A Beginners Guide To The Working Time Directive & Drivers Hours. 

Hahahaha I knew this would send the comments section absolutely bonkers hahaha! I'm staying out of this one lol!

Good video mate. I have an interview tomorrow morning had been brushing up on all of this. You explained it well. Hard to get your head around when someone hasn’t done a driving role before!!

I enjoy watching your videos, you give a great insight as to what it's like to be a newbie HGV driver. I have just gone through my class 2 and about to do my class 1 and trying to do something similar with these video logs and try and encourage more people to take the leap and become a HGV driver.

Cheers Deady 👌 its absolutely got my head baffled. I'm confused to bits with it all 😂

Thank you so much. I've Dyscalculia. So trying to work around it. This part was blowing my mind x I was thinking all that revision has been a waste and stick to my nail work. I want to do both things. Thanks fella x

I’ve been driving for the last two months and this video’s been a very helpful reminder :P thanks Deady! What I would say to people looking at getting into this profession... DON’T BE PUT OFF by all this complicated Driver Hours / Rest Periods / Working Time Directive. It’s not as stressful as it sounds!

Nice 1 mate. Really simplifies it for me. Just passed my HGV theory and hazard. Next up is my CPC. Wicked video. Really helps

Thanks mate, your explanation and practical work flow examples has sunk in for me!

Well done trying to explain this one. It is fairly simple but it gets complicated when trying to tell someone else. Some jobs like ours which is usually 50-50 split between driving and waiting, the WTD very rarely comes into play.

Love your t-shirt! Thanks for this video! I have scroll this video 10 times and it's help, thanks!!!

Just found this one mate and I left a comment on another vid asking for this haha your the chanel that keeps on giving 😂😂

Extremely helpful video explained in such a way that driver's like myself can get a good grip of what hours we can and can't drive/work without being assaulted by numbers and hours gobbledegook. Thank you Sir! 👍

Hard to get your head around. But after 17 years I'm just about getting the hang of it.

Nice video buddy, as a newly qualified I still watch videos like yours trying to better understand the driving hours, brake times,,,,, Thanks buddy

Seem to have got it all pretty much bang on mate... took me a while to figure it out when I first started. I remember my first day in a truck I didn’t even no how to put the tacho on break 🤣😂 keep up the Vids pal 👍🏻

Well said nice to have someone tell us all about driving and WTD hard to get your head round lol have a good week mate

Very helpful and explained in basic terms for newbie’s like me. I’ve been in a panic at the end of every week incase I’ve copped an infringement

Driving limits are in a fixed week son between 00:00 monday to 23:59 sunday. 9 hr, 10hrs x2, 56 in a week, 90 in 2 weeks. So if you work sat, sun, mon and tues only you could drive 10hrs each day. Good luck if your boss wants that out of ya

Nice one fella having my cpc on drivers hours Monday. Wanted a little refresher.. You totally nailed it.👌🏻💪🏻 topman only thing is a really fancy a pizza now. 😂

Awesome video great job, im just starting the progress in coming a HGV Driver :)

Good vlog mate I know it's so confusing to try and get your head around it's so baffling keep up the good work mate

Deady very informative vlog. This side of driving is mental torture, as you say in time you would get to know the rules and regs. I’m doing my theory at the moment but I know this is a big part that I’ll need to learn for sure.

Another great video mate And thanks for answering my question in ask me anything (2)👍🏻 I'm working for the same agency company now done a days work in multi drop in London. Next week got 6 days 😄

Your way is easyer to remember than the books Thanks Deady

Good explination and brilliant video! Iv just passed my class 2 and booked in for the cpc mod 2. Im finding it really hard learning the hours and iv got the practice cd wnd alot of questions get asked in regards to breaks. Is there an easy way to work out the hours for the questions asked on the mod? Thanks

I've been back to this video a few times starting driving so helpful

Your tachograph is more important than any delivery you'll ever do Im a fan of 15 mins break early in my day to buy a paper get a coffee and get a greggs etc for two reasons firstly because a day can go pearshaped quite quickly and there may not be food or facilities where you may have to stop for your 30 break but at least by stopping early for food you'll have had something to eat which will keep you going past your 30 break etc plus you can use the earlier 15 to delay the 30 by 15 mins from but you'll see experienced drivers always stop within 2 hours of starting their shift for a 15 especially after driving to Birmingham Manchester and especially London if delivering in it which gives them time to do multiple deliveries in these cities and have a break having left the city that way they don't need to try and find a parking space to have a break in the city because they had the 15 before they went in and take the 30 having left the city etc But as a rule especially for 7.5t etc a 7.5t driver will find it virtually impossible to drive 4.5 hours before 5.5 hours then they can have 45 mins at 5.29 and reset both working time and driving time with a 45 min break And the weekend rest period etc If a driver only works 5 days a week Eg min to Fri and has Saturday and Sunday off every week they never have to worry about the weekly rest it takes care of itself

Great blog mate just started my class 2 journey

I learnt a lot from videos thanks a lot deady.

