Pulled by vosa

[GA Groundcare]

I appreciate the law is the law. The point I was making is in a vehicle that can sometimes come under tacho regulations and sometimes not it's very hard to try and comply with rules written around HGV.

In my previous job I ran a tacho in a pickup for 5 years, it's a massive ballache to try and keep the right side of the law. Tacho downloads, driver card downloads, trailer can be on and off a few times in a day. It's surprisingly easy to forget to insert the card which cannot be done on the move.

 

Yes it's all business but a haulage firm will plan journeys and there whole day is planned around tacho rules. The tacho is always in and always complying. If a journey is 7 hours then breaks are a factor or double driven. The tacho is always in.

 

I was pulled by vosa last year, actually escorted off the motorway by an X5 and motorbike, they checked everything on my vehicle, wheel nuts, red diesel, straps, tacho, tyres, rang the manufacture of machine I had on the trailer to check if it was stolen etc. I had a good chat with them and they did appreciate how much easier it is if you are on tacho 100% like a HGV and that governs your working week.

 

Do you run a tacho or have used one?

[treequip]

I appreciate the law is the law. The point I was making is in a vehicle that can sometimes come under tacho regulations and sometimes not it's very hard to try and comply with rules written around HGV.

In my previous job I ran a tacho in a pickup for 5 years, it's a massive ballache to try and keep the right side of the law. Tacho downloads, driver card downloads, trailer can be on and off a few times in a day. It's surprisingly easy to forget to insert the card which cannot be done on the move.

 

Yes it's all business but a haulage firm will plan journeys and there whole day is planned around tacho rules. The tacho is always in and always complying. If a journey is 7 hours then breaks are a factor or double driven. The tacho is always in.

 

I was pulled by vosa last year, actually escorted off the motorway by an X5 and motorbike, they checked everything on my vehicle, wheel nuts, red diesel, straps, tacho, tyres, rang the manufacture of machine I had on the trailer to check if it was stolen etc. I had a good chat with them and they did appreciate how much easier it is if you are on tacho 100% like a HGV and that governs your working week.

 

Do you run a tacho or have used one?

 

And therein lies the fundamental misunderstanding

 

You are under the "tacho rules" (drivers hour regulations) whether or not, the exemption under discussion is from record keeping.

 

My heart bleeds for you, record keeping and such other onerous tasks. Is writing your name the date place and mileage really that hard? Do you struggle with the simple maths needed to work out your driven miles?

 

Perhaps you just need to be a bit better organised like the countless others that deal with stuff like this on a daily basis. I know it wasn't a problem for me running my own truck and chipper for many years.

 

You cant use "I'm not in haulage" as an excuse

[New Forest Firewood Co]

Shirty...

[Garyjp]

a lot will be simplified come the new regs (in march i think) and much easier for those that are mixed use.

[Mull]

Shirty...

 

 

Mmm! Thought this thread was about a bit of hand-relief from a dept of transport employee!!

[BobG]

I got pulled a few years back driving a M.O.D. White fleet minibus. I stopped at the edge of the VOSA checkpoint and asked if their hard standing was part of the public highway. They were not sure so I told them that I needed to see their certificate of liability insurance if they wanted me to proceed off the highway onto their land. I've never seen anyone turn that particular shade of purple before or since. I'm not sure that they needed liability insurance for the land but the thing is they didn't know either. Not sure I'd be so cocksure when driving my own wagon.

[Goaty]

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

 

Or borrow a mates/someone in the office card. Its still possible to get round it illegally. I myself due to multiple DVLA incompetence's had two digi tacho cards for a year. I never abused mine. But I could of driven 2 trucks at once. I reckon there is a few duplicates out there.

It is a pain getting a different driver if your arb and wanting a trailer towing or a chipper. To have the automatic B+E on passing car test the driver needs to be about 35 yrs+ old.(off top of my head)

Who wants the extra headache of a test for something you will "probably not use"

[Stubby]

Talking of DVLA incompetence , anyone sent their license off for renewal and it come back with some categorys missing ? Point in case is the police motor cyclist whose license came back without his bike entitlement . He had to take his test again FFS !

[eggsarascal]

Talking of DVLA incompetence , anyone sent their license off for renewal and it come back with some categorys missing ? Point in case is the police motor cyclist whose license came back without his bike entitlement . He had to take his test again FFS !

 

Yep it happend to me. Trailer category missing! Fortunately I worked for a utility compay at the time, they took photo copies of our licences every 12 months, so I had proof that it was on the licence that was sent away. Always get a copy of your licence before you send it to the DVLA!

[wicklamulla]

Talking of DVLA incompetence , anyone sent their license off for renewal and it come back with some categorys missing ? Point in case is the police motor cyclist whose license came back without his bike entitlement . He had to take his test again FFS !

 

 

 

yep i remember this happened to alot of people including the copper mentioned above. Apparently some people produced copies of their old license and DVLA refused to accept that as evidence and wanted their motorcycle test pass certificate as definite proof !! this was no good for a mate of mine as he had passed his test 20+ years previous so lost his entitlement.