I’ve been at my current place of work for 8 weeks, it’s my first proper HGV job, class 1 (never driven class 2 since passing a year ago) and involves going abroad. I have experience of driving buses and coaches, and with tachoghraphs.
I do full-on tramping, spending 8 weeks+ away from home. I absolutely adore the job and way and life, I could not ask for more from the company or work.
However, in 8 weeks I’ve made 3 mistakes with the tachograph, and had one bump in a yard. On all of the tachograph issues, I was legal. I just forgot to do stuff (or accidentally pressed buttons ), so the records don’t line up. I take print-outs, scribble on the back about my forgetfulness/mistake and put them into a zip folder. To me,the issue isn’t the driving, even on the other side of the road, or foreign languages (I’m self taught french). I have nightmares, waking up in the night having dreamed of messing things up with the tachograph, and I have the red mist of “not another mistake, not another red cross against my name”.
I do my best to avoid infringements and stick to the rules, but there’s just so many little things to remember in this job, and little things seem to have massive impacts.
I’m sure I’ll not be the first… or the last, but I’m trying to keep in the good books, and I feel like in my own mind I’m failing at that. This isn’t a pity post, but has anyone similarly started driving themselves nuts over this stuff, and successfully found a way to keep calm about it? Is this typical youthful newbie behaviour? Again I can’t fault the company for me finding myself in this situation.
carryfast-yeti:
8 weeks away from home!
i wouldn’t worry about a few simple mistakes…you’ll get better with experience
I hope so. I do like having several weeks away, as a single lad it suits to find my feet in life in this way. I know with time opinions can change but this is what I wanted.
Just hope soon I get more confident with the tachograph and not put off by it.
Franglais:
3 “clerical errors” as opposed to actual “hours offences”, is no issue at all IMHO.
Youre waking up from nightmares about it? Dont.
+1 on the nightmares.
Even hours offences are OK provided you have a good reason to commit them. Got a DVSA pull a while back, showed them a printout where I couldn’t make the services for a break due to unexpected traffic and they didn’t have a problem with it. But if they start seeing a pattern with hours offences you could be in the ■■■■. Like regular 4.35’s on that “you can just make it if you hurry” 4.20 run. Provided you write everything down and don’t take the ■■■■ you’re fine.
Some companies can get a bit ■■■■■ about the clerical stuff. I got an infringement for accidentally pulling the tacho fuse when I was fault finding some trailer lights. “OH NOES! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” Sod 'em. We’re all human. You’ll be fine.
Jamie MP:
I do full-on tramping, spending 8 weeks+ away from home. I absolutely adore the job and way and life, I could not ask for more from the company or work.
You could ask for them to give you a legal work schedule. Under the August 2020 changes to the drivers hours regs, operators have to schedule work so drivers can get back home every four weeks.
If they’re not doing that, I’m thinking they probably also haven’t told you that you can’t do a regular 45 hours weekly rest in your cab, THEY have to pay for you to be in a proper indoor facility. You’re allowed to do a reduced (24 hours minimum) weekly in your cab though.
), so the records don’t line up. I take print-outs, scribble on the back about my forgetfulness/mistake and put them into a zip folder. To me,the issue isn’t the driving, even on the other side of the road, or foreign languages (I’m self taught french). I have nightmares, waking up in the night having dreamed of messing things up with the tachograph, and I have the red mist of “not another mistake, not another red cross against my name”.
