Drivers hours/rest periods, help please
Discussion
Gentlemen.
Be gentle with me, I'm new to all this.
I am not a lorry driver, I'm an engineer who chose to use a small van (a VW Caddy), instead of a 5 series BMW as a service vehicle, a year or so ago, a decision that may need to be reversed now, but I'm trying these hours things first, as the van is just so useful.
The rules for you, as I'm guessing a few of you are going to be as surprised as I was when I was "introduced" to them : https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules
I now have my "tachodisc" logbook, and I've filled it in with my first week of details, but I don't understand the "rest period" stuff, if indeed it even applies to me.
I am asked for, total rest, daily rest, rest available for weekly rest compensation, then, rest taken, rest available for weekly rest compensation, compensation required hours, then before end of week no, compensation taken, then hours and for week no.
My first logged weeks driving hours are ;
Monday 7 hours, Tuesday 5 hours, Wednesday 1/2 hour, Thursday 2 hours, Friday 1/2 hour, giving me a massive weekly total of 15 hours !
Many thanks in advance for any help, and it is interesting to note that my supposed duty cycle of 11 hours per day is less than lorry drivers are allowed.
Be gentle with me, I'm new to all this.
I am not a lorry driver, I'm an engineer who chose to use a small van (a VW Caddy), instead of a 5 series BMW as a service vehicle, a year or so ago, a decision that may need to be reversed now, but I'm trying these hours things first, as the van is just so useful.
The rules for you, as I'm guessing a few of you are going to be as surprised as I was when I was "introduced" to them : https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules
I now have my "tachodisc" logbook, and I've filled it in with my first week of details, but I don't understand the "rest period" stuff, if indeed it even applies to me.
I am asked for, total rest, daily rest, rest available for weekly rest compensation, then, rest taken, rest available for weekly rest compensation, compensation required hours, then before end of week no, compensation taken, then hours and for week no.
My first logged weeks driving hours are ;
Monday 7 hours, Tuesday 5 hours, Wednesday 1/2 hour, Thursday 2 hours, Friday 1/2 hour, giving me a massive weekly total of 15 hours !
Many thanks in advance for any help, and it is interesting to note that my supposed duty cycle of 11 hours per day is less than lorry drivers are allowed.
Many thanks for the replies gentlemen.
Just to give you a few more details.
I am an engineer, an electronic one, rather than a delivery driver or commercial traveller, but that matters not a jot.
They are GB domestic rules, nothing to do with the EU, it is something "our lot" have dreamt up for commercial vehicles not covered by EU rules (so anything that is a van but is less than 3.5 tons).
It only applies on mainland Britain, even the Northern Irish haven't implemented them, but we have.
I am at the moment self employed and employed (I work for one company for two days a week).
When employed I have a "duty cycle" of eleven hours (max ten hours driving), when self employed my work doesn't count towards a duty cycle, only the ten hours driving applies.
My part time employer didn't even know about these rules, they've always used cars.
I was introduced, very politely, to these rules, by a chap from VOSA and a HA man, on a service area, in some sort of publicity campaign they are doing regarding this.
I've no idea how long they've existed, or how rigorously they are going to be enforced, from people I know I understand it isn't a good idea to cross VOSA, thus I'm looking at it very carefully, and attempting to comply.
If it becomes too much of an issue, I'll go back to a car.
When I first discovered the rules, I did a thread in general gassing, a few people knew of them, most didn't, one of the chaps that did said I could go a thousand years without being stopped, or I could get stopped five times in a week, it is completely random.
If caught breaking the rules VOSA have some interesting powers, including issuing on the spot fines, so I'm keen to know the rules, what I have to comply with, and what I can ignore, hence the rest period logging questions.
Just to give you a few more details.
I am an engineer, an electronic one, rather than a delivery driver or commercial traveller, but that matters not a jot.
They are GB domestic rules, nothing to do with the EU, it is something "our lot" have dreamt up for commercial vehicles not covered by EU rules (so anything that is a van but is less than 3.5 tons).
It only applies on mainland Britain, even the Northern Irish haven't implemented them, but we have.
I am at the moment self employed and employed (I work for one company for two days a week).
When employed I have a "duty cycle" of eleven hours (max ten hours driving), when self employed my work doesn't count towards a duty cycle, only the ten hours driving applies.
My part time employer didn't even know about these rules, they've always used cars.
I was introduced, very politely, to these rules, by a chap from VOSA and a HA man, on a service area, in some sort of publicity campaign they are doing regarding this.
I've no idea how long they've existed, or how rigorously they are going to be enforced, from people I know I understand it isn't a good idea to cross VOSA, thus I'm looking at it very carefully, and attempting to comply.
If it becomes too much of an issue, I'll go back to a car.
When I first discovered the rules, I did a thread in general gassing, a few people knew of them, most didn't, one of the chaps that did said I could go a thousand years without being stopped, or I could get stopped five times in a week, it is completely random.
If caught breaking the rules VOSA have some interesting powers, including issuing on the spot fines, so I'm keen to know the rules, what I have to comply with, and what I can ignore, hence the rest period logging questions.
Massey135 said:
Ok so if you want to be seen to be compliant then simply record your duty hours and driving hours in a log book, ensuring you haven't exceeded any of the periods.
I realise it's not EU rules, but believe me there are very very few van drivers on the road who record their hours under domestic rules.
For now I suspect you are absolutely correct, how long it stays that way will depend upon VOSA I guess.I realise it's not EU rules, but believe me there are very very few van drivers on the road who record their hours under domestic rules.
Do you understand the rest stuff I was asking about ?
(there is no space to record duty hours in this book, and mostly duty hours don't apply to me anyway).
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