Top video mate, havnt started driving yet, but got my lessons and test next week, but I somehow get the gist to what your saying hahaa, but thanks for the video pal, it'll help me a lot when the time comes to getting on the road, would you ever consider driving for a builders merch? and would you consider in doing your HIAB or ADR?

Cheers buddy !! Helped massively 👍

I think watching it helps me think I’m not the only one scratching my head.. 👍👌

Can you explain the affects of putting a big magnet on the gearbox and what it does to the tachograph

Hey mate great video as always, if you get chance could you make a video about being self employed as a wagon driver ? the pros and cons and how you go about setting it up.

This is a nightmare. Deady your video is helpful allot but I feel like it doesn’t help me for my role which is multi drop. But bascislly my job is drove a couple of hours to a city and multi drop around the city. I’m thinking just doing 9 hours a day as my weeks will be always the same in a way so instead of over complicating it should I just do my 9 hours a day and then that’s it?

Just a question as I'm brand new, am i to understand then, as long as i have a 15 minute break after about two hours of driving, then a half hour break say two or three hours after that, then that's me covered and i don't have to keep track on it for the rest of that shift?

Thanks for the great video, you simplified it as much as possible. But to be honest starting out learning, is just as hard as doing a Rubix cube blindfolded haha

I am going to say nice video. I like your channel, and I also like watching trucker Ned Kelly Ireland videos. I'm just curious on how fellow lorry drivers do their jobs in the UK and Europe. I'm a truck driver from the U.S. and yes, these HOURS sound so confusing haha

Well said Simple and to the point 😀

Thanks Deady😊

I’ve just completed my CPC course, it will be the first time of getting behind the wheel of an hgv for over 10 years, I’m looking at driving for a local skip company, as we all know skip driving isn’t constant driving, so would I be classed as driving and work time directive, would you still stick to the driving for 4.5hr and get the 45min break in in this time or could I work upto 6 hrs and get my 15 min break in then between the 6-9hr get my 30min is….. as I say I’m confused and I’m Starting out so people are confused and they’ve been doing it for years, then we hear of the 17 26 weeks I can’t remember what I did yesterday never mind 17 weeks ago

I'm in the process of trying to get training and have been learning myself and this seems like a potential minefield. Do you ever have a 45min break? Or always split it up.

If you are going to read anything then google gv262 I agree sometimes listening to someone explain it can be open to interpretation but you have done a good job

Thanks mate now I get it 👍

Hi yea, If I've drove just under 4hrs and worked under 6hrs and taken 30mins break then got sent home. Will I have to add another 30mins when I do my next manual entry the next day. Thanks.

...but thanks matey.. It has helped lots!

Do we need to know this to pass the test apart from the 4.5 rule

Well done 👍😁👏👏👏

The knly confusing thing to me is. When i work 6 hours do i have to fit in the 15 mins before 6 hours passes... so 5:45 and then a break or can i go all the way to 5:59 and then do it? Same for the 9 hours can i do it at 8:59 hours?

If the six hour rule is a 30 minute break if working/driving between 6 and 9 hours, what is the legal required break if your working/driving over 9 hours, would it be a 30 minute break between 6 and 9 hours then a 45 minute break if working over 9 hours ?

Hi all, I’m working for a skip company this is my first week of being employed by them, it’s tough going, the work load is out of this world even at the start of the day you know there is no chance of completing the daily jobs. I start at 6am, I then have a break at 10.15, I work then upto 12.15 and have a 30 min break, I then work through until 6pm do I need to have a break between then 12.15pm and 6pm ??????

Hi so is wtd mean if you are 2 hours in the yard before you turn a wheel.you can only drive for 4 hours then need 15 min break?? Or have I got it wrong?? I would appreciate anyone that can answer that

Hi deady have you seen kevtee most recently upload and the place he delivered to and how tight it was that guy has some serious skills 👌

Good help

Another thing to remember mate is you could for example work 0700-1900 on monday which is a regular rest but if you took 9hrs rest starting 0400 on Tuesday then monday would become a reduced rest. So you would need to take 11hrs or more to keep monday a regular rest. So basically start after 0600............ but if you done a 15hr day on monday 0600-2100 for example and started 0600 tuesday (9hrs rest) you’ve still only used 1 reduced rest

well what a nightmare, I'm awaiting my provisional, which is being held up by the dvla which will allow me more time to get my head round this ha-ha, great vlog Deadly cheers

U would think with the tech we have 2day u would put your card in the machine and its all done for u and on screen with warnings ⚠️ can't be that hard to do 😁

Can someone help me out I'm in my first week of driving hgv's and still trying to grasp a few things When I'm doing a day of 10 hours driving how do I break that up on the tacho? I know I need a 45minute break every 4.5hours so does that mean I should do my 4.5 hours break 4.5hours break and then one hour driving?

