Currently working full time as a prison officer averaging 39hrs a week every other w/end off, would like to pursue career driving have had my C+E licence for 10yrs now, i’m signed up with an agency would like to do the odd shift on the w/end i’m not working at the prison can i legally do this? Eventually want to leave my current job and drive full time i have three cpc courses booked for Aug so this will give me 21hrs in the bank towards the 35 required before next Sept.
daz1972:
Currently working full time as a prison officer averaging 39hrs a week every other w/end off, would like to pursue career driving have had my C+E licence for 10yrs now, i’m signed up with an agency would like to do the odd shift on the w/end i’m not working at the prison can i legally do this? Eventually want to leave my current job and drive full time i have three cpc courses booked for Aug so this will give me 21hrs in the bank towards the 35 required before next Sept.
It will really depend on your shift patterns and i think the main thing is can you get a 45 hour consecutive weekly rest? You’d need to give some examples for us to look at really.
Week 1 Sun Rest Day Mon 07.30~19.00 Tue 07.00~17.00 Wed 06.30~12.30 Thu Rest Day
Fri 07.00~17.00 Sat 08.30~17.00
Week 2 Sun 07.00~12.30 Mon 06.30~12.30 Tue Rest Day Wed 07.30~19.00
Thu 07.00~17.00 Fri 06.30~12.30 Sat Rest Day
Hope this helps would be looking at working on either the Sat/Sun which are rest days every other w/end
daz1972:
Week 1 Sun Rest Day Mon 07.30~19.00 Tue 07.00~17.00 Wed 06.30~12.30 Thu Rest Day
Fri 07.00~17.00 Sat 08.30~17.00
Week 2 Sun 07.00~12.30 Mon 06.30~12.30 Tue Rest Day Wed 07.30~19.00
Thu 07.00~17.00 Fri 06.30~12.30 Sat Rest Day
Hope this helps would be looking at working on either the Sat/Sun which are rest days every other w/end
As all other work legally needs officially recording in any fixed week when you drive under EU regs but no records are required for any fixed week in which you did not drive then you could get away with driving for one day every other week
That would not be strictly legal because nowhere in your shift pattern can you get a 45 hours rest but as no records would be needed for every other week then the only way the authorities would know is if they checked with your regular employer
Now its your choice to be strictly legal and not drive or take a legal risk and drive for one day every other week
Desperate to leave my current job to drive full time, yes I know some people will think I’m mad but 20yrs on its’s time to go and do something I really enjoy just finding it difficult to make the jump yes agencies say they can get you work but no guarantees full time driving jobs few and far between was hoping to do a bit of driving now and again to build up the experience again but obviously want to stay legal in doing so. Have a few cpc sessions beginning of August from what I can see companies want to see some hours on the board now before considering you for employment.
As you are someone who now works to some strict rules and knows what the law is like surely this bit below is enough , because if you are involved in a serious RTA even if its not your fault you will get caught and if it was your fault you would be joining those who you now guard possibly.
We may not like the rules but they are there to stop idiotic Fools hurting other people and themselves …Its not how professional drivers behave.
“That would not be strictly legal because nowhere in your shift pattern can you get a 45 hours rest but as no records would be needed for every other week then the only way the authorities would know is if they checked with your regular employer”
No wonder the industry is in chaos when it cannot even work to a standard and drivers continually behave this way.
Very true 3 wheeler, I’m going to concentrate in obtaining some hours toward my cpc starting beginning of next month then take the leap from my current job towards end of Aug beginning of Sept. Thanks for all the advice