WTD Break

I work for a well known company who have their own set of rules that run along side the law. Can you give me your thoughts on;
How long must the first WTD be ? and How far into your shift should it be taken ? My thoughts are a minimum of 30 in the first 6 hours but I’m told that’s not technically true. I’m told it can be 2 x 15 mins.

Cheers Toffer.

toffer1974:
I work for a well known company who have their own set of rules that run along side the law. Can you give me your thoughts on;
How long must the first WTD be ? and How far into your shift should it be taken ? My thoughts are a minimum of 30 in the first 6 hours but I’m told that’s not technically true. I’m told it can be 2 x 15 mins. Cheers Toffer.

easiest way to remember is this, UPTO 6 hours 15 mins, UPTO 9 hours 30 mins and UPTO 12 hours 45 mins! :grimacing:

toffer1974:
I work for a well known company who have their own set of rules that run along side the law. Can you give me your thoughts on;
How long must the first WTD be ? and How far into your shift should it be taken ? My thoughts are a minimum of 30 in the first 6 hours but I’m told that’s not technically true. I’m told it can be 2 x 15 mins.

Cheers Toffer.

You’re both wrong I’m afraid :wink:

You must start a break of at-least 15 minutes before exceeding 6 hours working time.

In other words you must not do more than 6 hours working time before starting a break of at-least 15 minutes.

If your shift is not more than 6 hours working time you do not need to have any breaks for the working time regulations.

What rules have the company set that are different from the written rules?

Rog,

Things like a minimum of 3mm tyre tread depth, we must have 5 tacho rolls, that sort of thing.

Right ok , gotta get my head round this because I’ve been working their way for 7 years now. If I start at 6am and take 17 mins break from 11:55 to 12:12 and then continue to work, obviously providing I’ve not done more than 4.5hrs driving, I won’t get an infringement ?

Am I reading this right …
Your company want you to have 30min by 6hrs ?
they want you to have a min 3 mm tread ?
and 5 tacho rolls ?

If that’s the case and they aint asking you to BREAK the law just go with it why rock the boat if the company want to stay squeaky

I hope they are providing those tachograph rolls if you need that many :open_mouth:

Don’t use it at all

Yeah, the rules are in our favour but I’m thinking of leaving and wanted to know what was law and not “our way”

The WTD Break through me when talking to another driver when I was doing some agency work, he said I’m ok as long as I have more than 15 mins and I didn’t need to take a full 30 mins, then he said something about 9 hours but he lost me, ha ha.

yes, they provide all the rolls lol.

Up to 6 hours shift time requires no break.
between 6 and 9 hours requires 30 minutes of break.
Over 9 hours requires 45 minutes of break.
Breaks must be at least 15 minutes to count.
You must not work longer than 6 hours at a time.

si say i started work at 6am work/drove till 12pm took a 45 to reset my driving time, would i then need to take another 45 by 3:45pm?

toffer1974:
If I start at 6am and take 17 mins break from 11:55 to 12:12 and then continue to work, obviously providing I’ve not done more than 4.5hrs driving, I won’t get an infringement ?

Correct for that part of the shift

Plugster:
si say i started work at 6am work/drove till 12pm took a 45 to reset my driving time, would i then need to take another 45 by 3:45pm?

No

Your next break after 1245 would either be because you had done 4.5 hours driving or because you did another 6 hours of drive/work

Well Rog, I’m gobsmacked. This proves the company I work for make rules up for themselves. thanks very much. I need to investigate more now.

Thanks Again.

ROG:

Plugster:
si say i started work at 6am work/drove till 12pm took a 45 to reset my driving time, would i then need to take another 45 by 3:45pm?

No

Your next break after 1245 would either be because you had done 4.5 hours driving or because you did another 6 hours of drive/work

thx ROG thats how ive been working it (what you said) cheers pal

Plugster:
si say i started work at 6am work/drove till 12pm took a 45 to reset my driving time, would i then need to take another 45 by 3:45pm?

Don’t mix up your WTD with your RTD. WTD breaks are based on duty time whereas RTD breaks are driving time. A 45 is only required to reset your driving time. WTD breaks only have to be 15 minutes and a 15 minute WTD break can count towards the first part of a split break for the RTD.

Confused yet :smiley:

Terry T:

Plugster:
si say i started work at 6am work/drove till 12pm took a 45 to reset my driving time, would i then need to take another 45 by 3:45pm?

Don’t mix up your WTD with your RTD. WTD breaks are based on duty time whereas RTD breaks are driving time. A 45 is only required to reset your driving time. WTD breaks only have to be 15 minutes and a 15 minute WTD break can count towards the first part of a split break for the RTD.

Confused yet :smiley:

The RTD is not driving time, some people refer to the RT(WT)R as the RTD, it makes no sense to me but …

Basically the WTD that’s been talked about in this thread is the same as the RTD, RTD stands for Road Transport Directive which is exactly the same as the working time regulations.

RT(WT)R is not really RTD although I use that often to distinguish it from the WTD

R means regulation and D means directive

regulation means EU law like the tacho regs

Directive means the EU requires the UK to make it into law

I think I have remembered that right but am happy to be corrected

tachograph:
RT(WT)R

Yeah, that’s what I meant. My bad.