It nice way to learn good characters.

How many “driving hours/time directive” questions did you get roughly in the CPC case study test ?

Well put, 5 years in and still not 100% sure on some stuff. As a northerner says it (Chorley I'm guessing?), straight to the point

I just started a job as a multi-drop in a rigid. Once I was allowed to go out by myself I completely forgot about working time directive - I'd have my 15 minutes thinking that was fine. But at the end of every week we'd download our tacho to the companies system so they knew what we were up to. After the weekend I'd get back to work, do my run on Monday and then get a print out from the office with the guy saying "Here's your infractions" and being like "Oh f**k" once I got back. But they weren't bothered too much. I never exceed a 12 hour shift, so I'm worried that doing two 15 minute breaks won't work, because it seems the tacho doesn't count the second 15 minutes.... But I'm actually following the rules. It's really confusing to me at the moment.

Great video

Good video

Thanks pal

Has to be the most confusing part of this whole industry I've found and I'm bloody dreading once I get the licence! Have you heard about that New Truckers Handbook? Got it today, seems rather detailed but simplified at the same time. Though I think it'd be alot more use to lads/lasses who's on the job.. worth checking out maybe Deady. But as always great video.

Just a quick one if anyone knows. I'm new to driving and had my second day driving yesterday. So I took my 15min break before I exceeded my 6 working hours. I did a total of 7 hours working time when I arrived back at the yard and I ejected my card. Did I have to put it on another 15minute break because I'd done 7 hours? I only had a 15min to cover the whole 7 hours. Should I have had another 15min to cover the extra hour I worked?

I regularly split my breaks 20 mins before the 6 hour but my tacho will flag up telling me to take a break as I’m approaching 6 hours, 20 minutes after taking that break?

It's a difficult subject because it's been written to cover every possible job type, I always find it easier to stick within the 6 hours ie take 15min early then have 30min before 6 hours work ends or 4.5 hours driving which ever comes first most the time covers you all day. I have driven coaches and Class 2 hopefully class 1 soon but so far when it comes to working time over driving time its job specific so talk to people who are doing the same kind of work or work out the bits that really apply to you, the way I work it works for about 85% of the jobs I have ever come across from agencies. The best thing to do is learn them separate driving time first then working time, Dont make the newbie mistake of thinking you have to take 45min break every 4.5hrs, driving is only when the wheels are moving everything else you do is other work. Easy to work out your hours (wheels moving=driving time) (driving time + Other work = Working time) hence why you need to know both.

I work a day job but we set off early. Can the company make us do a 10 hour day before we set off. I always thought the extra hour was the drivers.

Does this have to be 4.5 hours of continuous driving, as I have alot of other work in my day

What is a Rolling week?

So if I drove for 4 hrs then had 2 hours other duties I could take 45min break & it will reset everything?

Hi there I'm doing 6 days 45 off.... Next week 5 days 24 off and my boss said is no good... After 5 days 45 break i said no so now I'm confused his say i need to gave back on the 3 weeks Hours i said what I'm not doing so much only 9 hrs o 8 hrs some time 10

Confusing at first ! But soon get the gist of it doing it on a weekly

Almost got it mate, just a couple of things. You don't have to have your working time breaks 'by' a certain time. I.e you said you have to have your 45 mins within 12 hours. Not true, as long as your breaks fall within the shift and you don't break the 6 hour rule, its all good. Rest compensation: if you reduce your weekly rest less than 45 hours, you WILL have to compensate this reduced rest. By the end of the third week following that week.

Great video. I passed my class 1 back in 2007 although havent driven since then. Probably been put off by the reversing aspect together with low bridges.have not had any experience using a tachograph.driving hours and working time directive is confusing although just trying to keep to the basics.current workplace is asking for class 1 drivers which im considering due to 34k mon to fri no nights out.think its mainly confidence for me.any advice would be greatly appreciated please.

2hrs - 15min break 2.5 hours - 30 min 4.5 bed time. Or 30 min in 6 hours if you’ve not been driving which ever comes first. Or just do 4.5 45min break 4.5. Easy that way & more time to eat your sausage sandwiches. 😎😂😉

What about nowadays.Monday 06th December 2021?

