ive got to double man all next week with another driver but not to sure on correct rules,can anyone explain them please .oh yes will be using digi cards?thanks
For the first hour of a multi-manned journey a co-driver isn’t required, but is compulsory after the first hour if you wish to take advantage of the different daily rest requirements.
This is to allow for a second driver being picked up away from the start of the journey.
It probably goes without saying that for multi-manned vehicles the same driving hours and break rules apply as a single manned vehicle, but the daily rest rules are different.
Within 30 hours from the start of the shift you should have completed a daily rest period of at least 9 hours.
Whilst you’re the co-driver, as long as you’re not doing any work the first 45 minutes of the POA recorded on your driver card will be viewed as a break by VOSA, this is because you can have a break whilst in the passenger seat, but the digital tachograph can’t be set to break for the co-driver.
You can read more about the multi-manning regulations on page 17 here
As far as I’m aware the WTD rules (breaks ec’t) don’t change for multi-manning.
Let’s start with the hours;
driving times and breaks are the same whether the vehicle is single or double manned, so;
after 4.5 hours driving you must have a break of 45 minutes, unless starting a rest period.
if you split the break, it must be at least 15 minutes followed by at least 30 minutes.
Normal daily driving limit 9 hours, twice in a week, 10 hours.
You may take a break whilst you’re on the passenger seat or bunk even if the vehicle is moving.
Weekly driving and fortnightly driving limits are exactly the same as single manned journeys.
Weekly rest requirement is also exactly the same.
Now the daily rest bit.
The easiest way to get your head around this is to think that ‘a day’ is 30 hours long and not 24. In that 30 hours, which starts when you finish you previous rest, you must have taken 9 hours rest. If you take this rest in the vehicle then it must have suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and MUST BE STATIONARY. Effectively, we’re saying that your ‘working day’ including all; driving, breaks; POA and other work may be 21 hours long. You must now have at least 9 hours rest.
The rest period of 9 hours for a driver involved in multi-manning is counted as a Regular daily rest, not a Reduced.
During the first hour (and only the first hour) there may be a single driver in the vehicle. This would allow one driver to collect the vehicle from the yard and then collect the second driver en route, say at a service station. The 21 hour ‘working day’ commences with whoever started their shift first. Travel time from home to the service station is counted as part of the ‘working day’ and must be recorded.
What about the tacho?
the card for the person who is actually driving must be in slot 1. The co-drivers card must be in slot 2. When the drivers swap you have to change the cards around. Tip; only eject or insert one card at a time, if you try to hurry the system it will through a head fit, still only do one at once and take longer to do it. 
You do not have to put in countries when swapping cards from slot 1 to 2 or vice versa. Just cancel the option until it is the end of your duty.
The card in slot 2 will record POA whilst the vehicle is moving, you cannot change it. VOSA will assume that the first 45 minutes of POA for a second man card is actually break, other enforcement agencies, particularly abroad may not.
Think that is everything, sure others will be along to tell you if I’ve missed anything out.
haulmaster:
ive got to double man all next week with another driver but not to sure on correct rules,can anyone explain them please .oh yes will be using digi cards?thanks
Is this just for a ‘normal’ day run 
thanks to all that replied and gave me imformation.thanks again .