Any LGV drivers out there?

Originally Posted by Mike_spy

I am the middle of doing my class c training, test in a few weeks. I feel just as confused about the tacho rules as you do and I passed my theory test

I have the general idea as posted above but it seems to be a bit of a minefield for me as I only intend on driving some sundays for an extra few £. It appears with will effect how long I can work in the week even though I dont drive much (and will never be with a tacho) at my normal job.

I am amazed how many people are breaking the rules without knowing. As tachos apply to all vehicles over 3.5 tonne for hire or reward, most of the small car / caravan delivery terms are driving illegally. You often see transit sized car transporters towing a trailer with a car on. Unless they have a tacho (and someone with an O license of course) they are illegal. You cant even charge for delivering a car towed by your 4x4 on a trailer.

Even if you only drive Sundays, you must still take the legal beaks from driving, weekly and fortnightly, which means you can't work 7 days. Your breaks can be checked by VOSA by means of your clock cards or normal working hours if not on clock or tacho. Be carefull of the time you finish Sunday and the time your normal work starts Monday. Likewise the time you finish Friday and the time you start Sunday.

Originally Posted by supertaff

Another weird point of law, is that if I am going to travel down to say Dover, to take a PCV over to the continent, if I drive or travel down in a works car, that is classed as working, but if I drive or travel down in my own car, that is not classed as work. 8O :? :|

Even wierder, if your employed by an agency, travel in your own car to Dover (for example) is classed as driving time.

Recently a driver doing container work and running out of Felixstowe for a Sheffield agency was told to take a (paid) night out on the way home or he would be in breach of his drive time. He failed to do so as he was in his own car and was subsequently dismissed from the agency.

[supertaff]

Sometimes these EC rules change for the worse. At one time, on a 2 driver job on coach driving , the drivers could do a 22 hour shift if there was a bunk on the vehicle, but only a 17 hour shift if there was not a bunk. The desk-pilot looneys in charge then decreed that a driver didn't really need a bunk, and consequently can now do 22 hours without a bunk. Try driving from Dover to , say Italy without proper rest !!
Talk about the looneys running the asylum !!! 8O :roll: -banghead-
Matt.

[waterman]

Supertaff is WRONG in what he said- as an EX coach operator I learnt this - if you use your own car to travel to pick up a coach it is still classed as other work as in the eyes of VOSA you are doing it for the "benifit of the company" and therfor it will be classed as work it is the same if you hand over a vehicle to another driver at a service area when you have worked your duty time - you cannot make your journey home without having your rest period even if it is in your own car or being driven by another person as it will be to the "benifit of the company" I was told this at a tacho course being run by VOSA a few years back
Hope this helps
Waterman