I work full time, not driving. I want extra hours in driving, this will affect my working hours? And tax...?

Can someone tell me if your other work and your breaks count as your driving hours too or is driving hrs just driving cos if so I have been doing myself out of work 😢

For agency drivers that have to download their digital tachograph card wherever they can via a variety of different methods Eg whatever method the company they get sent to etc It's always good and refreshing to see a company that downloads a drivers card straight in to a computer with the pink screen that way you can see if you have any infringements on your tacho card and by looking at the pink screen of the computer linked to the tacho card download slot you'll see any infringements appear on the screen etc and a decent transport manager will spend a couple of minutes with you showing you a bit about what they can see on your card Eg they can tell you when your last infringement was and what it was for etc which is handy for agency drivers who get sent all over the place to work etc It's just handy for an agency driver to see this information so that if they start to see infringements on the screen they can remember the day they hot the infringements and know where and why they got them which helps them not get infringements as it's their own licence they are looking at etc

Just trying to get my head round this 😂 where's the best place I can learn more?

have you checked out Chart Wise booklet!! for anyone that would like guidance this is by far the best way please check it out!

What if you only drive 5hrs a day but work upto 15hrs a day Monday to Friday?

I've watched so many videos of people trying to explain it and I'm getting more confused each time. Wtf is it all about? If I work 12 hrs a day 4 days a week and of that 12hrs I'm driving for 9hrs, how many breaks should I have?

If I finish work at 9:30 am on a Saturday and start work on Monday at 7:30 that's 46 hours rest. But that saturday is the 2nd saturday worked in a row. Would I then be able to work a third?

Just started truck driving in the US. Yikes I thought our laws were restrictive 😬

All this working time directive malarkey is doin my head in lol

How come some jobs are advertised as 10 hours per day?

confused.com haha fair play Deady.

It doesn't actually say anywhere that you can only work 6 days in row once every 2 weeks or 2 weeks in row and pay it back on another week. I had this debate with another driver and he said he did 6 days in a row week after week. I said how is that possible? His reply was that you can only reduce your rest so many times a week, as long as you have a 45hour weekly rest you can work another 6. But that is only possible if you you work for company that runs 7 days a week.. If you're on a Monday to Friday contract and you do the occasional Saturday or Sunday for overtime then you wouldn't be able to get your 45hour weekly rest every week, but if you worked a different week pattern every week out of the 7 then you are able to get your 45 hours rest in. I mean don't quote me on it fully but if you do your own research you wont find anything that actually says about the 6 days, only about the weekly rest.

when i was on the vans i was expected and did 21 hour shifts .... vans really need to be regulated more

Great Vid I have a question have you seen truck spotters keep them vids coming

15 hour shift? You said you can't do longer than 10 hours a day?

👍

He said if you stick to having having a 45 minute break before 4 1/2 hours and you won't go wrong. Yes you can go wrong because when I first started driving thats exactly what I did but I forgot that you meant to have half hour break within 6 hours working time. Doesn't matter about the driving time.

I once heard of a strange & secret practice performed by delivery drivers, - this strange ritual was called - "Tipping on break", apparently lots of them do it - whatever it is.

That last bit confused me, Earlier you explained that you must take 45 minutes of ‘Break’ in a 41/2 hour driving period but at the end you said taking a 15 minute break after 2 hours sets you up for your next 6 hours

as i under stand it there is no legal opt out of working time directive max 48 hours avg week over 17 week ref period you can do 13 / 15 hr spreads but max working week over 17 weeks must not avg more than 48 hours drive , duty exc poa / breaks . jungle every 6 hours have 15 minuite break wtd driving time total 45 min b4 4.5 hours driving personall i work to 6 hours if dont drive 4.5 hrs driving take full 45 min resets both ie 6am start 11.55 take full 45 min to 12.40 ok to 18.40 if you dont go over 4.5 driving thats why lot firms base avg working day fixed on mon-fri 10 hours inc 45 break typical 0700-1700 or rolling week were do 4 days 12 hours on 2 days 48 hours off . the one idid get caught 1 was stated 0600 came off break 1201 . got back to yard 1750 due unloading parked up 1810 on break tacho out 9 minuites over 6 hour rule wtd got infridgenment for 9 minuites personally MAX 48 hours week more enough for me @ 55 due personal health reasons YOU WORK TO LIVE NOT LIVE TO WORK . the other thing i insist on hourly pay basic 8 hours day + overtime NOT rip off salary based on 48 hours week no overtime . But every one to there own safe trucking .