Hi, I’m wondering if there is a definitive answer to this question or whether it is a case of grey area and best practice.
My vehicle is quite often driven (by me, prior to heading out onto public roads) to and from a loading bay before my digicard goes in. It probably clocks up 300-400 yards per day doing this. I always account for this time as other work with a manual entry when my card goes in, along with 5 minutes or so for checks. I was under the impression I was staying within the rules by doing this. Am I?
There’s no reason at all why I can’t put my card in before driving to get loaded, just a habit that’s evolved into routine and may need changing.
PS sorry if this has been answered before, looked and can’t find if it has.
That yard driving should be recorded as driving time in the situation described
‘Carriage by road’ is defined as
any journey entirely or in part made on roads open to the public of a vehicle, laden or unladen, used
for the carriage of passengers or goods. ‘Off-road’ driving is in scope where it forms part of a journey
that also takes place on public roads. Journeys made that are entirely ‘off-road’ are out of scope of
the EU rules.
The driving to and from the loading bay to load the vehicle is part of the same journey that you do on public roads so legally should be recorded as driving time.
You should really put the card in at the very start of the shift
DearBoy:
Hi, I’m wondering if there is a definitive answer to this question or whether it is a case of grey area and best practice.
My vehicle is quite often driven (by me, prior to heading out onto public roads) to and from a loading bay before my digicard goes in. It probably clocks up 300-400 yards per day doing this. I always account for this time as other work with a manual entry when my card goes in, along with 5 minutes or so for checks. I was under the impression I was staying within the rules by doing this. Am I?
There’s no reason at all why I can’t put my card in before driving to get loaded, just a habit that’s evolved into routine and may need changing.
PS sorry if this has been answered before, looked and can’t find if it has.
Cheers for any answers, DB
I would also like to add, if you do this most of the time and was stopped by vosa the manual entries you do mite ask questions as to why your card is not in in the first place. Simple put card in do checks move to bay.
tachograph:
The driving to and from the loading bay to load the vehicle is part of the same journey that you do on public roads so legally should be recorded as driving time.
You should really put the card in at the very start of the shift
We were told by our head of training that it’s ok to do your checks and then put your card in but obviously do your manual entries to show the time it took to do your checks, this way if you find a fault and can’t use that vehicle you don’t have to take card out again.
tachograph:
The driving to and from the loading bay to load the vehicle is part of the same journey that you do on public roads so legally should be recorded as driving time.
You should really put the card in at the very start of the shift
We were told by our head of training that it’s ok to do your checks and then put your card in but obviously do your manual entries to show the time it took to do your checks, this way if you find a fault and can’t use that vehicle you don’t have to take card out again.
Yes I do that, my reply may have been misleading, I meant the op should put the card in before driving to the loading area.
tachograph:
The driving to and from the loading bay to load the vehicle is part of the same journey that you do on public roads so legally should be recorded as driving time.
You should really put the card in at the very start of the shift
We were told by our head of training that it’s ok to do your checks and then put your card in but obviously do your manual entries to show the time it took to do your checks, this way if you find a fault and can’t use that vehicle you don’t have to take card out again.
Yes I do that, my reply may have been misleading, I meant the op should put the card in before driving to the loading area.
Ta for the replies, I suspected as much but wanted confirmation. I shall start putting the card in before moving the truck this very night
My company likes to think it is pretty hot on regs and infringements and I’m surprised that nothing has been said by management concerning the multiple driving without card occurrences they must be aware of when the head is downloaded.
DearBoy:
Ta for the replies, I suspected as much but wanted confirmation. I shall start putting the card in before moving the truck this very night
My company likes to think it is pretty hot on regs and infringements and I’m surprised that nothing has been said by management concerning the multiple driving without card occurrences they must be aware of when the head is downloaded.
Our units tend to get shunted around sometimes with no card in but it’s a small yard and this happens sometimes but it’s only to get another unit out but I’ll never move my own in the morning till card and checks are sorted.
It used to be ok to move around the yard before putting your analogue disc in (and making a manual entry ). That changed when digi-tachos came in because of a change in the rules about what constituted ‘out of scope driving’.
On the rules we use now, if you drive on a public highway at all there is no ‘out of scope driving’.
It’s only if all of your days driving is off public highways that it counts as ‘out of scope driving’ and is therefore other work even though it will be recorded as driving.
That’s why you should put your card in at the beginning of your shift.
Can I ask, would someone employed purely as a shunter/loader, moving 50 odd rigids (2-3 times/night for each truck = up to 150 vehicle movements/night) from parking area to bay, wrapping and loading cages/pallets and then jumping back in the truck to return it to the parking bay need to have a card in for every truck moved or simply not bother because of all the vehicle changes? Yeah I know it’s dumb, but I’m not sure!
Actrosman:
Can I ask, would someone employed purely as a shunter/loader, moving 50 odd rigids (2-3 times/night for each truck = up to 150 vehicle movements/night) from parking area to bay, wrapping and loading cages/pallets and then jumping back in the truck to return it to the parking bay need to have a card in for every truck moved or simply not bother because of all the vehicle changes? Yeah I know it’s dumb, but I’m not sure!
If you never go on the road in the shift then no. and if you did you be spending 250 minutes a shift putting the card in and out
Cheers for that…was having a discussion with one of the lads (the shunter) at another depot who also wasn’t sure…he also added that occasionally he does go out mid way through his shift…only half hour down the road, tip and return… just happened to ask him (jokingly) if he does any manual entries for his other work etc
