My company are about to pull me up because I have not used POA. Is there a rule that states you have to use it? Been driving since “Log Book days” and have never used POA.
Your choice if you use it or not.
I suppose there could be a company rule but there’s certainly no legal reason to use POA.
It will come down to the terms of employment between the driver and the company.
I’m guessing that they are wanting you to record some activity you recorded as other work as POA, to give you more time available to work.
You’ll need to read the detail of your contract to see if that’s what’s expected of you.
Legally there is no specific time or activity that has to be recorded as POA, providing you don’t exceed the maximum working time allowed.
The lions share of firms want you to use POA when it should really be on other work. They think it stands for “parked on arse”. If they’re quoting rules shame they don’t understand them. You’re meant to know the length of availability prior to starting it. It was meant as being on a pre defined standby period.
Few things in haulage correctly fit what poa is defined as.
Get ready for changes in your contract or in your pay structure,POA or other work makes no difference on your total hours.
lolipop:
Get ready for changes in your contract or in your pay structure,POA or other work makes no difference on your total hours.
But it does make a difference to how much you can work if you’re using other work when you could be using PoA.
Any time you can use POA you can have it on bed, chin the box off, pointless crap.
A.
Adonis.:
Any time you can use POA you can have it on bed, chin the box off, pointless crap.A.
This.
I never use it, total waste of time unless you’re pay masters deduct ALL breaks (personally I wouldn’t work for a company that deducts any breaks)
Realistically POA ( standby ) isn’t going to make much difference to the total shift time when legally it’s all about either being on break or other work and if you’re not on other work then why not just book it as break.While booking POA instead of break won’t change that daily rest requirement and it’s that more than anything which determines maximum shift time.
Which in itself is a total liability when drivers can potentially be driving with way less than 7 hours sleep between shifts,allowing for commuting time,if it’s used at base. 
‘Been driving since log book days’…■■?
And they only pull you up now - after how many years…■■?
Sounds like they’re up to something…
Or is there a ‘new boy’ in the office making him/herself known…■■
Seeing as POA and breaks don’t make a difference from the perspective of the 48 hour average over the reference period I can’t help thinking that some employers might be able to benefit from POA rather than breaks. Maybe some kind of insurance/tax incentive that would not apply if driver was just taking a break but if he was waiting around on POA causing a loss to the business due to the waiting around then maybe employer can get something out it.
But if that was the case then all employeys would be demanding that POA be used.
Googled it can’t find out for the life of me why it was brought in in the first place.
Goldfinger:
‘Been driving since log book days’…■■?And they only pull you up now - after how many years…■■?
Sounds like they’re up to something…
Or is there a ‘new boy’ in the office making him/herself known…■■
Only been with this company for a year. 
Goldfinger:
‘Been driving since log book days’…■■?And they only pull you up now - after how many years…■■?
Sounds like they’re up to something…
Or is there a ‘new boy’ in the office making him/herself known…■■
yes pre 1979! 
POA ( missus calls it pull over ■■■■■■■■! ) use break/ rest bed symbol. 
SWEDISH BLUE:
Goldfinger:
‘Been driving since log book days’…■■?And they only pull you up now - after how many years…■■?
Sounds like they’re up to something…
Or is there a ‘new boy’ in the office making him/herself known…■■
Only been with this company for a year.
It’s a sad day when you have some idiot in an office trying to dictate how a driver works, they are either failed drivers only fit for driving a desk or have never done the job.
ContainerBoy:
can’t find out for the life of me why it was brought in in the first place.
Maybe to differentiate the situation of drivers being on standby v daily rest.Not the situation of break v other work. 
ContainerBoy:
Seeing as POA and breaks don’t make a difference from the perspective of the 48 hour average over the reference period I can’t help thinking that some employers might be able to benefit from POA rather than breaks. Maybe some kind of insurance/tax incentive that would not apply if driver was just taking a break but if he was waiting around on POA causing a loss to the business due to the waiting around then maybe employer can get something out it.But if that was the case then all employeys would be demanding that POA be used.
Googled it can’t find out for the life of me why it was brought in in the first place.
It was brought in so employers could drive an articulated vehicle through the working time directive which was intended to restrict employees to an average 48 hour week. To see how stupid it can be check example 1…
TiredAndEmotional:
ContainerBoy:
Seeing as POA and breaks don’t make a difference from the perspective of the 48 hour average over the reference period I can’t help thinking that some employers might be able to benefit from POA rather than breaks. Maybe some kind of insurance/tax incentive that would not apply if driver was just taking a break but if he was waiting around on POA causing a loss to the business due to the waiting around then maybe employer can get something out it.But if that was the case then all employeys would be demanding that POA be used.
Googled it can’t find out for the life of me why it was brought in in the first place.
It was brought in so employers could drive an articulated vehicle through the working time directive which was intended to restrict employees to an average 48 hour week. To see how stupid it can be check example 1…
Exactly the reason why I’ve always used break instead of poa. There’s a legal mine field around poa, whereas break is much more black and white with the authorities. Although I’m still to hear of a driver being prosecuted for wtd offences
Carryfast:
Realistically POA ( standby ) isn’t going to make much difference to the total shift time when legally it’s all about either being on break or other work and if you’re not on other work then why not just book it as break.
Because in some cases it can result in you having to take another 30/45 minute break later in the day when booking a PoA would mean you didn’t because it didn’t reset the 4.5hrs driving time or 6hr working time.
Conor:
Carryfast:
Realistically POA ( standby ) isn’t going to make much difference to the total shift time when legally it’s all about either being on break or other work and if you’re not on other work then why not just book it as break.Because in some cases it can result in you having to take another 30/45 minute break later in the day when booking a PoA would mean you didn’t because it didn’t reset the 4.5hrs driving time or 6hr working time.
Only for dimwits who are unable to flick a tacho to crossed hammers for 1 minute to keep their breaks for when they need to take them in such a situation.
A.