Pulled by vosa

[R5log]

Pulled in by vosa with a trailer yesterday, over 100 km away from base.

For business use have to keep driving records

But delivering logs fine within 100km of base with out keeping driving hours

[ballibeg]

Good info. Ta.

[Mortimer Firewood]

Good to know

[Chris Sheppard]

It does seem though that different VOSA officers work to different rules.

 

A few years ago I was stopped in a transit and trailer a long way from base (about 450 miles) and we ended up with a prohibition notice purely because we had no tacho fitted. There was a book in the cab to record the driving (and they could see from that that we didn't do a lot of driving that needed the tacho and that I was within that week's hours etc) but were told that that didn't count and that as my employer was obviously aware that we should be keeping records, then they should also be aware that a Tacho was required by law as a notebook didn't prove anything other than what was input manually and was open to abuse.

 

Whilst I can't say for certain that his reaction is exception rather than rule, it's worth bearing in mind.

 

As it was, after keeping us there for a couple of hours, they eventually gave us some sort of printed exemption notice that would let us drive with the empty trailer back to base but no faster than 40mph (bearing in mind 95% of the trip was motorways too ). Fortunately where they pulled us was at the entrance to where we were heading to.

[Bren.]

So VOSA have the power to require you to drive at other than the legal limit?

Seems bonkers, I can only think that this would be for safety reasons, but surely your trailer is either road legal, and therefore safe to drive at the legal limit, or not.

[Chris Sheppard]

Yep, no faults with anything other than being a bit overweight (I think maybe why they stopped me originally) but we were unloading on the site they'd pulled us at and so were already off the road so going back with an empty van and trailer. If I remember rightly, the trailer was almost brand new.

 

Whole thing was a bit surreal really, there was three VOSA officers doing the whole good cop bad cop routine between them and I was interviewed under caution. They weren't arsed about the weight really (probably because we were already where we were going?), it was the tacho bit they wouldn't let go.

 

I've heard of others being told the same as the OP regarding just keeping notes, but it does seem as though it all depends who stops you.

[GA Groundcare]

It does seem though that different VOSA officers work to different rules.

 

A few years ago I was stopped in a transit and trailer a long way from base (about 450 miles) and we ended up with a prohibition notice purely because we had no tacho fitted. There was a book in the cab to record the driving (and they could see from that that we didn't do a lot of driving that needed the tacho and that I was within that week's hours etc) but were told that that didn't count and that as my employer was obviously aware that we should be keeping records, then they should also be aware that a Tacho was required by law as a notebook didn't prove anything other than what was input manually and was open to abuse.

 

Whilst I can't say for certain that his reaction is exception rather than rule, it's worth bearing in mind.

 

As it was, after keeping us there for a couple of hours, they eventually gave us some sort of printed exemption notice that would let us drive with the empty trailer back to base but no faster than 40mph (bearing in mind 95% of the trip was motorways too ). Fortunately where they pulled us was at the entrance to where we were heading to.

 

 

Before setting up my business I used to run a tacho in a Dmax and a tacho can be abused in just the same way.

 

There's nothing stopping you not entering your card to get around running a tacho for a bit. Forgetting to remove it and only notice it while your going down the motorway and it's flashing up over speed!

 

The amount of times I'd end up removing my card to enable being able to finish what needed doing. Naughty but what do you do!

 

Try telling a customer that has just spend a large amount of money on tracked chippers and broken down on the rail line side and you can't attend due to no hours left!

[treequip]

Before setting up my business I used to run a tacho in a Dmax and a tacho can be abused in just the same way.

 

There's nothing stopping you not entering your card to get around running a tacho for a bit. Forgetting to remove it and only notice it while your going down the motorway and it's flashing up over speed!

 

The amount of times I'd end up removing my card to enable being able to finish what needed doing. Naughty but what do you do!

 

Try telling a customer that has just spend a large amount of money on tracked chippers and broken down on the rail line side and you can't attend due to no hours left!

 

I bet Stobart's run into that all the time, "hello Tesco's, cant deliver your goods today run out of hours", no wait, they just send a different driver rather than breaking the law

[GA Groundcare]

Bit different when the company runs it's business around tacho rules and regs

[treequip]

Bit different when the company runs it's business around tacho rules and regs

 

How is it different? They run their business servicing their clients needs by delivering goods.

 

You put rubber on the road, you obey the rules of the road, look at the clown who caused death and mayhem when he put his vehicle and trailer on a railway line because he fell asleep, that could be you......