Working time directive

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I am on a shunter/driver contract and do sometimes take a lorry out on the public road to our other depot and do the odd stock collection from customers.

I am fully aware of my driving regs with regards to tacho breaks etc however, they have just restricted my shunting unit to 4 low range fwd gears only and reverse so it only does 15 mph max.

They want me to still record my working day on my digi card when I am in or able to get into a volvo FH so I have a record somewhere of my day for download.

My question is this: To my understanding of the WTD once I clock in that is the start of my on duty time and as such my shift has started and I have my 15hr spreadover ticking down from that point. If by 6 hours ON DUTY I have not shown a rest period of 30 minutes I must take a 30 min break at that point.

My employer says I am entitled to some kind of break and need to work my day accordingly but he states I must have completed 6 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS WORK, which I would not do nor would any driver.

Am I cracking up and have it totally wrong as I now think my neck is on the line over this.

PLEASE HELP as it has me doubting myself completely and is seriously knocking my confidence and making me anxious.

Thanks in advance.

2

First of all you do need 30 min. break only if you work between 6 - 9 hrs over nine you need 45min break.
Under 6 hrs you do not need to take a break at all,.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT AT 6HRS OR BEFORE YOU NEED ONLY 15 MINUTES BREAK AND another 15 after that and another 15 after if you work more than 9hrs. But you may take 30 or 45 min in one go if you wish as long as you will not exceed 6hrs of work after your break finished - than you will need another 15 ( providing you did all you had to do for length of your work )

3

Scania380:
I am on a shunter/driver contract and do sometimes take a lorry out on the public road to our other depot and do the odd stock collection from customers.

I am fully aware of my driving regs with regards to tacho breaks etc however, they have just restricted my shunting unit to 4 low range fwd gears only and reverse so it only does 15 mph max.

They want me to still record my working day on my digi card when I am in or able to get into a volvo FH so I have a record somewhere of my day for download.

My question is this: To my understanding of the WTD once I clock in that is the start of my on duty time and as such my shift has started and I have my 15hr spreadover ticking down from that point. If by 6 hours ON DUTY I have not shown a rest period of 30 minutes I must take a 30 min break at that point.

My employer says I am entitled to some kind of break and need to work my day accordingly but he states I must have completed 6 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS WORK, which I would not do nor would any driver.

Am I cracking up and have it totally wrong as I now think my neck is on the line over this.

PLEASE HELP as it has me doubting myself completely and is seriously knocking my confidence and making me anxious.

Thanks in advance.

I’m sure someone else will explain this better, but I can address a few of your concerns.

According to EU drivers hours regs (assuming that’s what you’re working to), the 15 hrs spreadover is dictated by the daily rest requirements. So if you work 15 hrs, there are only 9 left in the 24 hour period. You can only do this 3 times between 2, weekly rest periods. The normal rest period is 11 hrs, meaning a maximum shift of 13 hrs.

According to WTD, after 6 hrs of duty you need to take a break of at least 15 minutes, and total 30 minutes if your shift is between 6 and 9 hours long. With a furtherr 15 mins if your shift exceeds 9 hrs.

When you say that you a unlikely to do 6hrs continuous work, what else are you doing? Unless you are on a break or a POA you must be either driving or doing other work - which all counts as working continuously. You don’t have to be driving for 6 hours for it to count as work! So you are both right, and rare actually saying the same thing.

I’m sure someone will be able to explain it better than that. But hope that’s been of some help.

4

I forgot to mention my normal shift is usally 10hrs plus

5

Scania380:
I forgot to mention my normal shift is usally 10hrs plus

Than if you do not exceed Driving time regs and we are talking about WTD/RTD before or at 6 hrs of work take 15min and follow that with either two 15 min or one 30 min break.
If I would work 10 hrs I would do (saying I did not exceed 4,5 hrs driving in first 6 hrs and 4,5 hrs exceeded in 10 hrs of work ) 15 minutes at about 5th , 5th and a half hour of work and next 30 min before 4,5hrs of driving.
If driving not exceed 4,5 hrs I would take two 15 min let’s say one at 7th hr and one at 9th ( following the one I had - 1st one ) all depend of tension of work I have to do.
but you may take one 30 at 7th or 8th or whatever before next 6hrs or 6hrs of work after your first break finished. 45 min of break is reqired if working more than nine hrs.

6

Scania380:
I am on a shunter/driver contract and do sometimes take a lorry out on the public road to our other depot and do the odd stock collection from customers.

I am fully aware of my driving regs with regards to tacho breaks etc however, they have just restricted my shunting unit to 4 low range fwd gears only and reverse so it only does 15 mph max.

They want me to still record my working day on my digi card when I am in or able to get into a volvo FH so I have a record somewhere of my day for download.

My question is this: To my understanding of the WTD once I clock in that is the start of my on duty time and as such my shift has started and I have my 15hr spreadover ticking down from that point. If by 6 hours ON DUTY I have not shown a rest period of 30 minutes I must take a 30 min break at that point.

