Infringements

[bigtrucknuts]

Hi, this is my first post so, hello everyone.

The company I work for recently employed someone to look after tachograph data H&S and such. Sometime after that the company introduced a bonus scheme awarded for conforming to tachograph and working time regulations.

Fair enough so far, for instance if you go over your working time 6 hours without a brake you loose that day’s bonus.

However, last week I got badly held up by road works, that I didn’t know would be there, combined with the usual minor RTAs that happen in those situations.
So I ran over 6 hours without a brake wile stuck on the motorway. As soon as I could I pulled in and took a 15 min break. At that time I did 2 printouts. On both I gave an explanation of the events. I kept one in a diary and handed one in to the company when I got back.

But the next week I showed a loss of that day’s bonus and a form to explain my ‘infringement’.

Now I know if they want to withhold the bonus they can, for whatever reason. But being told I have committed an infringement seem to me to be inaccurate.
I’ve never been stopped for a vehicle check but if I was in the near future would my hold up and what I did about it be considered an infringement of any kind?

Thanks for any help.

[tachograph]

Welcome to Trucknet-UK Bigtrucknuts

An infringement is nothing more than a way of ensuring you’re aware that you’ve failed to comply with the regulations and explain the reason why, it’s basically the companies way of covering their own backs and showing the DVSA that they are doing their job right.
The 6 hour rule is a RT(WT)R rule (WTD for mobile workers rule), although the DVSA are charged with enforcing the RT(WT)R they don’t bother because they feel that the drivers hours and tachograph regulations are more important, so they won’t be interested in the fact that you went over 6 hours without a break.

Relax and forget it

[terry_t]

I must congratulate you on not taking a break on the hard shoulder like so many of our moronic compadres do. The print out is all you need to over your derrière.

[rog]

I think you need to discuss with management whether the same rules apply to the bonus as they do with the regulations because the regs allow for such things as getting held up without it being an infringement which can be used against you = an acceptable exemption if not done on a regular basis

Seems too harsh to remove the bonus when the regs allow for this sort of thing