Tacho Question
Discussion
- MODS - Sorry for the duplication, realised that the best place was here rather than GG just as i posted!!
A friend has a number of vehicles which have these fitted and is certain one of the drivers is taking the piss big style.
The driver in question's round takes them past their house and my friend was called by a MOP today to say the vehicle in question had been parked outside their house of over quarter of an hour and when was it going to move as it was blocking their TV reception(!). My friend decided to drive over to the driver's house and see what happened. At least an hour after the phone call the driver came out of his house, walked down the road, got in the cab and drove off to carry on their round.
This driver is claiming over 12 hours a week over time and MY bull shit radar is telling me that this isn't the first time this has happened, more like it's fairly regular.
My friend is going to check all the tachos from that driver for the last couple of months to see if there is a regular 45min-hour stop (30mins lunch is taken at the depo. 99% of the time BTW)before they say anything.
Problem is that their Transport Manager is off sick and they aren't sure if the tacho records when the engine is idling (say because it's stuck in traffic) or not. Their fairly sure they know how to read most of it but don't have one to hand at the moment so asked me to post this.
Cheers.
If its an analogue tacho then it will record while the vehicle is stationary whether the engine is idling or not - it reads the movement of the vehicle in gear. Tell your friend to look to see if the line near the middle is set for "break" or "availability". It should also show the relative speed of the vehicle over the time period.
If its the newer digital tacho then he can either get a readout from the unit in the cab or take the drivers card. Both will show if the card was removed for any length of time or if the driver has made any adjustments.
I would safely bet that the driver is just taking his break near home and doesn't think anyone actually checks the tacho cards at all. Anything that shows he's abusing the rules and claiming overtime whilst not doing his hours deserves a written warning.
If its the newer digital tacho then he can either get a readout from the unit in the cab or take the drivers card. Both will show if the card was removed for any length of time or if the driver has made any adjustments.
I would safely bet that the driver is just taking his break near home and doesn't think anyone actually checks the tacho cards at all. Anything that shows he's abusing the rules and claiming overtime whilst not doing his hours deserves a written warning.
Unless there is something in his T&C's specifically saying breaks cannot be taken at home there is not a lot you can do.
A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
liner33 said:
Unless there is something in his T&C's specifically saying breaks cannot be taken at home there is not a lot you can do.
A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
The driver in question usually works through their breaks rather than taking them (unless they are at the depot when they tend to take them with the others there). They are not paid for the time during their breaks unless they work through. On this driver’s time slips he is certainly recording that he is working through almost all of his breaks.A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
I think he is taking the piss big style. From what we were discussing last night it looks like he is ‘working through’ his breaks, and therefore rightly recording them, but is taking his own break at some point in the day at home, whilst still charging for his time.
What is of most concern to my friend is that the driver in question posts more overtime than any of the other drivers. The driver who did this round before this guy would always be back at the depot by 5, now it’s more like 7-8 and those extra hours are being charged as overtime.
A bit of slack is easy to give and no-one would bat an eyelid. This guy is taking the Mickey in many areas other than this though, it would just appear that he has slipped up big time here as he wont be able to talk his way out of this one.
Thanks for all the help peeps.
New Rules from 11 April 2007
Daily Driving
9 hours. Can be extended to 10 hours twice a week.
Weekly Driving
A weekly driving time limit of 56 hours is specified in the new rules.
Fortnightly driving
Maximum 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.
Breaks from driving
After four and a half hours driving, a driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes. The break is a period during which the driver may not perform other work and is exclusively used for recuperation. This break may be split into smaller periods and distributed throughout the 41/2 hour. In this case, the first period must be at lest 15 minutes, and the second period must be at least 30 minutes.
Daily rest
11 hours in the 24 hour period commencing at the end of the last daily or weekly rest period. This may be reduced to 9 hours no more than three times between any two weekly rest periods. There is no compensation required.
Where a driver chooses to take daily rest periods away from base, they may be taken in a vehicle provided that there are suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary
Split Daily rest
The 12 hour rest period can be taken in two periods. The first period must be at least 3 hours, and the second at least 9 hours.
Weekly Rest
Within six 24 hour periods from the end of the last weekly rest period, a driver will extend a daily rest period into either; a regular weekly rest period of at least 45 hours, or a reduced weekly rest period of less than 45 hours but at least 24 hours.
In any two consecutive weeks, a driver shall take at least two regular weekly rest periods, or one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. However, the reduction shall be compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the week in question.
Just a little help
Daily Driving
9 hours. Can be extended to 10 hours twice a week.
Weekly Driving
A weekly driving time limit of 56 hours is specified in the new rules.
Fortnightly driving
Maximum 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.
Breaks from driving
After four and a half hours driving, a driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes. The break is a period during which the driver may not perform other work and is exclusively used for recuperation. This break may be split into smaller periods and distributed throughout the 41/2 hour. In this case, the first period must be at lest 15 minutes, and the second period must be at least 30 minutes.
Daily rest
11 hours in the 24 hour period commencing at the end of the last daily or weekly rest period. This may be reduced to 9 hours no more than three times between any two weekly rest periods. There is no compensation required.