My employer says I am entitled to some kind of break and need to work my day accordingly but he states I must have completed 6 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS WORK, which I would not do nor would any driver.

Am I cracking up and have it totally wrong as I now think my neck is on the line over this.

PLEASE HELP as it has me doubting myself completely and is seriously knocking my confidence and making me anxious.

Thanks in advance.

First of all we are talking on that Forum mainly about the Working Time Directive for Mobile Workers.
Shunters are usually not Mobile.
Secondly.As Shunter you are Working and not driving,as you don’t leave Depot.
and thirtly.Your Shunting-Working Time counts towards the Working Time of Mobile Workers and restricted to 48 Hour/week,with up to 60 Hour,where you have to pay every Hour you do over 48 Hour back (Unpaid)
:arrow_right: As i know Shunters,you may be that much over all Times that you can’t drive on the Road.
You may do too many Hour every Day that you have too many less then 11 Hour Rests,and you may have too high Numbers of Hour over 48 Hour,and you may have not enough Weekly Rests,and,You don’t need Tachos for Shunters.Its like Forklift,Bulldozer,Roadloader,Combine,ect,ect,…

7

Lovlyperson:

Scania380:
I am on a shunter/driver contract and do sometimes take a lorry out on the public road to our other depot and do the odd stock collection from customers.

I am fully aware of my driving regs with regards to tacho breaks etc however, they have just restricted my shunting unit to 4 low range fwd gears only and reverse so it only does 15 mph max.

They want me to still record my working day on my digi card when I am in or able to get into a volvo FH so I have a record somewhere of my day for download.

My question is this: To my understanding of the WTD once I clock in that is the start of my on duty time and as such my shift has started and I have my 15hr spreadover ticking down from that point. If by 6 hours ON DUTY I have not shown a rest period of 30 minutes I must take a 30 min break at that point.

My employer says I am entitled to some kind of break and need to work my day accordingly but he states I must have completed 6 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS WORK, which I would not do nor would any driver.

Am I cracking up and have it totally wrong as I now think my neck is on the line over this.

PLEASE HELP as it has me doubting myself completely and is seriously knocking my confidence and making me anxious.

Thanks in advance.

First of all we are talking on that Forum mainly about the Working Time Directive for Mobile Workers.
Shunters are usually not Mobile.
Secondly.As Shunter you are Working and not driving,as you don’t leave Depot.
and thirtly.Your Shunting-Working Time counts towards the Working Time of Mobile Workers and restricted to 48 Hour/week,with up to 60 Hour,where you have to pay every Hour you do over 48 Hour back (Unpaid)
:arrow_right: As i know Shunters,you may be that much over all Times that you can’t drive on the Road.
You may do too many Hour every Day that you have too many less then 11 Hour Rests,and you may have too high Numbers of Hour over 48 Hour,and you may have not enough Weekly Rests,and,You don’t need Tachos for Shunters.Its like Forklift,Bulldozer,Roadloader,Combine,ect,ect,…

:unamused:

8

Lovlyperson:

Scania380:
I am on a shunter/driver contract and do sometimes take a lorry out on the public road to our other depot and do the odd stock collection from customers.

I am fully aware of my driving regs with regards to tacho breaks etc however, they have just restricted my shunting unit to 4 low range fwd gears only and reverse so it only does 15 mph max.

They want me to still record my working day on my digi card when I am in or able to get into a volvo FH so I have a record somewhere of my day for download.

My question is this: To my understanding of the WTD once I clock in that is the start of my on duty time and as such my shift has started and I have my 15hr spreadover ticking down from that point. If by 6 hours ON DUTY I have not shown a rest period of 30 minutes I must take a 30 min break at that point.

My employer says I am entitled to some kind of break and need to work my day accordingly but he states I must have completed 6 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS WORK, which I would not do nor would any driver.

Am I cracking up and have it totally wrong as I now think my neck is on the line over this.

PLEASE HELP as it has me doubting myself completely and is seriously knocking my confidence and making me anxious.

Thanks in advance.

First of all we are talking on that Forum mainly about the Working Time Directive for Mobile Workers.
Shunters are usually not Mobile.
Secondly.As Shunter you are Working and not driving,as you don’t leave Depot.
and thirtly.Your Shunting-Working Time counts towards the Working Time of Mobile Workers and restricted to 48 Hour/week,with up to 60 Hour,where you have to pay every Hour you do over 48 Hour back (Unpaid)
:arrow_right: As i know Shunters,you may be that much over all Times that you can’t drive on the Road.
You may do too many Hour every Day that you have too many less then 11 Hour Rests,and you may have too high Numbers of Hour over 48 Hour,and you may have not enough Weekly Rests,and,You don’t need Tachos for Shunters.Its like Forklift,Bulldozer,Roadloader,Combine,ect,ect,…

There you go , in a nutshell just drive a combine and you’ll have no worries :laughing: