Hi all I’ve been driving HGV for just over 2 years now I’ve never been stopped by Vosa yet my question is what exactly do they look for when they stop you obviously I know about all the vehicle checks … its more like do they look if you’ve done the average 48 hours over the 17 week period because I do about 56 
or do they just look for daily and weekly rest along with your 45 mins for EU scope and WTD? basically I’m asking what I can get away with hours wise… I like the money if you carnt tell :-p
samstone90:
basically I’m asking what I can get away with hours wise
Anything that’s legal.
I would say you can get away with any hours…if they are legal 
Thats the law an the DVSA look for those not complying, they would likely use a computer program to tot up your hours rather than sitting there doing it manually for hours.
So they could work your hours out very quickly indeed,
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.
Many companies keep an open option on the 48 hour week, as long as you and the truck keep earning money. As long as you stay within the 90 hour fortnightly driving limits.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.
Myth I’m afraid it can be up to a year easily .
they are looking for your wallet so make sure you got plenty of dosh if your doing anything wrong 
LIBERTY_GUY:
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.Many companies keep an open option on the 48 hour week, as long as you and the truck keep earning money. As long as you stay within the 90 hour fortnightly driving limits.
The tacho machine holds 12 month of information on it.
Yeah but only for that truck. In some companies you can be driving different vehicles both hgv and not, during a working week.
bald bloke:
LIBERTY_GUY:
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.Myth I’m afraid it can be up to a year easily .
my last card had almost 2yrs worth on it
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yeah but only for that truck. In some companies you can be driving different vehicles both hgv and not, during a working week.
no for any vehicle that you use your card in 
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yeah but only for that truck. In some companies you can be driving different vehicles both hgv and not, during a working week.
Then a manual entry should be added to account for the WTD.
I didn’t think DVSA could enforce the working time directive - only drivers hours offences pertaining to drivers hours and breaks come into their remit?
Mine still has a 3 min over 10 hour drive since last October
LIBERTY_GUY:
I didn’t think DVSA could enforce the working time directive - only drivers hours offences pertaining to drivers hours and breaks come into their remit?
They can, but cant be bothered to do anything about it, just like no one else can be bothered, they are probably happy to leave your employer to enforce it.
From 2011, and I still don’t think any one has been done for exceeding it.
Still no prosecutions under working time regs for hauliers
21 April 2011
By Patric Cunnane
Six years after the introduction of the working time regulations and still no transport company has been prosecuted for breaches of the regulations.
In the latest available results, VOSA says it carried out 565 visits to operators’ premises in the third quarter of 2010, resulting in advice being given to 79 operators. No improvement notices were issued, which is the next stage if advice is ignored. “We have not prosecuted anyone under the regulations, preferring to prosecute for drivers’ hours offences where found,” says a VOSA spokesman.
The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations came into force in April 2005 as part of the Working Time Directive (WTD), which applies to all industry sectors, and limit average working time to 48 hours a week. They also require records to be kept for two years.
“There was no need for it and we have called for one set of regulations and not two,” says Jack Semple, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association. “It’s a bad law. The drivers’ hours rules take precedence over the WTD.”
nick2008:
bald bloke:
LIBERTY_GUY:
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.Myth I’m afraid it can be up to a year easily .
my last card had almost 2yrs worth on it
You must have a cushy number then 
bald bloke:
nick2008:
bald bloke:
LIBERTY_GUY:
I doubt if they could do a working hours check at the roadside, as your card only holds around 28 days of data, so impossible to check a 17 week period.Myth I’m afraid it can be up to a year easily .
my last card had almost 2yrs worth on it
You must have a cushy number then
even more so now as all I do is Plymouth and back
Ok wow i think ive opened a can of worms here lol thanks for all the posts tho… as liberty guy has said i thought vosa only enforced EU drivers hours and not WTD hours hence why i do over the 48 average and dont bother repaying the hours if i do a 6 day week
samstone90:
Ok wow i think ive opened a can of worms here lol thanks for all the posts tho… as liberty guy has said i thought vosa only enforced EU drivers hours and not WTD hours hence why i do over the 48 average and dont bother repaying the hours if i do a 6 day week
no its just some people get mixed up what your required to carry
samstone90:
Ok wow i think ive opened a can of worms here lol thanks for all the posts tho… as liberty guy has said i thought vosa only enforced EU drivers hours and not WTD hours hence why i do over the 48 average and dont bother repaying the hours if i do a 6 day week
Realistically I can’t envisage VOSA enforcing the working time directive as the drivers hours regulations have served us all well for years.
Other agencies have tried (miserably) to enforce the working time directive in other industry’s, particularly relating to weekly rest periods, but when the order book is full and you have waiting customers, other priorities have to come to the forefront. When I was a service engineer, seven day a week working was quite normal. 
The frightening thing thats hanging over us is the DVSA as we know are self funding now and sooner or later hey will see the WTD as another cash earning avenue, at the moment it is very likely just further evidence of wrong doing by an operator they are chasing and likely thats when they would investigate WTD infringements, though I do know your employer should be keeping the records for such an occasion.
I reckon the WTD hammer is around the corner
They have not shied away from drivers legislation in the past in comparison to other industries.