Where a driver chooses to take daily rest periods away from base, they may be taken in a vehicle provided that there are suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary
Split Daily rest
The 12 hour rest period can be taken in two periods. The first period must be at least 3 hours, and the second at least 9 hours.
Weekly Rest
Within six 24 hour periods from the end of the last weekly rest period, a driver will extend a daily rest period into either; a regular weekly rest period of at least 45 hours, or a reduced weekly rest period of less than 45 hours but at least 24 hours.
In any two consecutive weeks, a driver shall take at least two regular weekly rest periods, or one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. However, the reduction shall be compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the week in question.
Just a little help
rude-boy said:
liner33 said:
Unless there is something in his T&C's specifically saying breaks cannot be taken at home there is not a lot you can do.
A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
The driver in question usually works through their breaks rather than taking them (unless they are at the depot when they tend to take them with the others there). They are not paid for the time during their breaks unless they work through. On this driver’s time slips he is certainly recording that he is working through almost all of his breaks.A memo to all drivers reminding them that breaks should be taken in suitable places and not in built up residential areas should suffice.
Of course if the driver is taking excessive breaks thats another matter , i'm presuming they get paid during their breaks???
I think he is taking the piss big style. From what we were discussing last night it looks like he is ‘working through’ his breaks, and therefore rightly recording them, but is taking his own break at some point in the day at home, whilst still charging for his time.
What is of most concern to my friend is that the driver in question posts more overtime than any of the other drivers. The driver who did this round before this guy would always be back at the depot by 5, now it’s more like 7-8 and those extra hours are being charged as overtime.
A bit of slack is easy to give and no-one would bat an eyelid. This guy is taking the Mickey in many areas other than this though, it would just appear that he has slipped up big time here as he wont be able to talk his way out of this one.
Thanks for all the help peeps.
If he is otherwise a valuable employee then perhaps a quiet word in his ear might be sufficient to stop this happening. or put the original guy back on the job.
playing devils advocate for a second......two things spring to mind.....1,if this bloke has being doing this regularly then how come mop decides now to complain? had they already spoken to the driver asking him how long he was going to be?
secondly, you say in your first post that he takes 2-3 hours longer per day to do the same job as previous guy. did the job change when he was put onto this job? I find it hard to believe that anybody could swing a job out to the extent that he can get up to 15 hours overtime a week and their employer either not notice this or put up with it.
methinks the smell of bovine excrement exists on many different levels
rude-boy said:
**MODS - Sorry for the duplication, realised that the best place was here rather than GG just as i posted!!
Just a quick one about tachographs (not Belle, I know that sucks!)
A friend has a number of vehicles which have these fitted and is certain one of the drivers is taking the piss big style.
The driver in question's round takes them past their house and my friend was called by a MOP today to say the vehicle in question had been parked outside their house of over quarter of an hour and when was it going to move as it was blocking their TV reception(!). My friend decided to drive over to the driver's house and see what happened. At least an hour after the phone call the driver came out of his house, walked down the road, got in the cab and drove off to carry on their round.
This driver is claiming over 12 hours a week over time and MY bull shit radar is telling me that this isn't the first time this has happened, more like it's fairly regular.
My friend is going to check all the tachos from that driver for the last couple of months to see if there is a regular 45min-hour stop (30mins lunch is taken at the depo. 99% of the time BTW)before they say anything.
Cheers.
Just to follow up on this, turns out the driver concerned has been put onto another job, and a different guy put in his place. It has taken the new guy 16 hours ( 2 days with breaks) to do what the other bloke used to do in 12 hours (1day with breaks with overtime) So the upshot to this was that some work couldn't be done as vehicle in use today on a job that could have been done in one day. And boy did the boss moan,Just a quick one about tachographs (not Belle, I know that sucks!)
A friend has a number of vehicles which have these fitted and is certain one of the drivers is taking the piss big style.
The driver in question's round takes them past their house and my friend was called by a MOP today to say the vehicle in question had been parked outside their house of over quarter of an hour and when was it going to move as it was blocking their TV reception(!). My friend decided to drive over to the driver's house and see what happened. At least an hour after the phone call the driver came out of his house, walked down the road, got in the cab and drove off to carry on their round.
This driver is claiming over 12 hours a week over time and MY bull shit radar is telling me that this isn't the first time this has happened, more like it's fairly regular.
My friend is going to check all the tachos from that driver for the last couple of months to see if there is a regular 45min-hour stop (30mins lunch is taken at the depo. 99% of the time BTW)before they say anything.
Cheers.
Employee taking the p*ss???? Nope, last two days have proved otherwise. He got the job done in the same amount of paid hours, but employer could have got an extra days use out of the truck if things had been left as they were.
moral of the story.....don't cut off your nose to spite your face!!!
Typical tight arsed employer, quite happy for the driver (and himself) to break the hours regulations on a daily basis but because the driver has the cheek to go home for a cuppa he gets all shitty about it. Maybe a visit to the employer by VOSA may make him wish he'd left things alone.
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