I’m just wondering if anyone can advise on the easiest way to remain legal with record keeping for casual drivers, in terms of monitoring we can do this manually through tacho analysis software but in terms of drivers keeping records what would be the best way to do this?
For example we have one driver who’s main role is in the yard but he will go out on the road occasionally, when we’re busiest in the summer his driving will be quite regular I would imagine, so what would be the simplest way to make records of his working time when not driving in case of a roadside check?
The other casual driver we have is our workshop fitter who carries out all of our trailer safety inspections, there will be times that we need him to do the odd run so we need to be keeping records of his working time too once this becomes reality.
Forgive me if i’m being a numpty and missing something blatantly obvious!
Either issue them with a diary in which to record their working hours or do the entries yourself from attendance records, but in each case ensure that they carry the diary with them when driving. The actual day in question they will need to complete a full day’s tacho record using manual entries as necessary, which should account for the rest period immediately prior to shift start. This last being particularly relevant to your fitter taking a trailer for MOT in the afternoon having spent the morning in the w/shop.
You could record their attendance electronically and issue them with a print out each time they drive, but it would be best to have wording on it requiring a signature to acknowledge that it is a true record of their working and rest hours.
Whichever method you use would need to highlight days when they have driven a vehicle.
We have this all the time as we have drivers that may be in a unit/trailer one day, van the next, days when there isn’t much but loading to do in the yard. We also do double manning to add to the fun.
We work, as cav says, with a written record of hours. In effect it looks similar to a time sheet, with the days of the week on the vertical and then across the top ours shows reg, 1 or 2 man, time of starting and finishing, how many hours driven, hours worked, hours POA, hours on ferry, total hours. It’s very clear what was done when and for how long!
We have had a pull where the DVSA man has insisted that there should be a manual print out. First off, the chance of a van driver that has been out two days of the month in a 7.5 manually accounting for the other 20 days of the month is zilch and secondly, the last time we were pulled, we checked with the RHA, who in turn checked with their solicitor and both confirmed that a manual record such as ours is absolutely fine and legal.