I know that the EU rules say that you can only drive for 9 hours a day, sometimes 10, but this doesn’t include the other work and rest periods does it.
With the WTD of 11 hours between shifts, what is the ACTUAL length of the average working day?
Thanks.
It works out as 13hrs max if you have a normal daily rest of 11hrs (13 + 11 = 24). But if you take a reduced daily rest of 9 hours then this potentially extends the working day to 15hrs. (15 + 9 = 24). This can only happen 3 times a week.
This is a simplistic answer but I believe it answers your question.
Hope this helps, Pete 
Thanks, it does.
I guess that most firms and agencies will take advantage of the 13 to 15 hours then.
So much for hoping to get a day job where I’d be home each evening. 
You will be home each evening but not for long
Blue Blood:
Thanks, it does.I guess that most firms and agencies will take advantage of the 13 to 15 hours then.
So much for hoping to get a day job where I’d be home each evening.
There are plenty of jobs where you can be home every night. If you worked for any builders merchants doing the home deliveries for instance you would only really be working “store hours” most days. Tipper work is also shorter shifts generally. There’s 3 skip firms in our yard, all of which only work 0600-1700 max days.
The thing about haulage is there is always something that could suit you. It’s just a question of finding it!
Unfortunately, lot’s come into this job thinking that you will do 45 hrs a week and earn big money.
The reality is that most of us will do 50-60 hours a week for average money. The training firms won’t tell you that, bit in all fairness it’s not their job to.
Blue Blood:
With the WTD of 11 hours between shifts, what is the ACTUAL length of the average working day?
It’s the drivers hours and tachograph regulations that dictate the amount of daily rest needed not the WTD.
The daily rest period has to be completed within 24 hours from the start of the shift and that’s what dictates the maximum working day.
As has been said a regular daily rest period is 11 hours, so 11 hours within 24 hours from the start of the shift leaves a maximum working day of 13 hours.
(There are split daily rest periods but that gets a bit more complicated)
The daily rest period can be reduced to no less than 9 hours 3 times between weekly rest periods not 3 times a week.
A reduced daily rest period of 9 hours leaves you a maximum working day of 15 hours (24-9=15)
Blue Blood:
I guess that most firms and agencies will take advantage of the 13 to 15 hours then.So much for hoping to get a day job where I’d be home each evening.
I understand you’ve got a job doing local pallet deliveries so there’s no reason at-all why you should not be home every night.
eagerbeaver:
Unfortunately, lot’s come into this job thinking that you will do 45 hrs a week and earn big money.The reality is that most of us will do 50-60 hours a week for average money. The training firms won’t tell you that, bit in all fairness it’s not their job to.
But aren’t your only aloud to average 40 odd hours a week In a 17 week period?
DannyDC2:
eagerbeaver:
Unfortunately, lot’s come into this job thinking that you will do 45 hrs a week and earn big money.The reality is that most of us will do 50-60 hours a week for average money. The training firms won’t tell you that, bit in all fairness it’s not their job to.
But aren’t your only aloud to average 40 odd hours a week In a 17 week period?
You can do an average of 48 hours per week over your reference period.(often 17 weeks) But this is does not include any breaks or POA you have during your working day, so it’s easy to actually BE at work for an average of 60 hours a week and still be under the 48 hour threshold.
Now ask what the maximum amount of time you could spend at work in a single week. You might cry when you read the answer 
DannyDC2:
eagerbeaver:
Unfortunately, lot’s come into this job thinking that you will do 45 hrs a week and earn big money.The reality is that most of us will do 50-60 hours a week for average money. The training firms won’t tell you that, bit in all fairness it’s not their job to.
But aren’t your only aloud to average 40 odd hours a week In a 17 week period?
Yes - which is where Periods Of Availability (POA) come into the equation. In essence, any time spent hanging around waiting for something to happen is logged as POA, thus allowing drivers to be at work for 60+ hours every week of the year while only actually “working” for rather fewer hours. By this method, drivers can convince themselves they are reasonably well paid while being “at work” for about twice as long as other workers earning the same money. Of course, they won’t see it that way…
Fasten your seatbelt Danny and hold on…
You can do 84…yes you read that correctly…84 hours in ONE week quite legally. Don’t you just love truck driving ?
eagerbeaver:
Fasten your seatbelt Danny and hold on…You can do 84…yes you read that correctly…84 hours in ONE week quite legally. Don’t you just love truck driving ?
If you do six split daily rests you can be at work for 90!
Very true F-r.
Some say that it is possible for truck drivers to grab some sleep now and again, and I even heard about a fella whose wife stayed with him.
eagerbeaver:
Very true F-r.Some say that it is possible for truck drivers to grab some sleep now and again, and I even heard about a fella whose wife stayed with him.
Aaaaaand that’s probably sadly quite true…
But not a problem for us Class 2 only day drivers
Lol. See folks having a small knob CAN actually be a positive
eagerbeaver:
Lol. See folks having a small knob CAN actually be a positive
True. And I’ve got 15 stone to push it in with
eagerbeaver:
Fasten your seatbelt Danny and hold on…You can do 84…yes you read that correctly…84 hours in ONE week quite legally. Don’t you just love truck driving ?
That’s a lot but i doubt many people do those sort of hours? & If so how many out of the 84 would you get paid?
DannyDC2:
eagerbeaver:
Fasten your seatbelt Danny and hold on…You can do 84…yes you read that correctly…84 hours in ONE week quite legally. Don’t you just love truck driving ?
That’s a lot but i doubt many people do those sort of hours? & If so how many out of the 84 would you get paid?
At my gaff if you were at work for 84 hours, you would be paid 84 hours. Some places will deduct you 45 minutes per day. Others will deduct all breaks taken, but that is quite rare.
The point is, you CAN rack up a lot of hours, and therefore lots of wedge. Whether you would want to or not is another matter…
It’s more of a relief for me tbh as being limited to 48 hours a week did put me off abit. However i wouldn’t want to work 84 hours every week unless i was getting paid well for it.