I passed my class 2 on 1st March 2012. Last week My shift started at 16:00 hours and was due to end at 23:00 hours. I was driving a 7.5 tonne supplying parts from on location to another factory. It was really busy. If the parts were late the line would stop and this meant big money lost. Anyway at around 20:00 hours I asked the manager in the warehouse if it was OK to take a break. The reasoning being that I wanted to pre warn him so he could prioritise his deliveries.
A sort time later I took my break and pressed to break button on the analogue tachograph. 3 minutes later I got a call from the transport manager ( yes the same one who the warehouse manager had just spoken to). He asked me to go back as a load was required ASAP. Now this is where my inexperience comes in. I took the tachograph off break and back to other work, meaning that I had only been on the break for about 3 minutes.
I sorted the load. And after speaking to my Brother realised that Id ■■■■■■ up by not having the break for at least 15 minutes. At 21:30 hours I again approached the same warehouse manager and asked him if it was OK to take the break that I didn’t take earlier. He clearly didnt know anything about drivers hours and phoned the transport manager to protest. I only been drinving for about 1 hours as Id spent most of my time sitting in the vehicle waiting to get loaded so I took a 30 minute break (WTR).
I know this is an infringement and one that I have to take on the chin. I spoke to a driver later who said he just sticks it on break as often as he can while waiting around or getting loaded to avoid any infringements. Is this what drivers do? any advice on this subject much appreciated Ta. Otts
well looking at what you have said i can’t see you would even need a break for your wtd until 22.00,then it would only be 15 mins, you certainly wouldn’t require one for driving as you state you had only done 1 hrs driving, i personally would worry too much about it, they are not going to hang you out to dry on messing up a wtd break
also if you used poa while waiting to load i suspect you wouldn’t even require a break through the whole shift as it sounds like you spend most of your time sat doing nothing
sorry just reread it again, no infringments for what you did as you had more than enough break at 21.30
Hi, only read it quickly but you started at 16.00 and had a half hour break at 21.30 after only an hours drive, sounds ok to me but I’m on the Becks as I have 3 days off
Dont ask the manager if you can take a break, chances are he knows nothing about divers hours rules.
Make sure you know what the rules are and you TELL him you are taking a break .
At the end of the day its your licence, the company’s O licence and your own safety , If you break the rules and get caught the TM is going to state that you werent told to go over time just to cover his own arse.
However looking at your post I dont think youve anything to worry about all looks perfectly legal to me.
As youve said you are new to this game, take time out to read the rules set out on this very site and familiarize yourself with them its for your benefit.
If in doubt ask on here someone will be glad to help.
With newbies it’s often difficult to work up the guts to tell the manager when you’re taking your break, as often you don’t want to annoy them to the state when you won’t get work. But after you’ve got a bit of experience of both the work and the job you can work out where and how you can squeeze your job in without having to ask for permission!
wildfire:
well looking at what you have said i can’t see you would even need a break for your wtd until 22.00,then it would only be 15 mins, you certainly wouldn’t require one for driving as you state you had only done 1 hrs driving, i personally would worry too much about it, they are not going to hang you out to dry on messing up a wtd break
also if you used poa while waiting to load i suspect you wouldn’t even require a break through the whole shift as it sounds like you spend most of your time sat doing nothing
sorry just reread it again, no infringments for what you did as you had more than enough break at 21.30
Aren’t there ‘stickies’ in this forum regarding questions like this?
Then again, I am sure people would get peeved off quite quickly if you just pointed at a link and said ‘so, you’ve read this link at the top of the forum labled ‘important read this’’
Does this mean you have completed the DCPC training
This is where there is a major fault with the initial dcpc
There is not a specific test on drivers hours rules or the use of tachographs
This could be easily remedied if they scrapped the current format of the initial dcpc theory module 2 and replaced it with such a test
Another way could be to make it compulsory to do a periodic dcpc course on the regs after passing the initial but that does not invlove a test so there would be no way to know if the driver had got it ok or not
yep your fine withwhat i have read but like others say its your licence your the one who will get fined so try to get into the habit of telling rather than asking for a break most warehouse people wont have a clue about drivers hours so it is up to you!
dont worry just get used to a bit of a whinge from them and hey ho
You will need to do your dcpc straight away before you drive a class 2 though.Its the drivers responsibility to know the rules and regs. If your not sure just look them up on line.Vosa do a “guide” to rules and regs now which thay gave me on my dcpc.
