the “I can do a 15hr” comes from, but its based jn rest, and isn’t written that your maximum spread can be 15hrs.
Likewise having a rest of 10h 55m, that still counts as one of your reduced daily rests too.
Best way to do it if unsure is say you start at 6am, by 6am the next day you must have worked AND had either a reduced or full daily rest.
Oh dear, and if it were legal to do an absolute maximum 20 hour day, you would be no doubt going over that too. There’s one born every minute, a mug that is.
robbo99.:
Oh dear, and if it were legal to do an absolute maximum 20 hour day, you would be no doubt going over that too. There’s one born every minute, a mug that is.
My thoughts entirely, he’ll go far and be well liked and in big demand by a lot of firms.
A fully paid up member if the "It’s an endurance test not a job’’ crew I would say.
(Or that would be the case if not for the fact that he’s obviously on a wind up here. …PLEASE tell me he’s on a wind up ffs. )
Once you go (slightly or otherwise) over 15 hours, you can no longer fit in a legal rest, not even a reduced one. If you work 15 hours and 5 minutes, your rest can only be a maximum of 8 hours and 55 minutes, as that’s all there is left in that 24hrs.
You also, cannot work 15hrs then have 11 off thinking that’s not a reduced - it is. You can work no more that 13hrs in order to have 11 left.
I’m sure someone will be along to explain that better
Fragonard:
I am not quite sure about how this work…
For arguments sake…
I am having to work rather long days as a HGV driver. I know that you must have 11 hours daily rest which can be reduced 3 times per week to 9 hours. OK…my first day (Monday) I worked 15 hours and 5 minutes. Is that legal as long as I have a minimum of 9 hours break from when I finished work Monday night to beginning of work Tuesday Morning. Then on the Tuesday I also slightly go over the 15 hours working day but again I have a minimum of 9 hours break until I work Wednesday morning. I can do this 3 times right in one week? Then on the 4th day I would have to have a minimum of 11 hours break. My working week is four on and then four off. Just as an example for arguments sake, is this fine. I don’t think it is but I can’t remember what the rule is that prevents be from doing this? I know that there’s some really knowledgeable people on here so I thought I would ask here. Thank you.
Dear oh dear what you explain here is that you’ve broke the law every single day, either you are stupid or your being taken for a right mug
What you can do if you’d stayed legal is on your 4th day do another 15 and compensate on block to your weekly rest
Fragonard:
I am not quite sure about how this work…
For arguments sake…
Just as an example for arguments sake, is this fine. I don’t think it is but I can’t remember what the rule is that prevents be from doing this? I know that there’s some really knowledgeable people on here so I thought I would ask here. Thank you.
Thank you to the ones that provided a civil reply. To the others, I did point out that I didn’t believe I could do as I mentioned in my imagined scenario but I couldn’t remember why that was. It has now been explained very well. If you don’t work very long hours and not having to think about these types of issue regularly, then it really is easy to forget. Once again…it’s was a ‘for arguments sake’ example scenario as I clearly stated.
Fragonard:
Just as an example for arguments sake, is this fine. I don’t think it is but I can’t remember what the rule is that prevents be from doing this? I know that there’s some really knowledgeable people on here so I thought I would ask here. Thank you.
No it’s not fine. The rule that says it isn’t is the EU Drivers Hours Regulations which even though we’re no longer in the EU are part of UK law. It requires an 11hr rest period in a 24hr period which may be reduced to 9hrs three times a week. 15hrs 5 minutes duty time plus 9hrs rest is more than 24hrs so it’s not legal.
Basically the easiest way to remember is that what you work plus your daily rest cannot total more than 24hrs. A normal daily rest is 11hrs so if you work more than 13hrs in a day it’s a reduced daily rest because you can’t work more than 13hrs, take 11 off and fit that in a 24hr period. A reduced daily rest cannot be less than 9hrs so take away 9 from 24 and that means that the maximum you can work is 15hrs. And it’s still classed as a reduced daily rest even if you take 11hrs off, even if you worked 13hrs and 1 minute and take 11hrs off. Lots of people seem to think as long as you take 11hrs off it’s not classed as a reduced daily rest, this is wrong.
You can only reduce your daily rests three times between weekly rests.
There is only one exception to that and that’s when you split your daily rest into two UNINTERRUPTED periods. The total daily rest has to be no less than 12hrs, not 11, with the last period being no less than 9hrs. So if your job allows you to take an uninterrupted 3hr break during the shift you can do a 15hr duty in total, including that 3hr break, with a 9hr rest at the end of it and that would be counted as a normal daily rest period, not a reduced one. And you could do that 5/6 days a week. The kind of job where you’d be able to do that is fridge work or container work where you’re going to have long periods waiting around doing nothing.
Fragonard:
I am not quite sure about how this work…
For arguments sake…
Just as an example for arguments sake, is this fine. I don’t think it is but I can’t remember what the rule is that prevents be from doing this? I know that there’s some really knowledgeable people on here so I thought I would ask here. Thank you.
Thank you to the ones that provided a civil reply. To the others, I did point out that I didn’t believe I could do as I mentioned in my imagined scenario but I couldn’t remember why that was. It has now been explained very well. If you don’t work very long hours and not having to think about these types of issue regularly, then it really is easy to forget. Once again…it’s was a ‘for arguments sake’ example scenario as I clearly stated.
What’s… ‘‘really easy to forget’’ exactly?
You’ve.clearly stated that you know the correct daily rest limits… (*note: limits not targets )
So apart from that why is it ‘‘really easy to forget’’ that the maximum limit (see previous in brackets) is 15 hours…not 15 hours 5 minutes.
Fragonard:
I have the Transport Manager qualification from almost 2 years ago. I am a driver. I have tried for a few jobs as a TM but without success. I don’t have any experience working in a transport office and without experience no one seems very interested or someone else comes along who has the required experience. I also live in a fairly rural area…west of Swansea so not that many opportunities around. Anyway, I was told by someone that it’s quite possible to find transport operation who are looking for people with the required TM CPC qualification and you can offer your services to them. Has anyone here done this kind of thing and how does one go about finding these operations in search of a TM? Thank you.
isaac hunt:
In another thread, claims to be a TM !!
Fragonard:
I have the Transport Manager qualification from almost 2 years ago. I am a driver. I have tried for a few jobs as a TM but without success.
Not hard to see why this person would have no success
Fragonard:
Anyway, I was told by someone that it’s quite possible to find transport operation who are looking for people with the required TM CPC qualification and you can offer your services to them. Has anyone here done this kind of thing and how does one go about finding these operations in search of a TM? Thank you.
That is true, and this is one of the things I do, but I personally would not point you in the direction of how to go about finding an operator.
You’re in no fit state to “offer your services” if you don’t know that even one minute over the 15 hours is a massive problem. If you are indeed a qualified TM without experience, you really need to get onto a ■■■■■■■■ TM Refresher and learn the things you should not have to be reminded of.
However, I’m with Rob on this, it’s a wind up for sure.
Think of the 24 hour day as starting when your shift starts.
So if it starts at 7 am, that means that by 7am the following day you must have had 11 hours rest or 9 hours if you have any reduced left. So to get 11 hours rest in the latest you can work is 8pm, to get a reduced rest in the latest you could work is 10pm.
Working over 15 hours is a no. Keep on going over 15 you will be very popular with the DVSA. You will be in the Dock soon if you carry on going over that
…PLEASE tell me he’s on a wind up ffs. 
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