Hi. Can anyone Shed any light on the rules for the 10 hour rule. Can an employer insist you drive the extra hour or not. I can’t find any info on this.
Thanks in advance.
I presume you mean the 10hr daily drive rather than the 10hr night workers rule? I don’t think there is actually any ‘official’ guidance. What I would say is that you are the driver and shouldn’t drive tired if indeed you are. That goes for any amount of hours driving though. You can be tired after a 7hr drive. At the end of the day, if there’s an accident then it’s down to you as the driver. I doubt saying ‘they made me do it’ would cut it !!!
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This thread might be usefull
https://www.trucknetuk.com/t/early-starts-0100-0300/239431
Or regards if you mean 10 hours driving
It’s twice a week. Can they force you to do it. Don’t know.
But They probably expect you to do it. If don’t your find your get all the rubbish jobs down lanes back end beyond handball etc.
As that’s the childish mentality of a lot of planners these days…they expect you to max your hours out every day.
One way to get round it in a way is say your getting close to 9 hours driving .before you park up/ get back to the yard ease up go over 9 hours driving.
As even if only drive for 9 hours 1 min it would still be classed as a 10 hour drive then when they expect you to go over can say well already been over once this week
They can ‘insist’ wtf they like…
You are the driver, it is your licence.
If you have had a long or bad day, feeling tired, do an extra hour, and something goes seriously tits up, do you think they will back you up?
If they ‘suggest’ as opposed to ‘insist’ that is up to you what you do,.and depends on whether they are good fair employers…I would normally agree to help them out if so.
If they ‘insist’ it kind of gives away the quality of employer.
If you feel you do not want to I’d be sending a text saying along the lines of…
‘I am feeling too tired to drive, and feel I would be a danger, txt back if you still want me to carry on’ …
I will guarantee they sure as hell will not.
I personally see the 10 hour thing as a ‘get out of jail free’ card, if I run short of time, and/or I want to get home…I use it mostly for my own benefit, to reach a good parking place and/or to meet a mate there.
However like I said (when on for previous employers) , also to co.operate and help them out.
If they continue to ‘insist’, get another and better employer.
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Yes. Totally agree with your comment. 
Personally I think that you shouldn’t be planned for more than 9 hours drive and if you are, then it should be optional.
Even then, there are tricks that can be pulled by planners, such as the routing software not providing accurate estimates of driving time.
Usually there are plenty drivers chomping at the bit to take long runs though, which doesn’t help the situation. The argument then proferred would be, well such and such does it every week, that sort of thing. That is when drivers don’t help themselves.
You hear drivers say things like, “unfortunately I can only to that 10 hour drive twice a week because of my driving time” etc. Also, “I was on the limiter all the way back last night and I made it with 3 minutes left”. That sort of thing - the mind boggles.
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The trouble is though, the mentality of a lot of drivers is the opposite. They will try and do a 10 hour drive in under 9, so they can do the run again that week.
Nail on head mate,.as you say…‘The mentality of some drivers’ they never cease to amaze me.
The clowns that make me laugh are those that say …
‘I’ve done my 2x11s (off) this week, so that is them …‘out of the way’’ 
aka…MUST max out, MUST take minimal rest periods…
Newsflash they are Limits not targets!..(only target is heart attack in years to come.)
Job or weekly endurance Test?
At the moment I only work 3/4 days a week usually 10-12 hours a day on supermarket work, so may not be “trained up”, but I find it incredible how some people are pushing 9 hours driving a day, for 5 or 6 days a week.
I’m relatively young in the industry (34) and am tired enough after 2 long driving days in a row. I enjoy a Cornwall run which usually takes me close to my 9 hours driving, but the next day is usually a struggle!
Respect to the people out there driving these long days every day, but listen to your body and mind, and as has already been said, they are maximum limits and not targets!
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I hate all the jobs ads saying guaranteed 50 hrs a week and more. And those saying figures based on 69 hrs 
.
Makes me feel I landed on my feet sprinting faster than Usain bolt
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