Is there any law that says you have to take 10 mins to do your daily check .
Reason ask at our yard this morning newish fella parked next to me .he’s done his checks was sat in his cab.fella from office comes out asks him to move as he needs to get truck next to him.
He looks up says 2 mins. . Driver then says it’s law have to show 10 mins of other work to show you’ve done your checks.
I’ve heard stories but is it the law?
As far as I’m concerned you do.your check then once done you go.
If it takes 5 mins or if it takes 10 mins.
Once done I go im.not Gona then sit around clock watching.
You have to show a reasonable amount of time at the beginning of a shift, bearing in mind that in some firms, there can be a great deal of paperwork or waiting around before you even get in the wagon.
But the checks only have to be performed before you go on the public road. They don’t have to be completed before the wheels move at all on site.
The danger in showing too little time is that you provoke the suspicion that they have been rushed or not completed at all.
If you don’t have a period of ‘other work’ and you get pulled and a fault is found, you have no defence at all, because you can’t say ‘it looked OK when I checked it.’
GasGas:
If you don’t have a period of ‘other work’ and you get pulled and a fault is found, you have no defence at all, because you can’t say ‘it looked OK when I checked it.’
^^ this
The other work is your evidence that you did your checks.
Some companies want you to show 15m other work at the start of shift . Some companies want to see 15 at the start and also 15 at the end of the shift.
Have heard stories some compnays state have to show 10/15 mins other work before set off.if that’s there policy then what ever really.
If your in same truck every day checks will be quicker. But if your in a different one every day than of course it will take longer.
But I don’t see the point in just sitting there for 5 mins just waiting after you’ve done your checks
jakethesnake:
Most important thing is to make sure you do them properly.
Think this is the best way I would put it. As long as you don’t put your card in and drive straight off your ok
Hopefully you meant to say DO put your card in.
As a legal issue, there is no specific law that states it must be done. However, try thinking of it this way, it is an expectation passed to the driver via the employer / Operator Licence holder from the Traffic Commissioner, as supported by the DVSA at the roadside.
I’d have no issue if you just moved the vehicle in the yard, but no more than that - the record easily shows what has happened, and in some sites its a safety issue and requires the vehicle to be moved to safe area. Certainly want to show those 10+ minutes at the start of the shift to show a full and effective pre-user check has been completed. Allegedly, some use that time for making tea and other things, but that is their choice.
Fail to record it leaves the driver in a potential for a trip to see the TC - with option 1 - doing the checks without a card in and no manual entry - that’s “other work” that is not being recorded, commonly known as a false record. option 2. Put card in, no checks and drive off. when stopped you would have to confess to not having done checks (otherwise see option 1). To make things easy, you could by-pass DVSA and be ready to pop over to see the TC and explain why you haven’t done the checks despite their expectations and massive media about the importance of doing them. Remembering that there TC has power over the vocational licence!!!
Whether you choose to do the checks or not, its a foolish person who does not show those vital 10+ mins before driving off at the start of a shift, or, of course, if they change vehicles during shift.
There is no law, or time limit, but to show a movement of the vehicle, and or other work is sufficient and the safest way not to get ticketed for not doing a check.
If the idea of a pre trip check is to make sure all is good,and one left base WITHOUT doing a check,and was pulled,and nothing was found,would or could you be done?
Strictly speaking,if theres nothing wrong,you`ve nothing to answer for?
If you forget to put in your card and then only realize as you’re about to move off, can you do a manual entry for the time you spent doing the checks and get away with it if stopped?
ETS:
If you forget to put in your card and then only realize as you’re about to move off, can you do a manual entry for the time you spent doing the checks and get away with it if stopped?
Big yes on that one. You are supposed to do a manual entry from the time you start the shift
And the end of the last shift.
We have to show 15 mins other work at the start interrupted by no more than 5 mins drive else it flags up on card download. Its an FTA thing for the green light audit. Check unit, drive up the yard to trailer and hook it up, check trailer and contents no issue getting 15 mins other work on there. Or, put card in, fanny on FB while drinking your coffee and eating the breakfast sandwich and there goes the 15 mins then do your checks to take up the rest of the 45 mins allowed between getting load to leaving yard Cant be leaving early, get the OT in at the start of the day
…If you put your card in, and go straight out onto the road within 10 minutes, then you’ve clearly not done your walkaround checks.
Plod or Vosa - will have you for breakfast, IF they happen to pull you up for a spot-check (unlikely) or you are involved in a minor bump which gives any outside official reason to exmaine your digidata.
Also, back at the yard - any Compliance Officer would surely pull you up on “not doing your checks” or “falsifying your card data” should you try and make out that (for example)…
"Start work at 10am, insert card at 13.30, manually enter start time as “when you inserted your card”, and go straight out onto the road.
There’s a legend that the Appine Way was once “stood over” by offenders of this magnitude.
