HGV drivers parking on the shoulder to stop hours?
Discussion
I see this quite a bit on various Police twitter feeds.
HGV drivers parking in dangerous locations, or even on the shoulder to stop the clock on their hours.
What's the protocol for this? I guess they have to plan ahead but if they are s
t and don't, do they get fined for breaching their hours? What if they get lost and over run a junction and have to drive 20 miles to the next turn off, or cant find anywhere to park?
What's the fine for breaching their hours? Are they fined by their job or is it some government department, and how big are the fines/prosecutions? And is it the driver or their company that get done?
Also, if they get stuck in a motorway closure, i've seen many of them with their engines off and stood around. Does this count as a rest because they are stuck in none moving traffic?
HGV drivers parking in dangerous locations, or even on the shoulder to stop the clock on their hours.
What's the protocol for this? I guess they have to plan ahead but if they are s
t and don't, do they get fined for breaching their hours? What if they get lost and over run a junction and have to drive 20 miles to the next turn off, or cant find anywhere to park?What's the fine for breaching their hours? Are they fined by their job or is it some government department, and how big are the fines/prosecutions? And is it the driver or their company that get done?
Also, if they get stuck in a motorway closure, i've seen many of them with their engines off and stood around. Does this count as a rest because they are stuck in none moving traffic?
The driver’s hours rules are enforced by the DVSA. The roadside penalties are £100, £200 or £300 and they are payable by the driver. Getting an infringement can lead to a public enquiry for the driver and/or the company. That is a bad thing. The records of the drivers hours are kept for atleast a year.
If you are over hours due to unforeseen circumstances that’s normally ok as long as you stop ASAP in a safe place and ideally document why (just a written note in a note book is ok). Unforeseen circumstances are a major crash, not rush hour traffic.
Sometimes the DVSA can be a pita, the driver need their licence to work and crashing whilst over hours would be a really bad thing, so that’s why drivers sometimes take breaks in places they probably shouldn’t.
If you are over hours due to unforeseen circumstances that’s normally ok as long as you stop ASAP in a safe place and ideally document why (just a written note in a note book is ok). Unforeseen circumstances are a major crash, not rush hour traffic.
Sometimes the DVSA can be a pita, the driver need their licence to work and crashing whilst over hours would be a really bad thing, so that’s why drivers sometimes take breaks in places they probably shouldn’t.
Regular infringements by a driver can lead to an interview with a Traffic Commissioner. They can remove your entitlement and releave you of lots of money .
Running out of hours due to unforseen circumstances does happen from time to time , you continue until you can find somewhere legal and safe to park . All within reason and you must record the reasons why , usually on a print out from the digital tacho or in the drivers log book or run sheets . Do it too often and get caught you will be invited for interview .
The authorities are clamping down where they can on trucks on the hard shoulder and slip roads , ordering them to move as well as issuing fines , more and more of them on the spot . If not paid they are accompanied to a parking area then "clamped " until the fines are paid . The "Clamps " are in fact security cables that are threaded in and out of several wheels around the truck , often the cables have brightly coloured sheaths on them so they cannot be missed .
Running out of hours due to unforseen circumstances does happen from time to time , you continue until you can find somewhere legal and safe to park . All within reason and you must record the reasons why , usually on a print out from the digital tacho or in the drivers log book or run sheets . Do it too often and get caught you will be invited for interview .
The authorities are clamping down where they can on trucks on the hard shoulder and slip roads , ordering them to move as well as issuing fines , more and more of them on the spot . If not paid they are accompanied to a parking area then "clamped " until the fines are paid . The "Clamps " are in fact security cables that are threaded in and out of several wheels around the truck , often the cables have brightly coloured sheaths on them so they cannot be missed .
lawrencec said:
I personally think its a bit of a money spinner and the lack of facilities with adequate parking for lorry drivers
No driver can plan for a unexpected delay
I follow as much as I can all the efforts of various groups to improve the facilities and number of stopping places for trucks .No driver can plan for a unexpected delay
The availability of parking in this country is very poor especially around London and the south East.
I have done research into parking areas provided by local authorities and the results are that most don't provide anything , a couple of areas that are renowned for being anti motorist actually have some very good facilities.
One county which has the largest number of trucks passing through recognised the problem 30+ years ago and in that time to availability of parking has diminished and the numbers of trucks has increased .
One of the political parties promised European type parking areas on our motorway and major routes but despite winning the following elections nothing has happened.
We even have the situation where at peak holiday times some of the motoway services close part of the truck parking areas to increase the space for cars and caravans . Yet trucks must stop for legal breaks and periods of rest but the spaces are being reduced . Even industrial estates are becoming more and more controlled with yellow lines and parking enforcement. So much so that if the drop off point won't or can't let you in you have to keep moving and risk infringements or risk a parking ticket .
There is a lot more poorly informed opinion here, than understanding. Broadly, I would say that unless you have an HGV licence and a tachograph card, you have little to no idea what you're talking about. Your opinion is of no worth and would be better kept to yourself.
Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
GC8 said:
There is a lot more poorly informed opinion here, than understanding. Broadly, I would say that unless you have an HGV licence and a tachograph card, you have little to no idea what you're talking about. Your opinion is of no worth and would be better kept to yourself.
Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
Genuinely don't see what your issue is. I don't see anything in this thread that's in any way doing drivers down or is born out of ignorance. Just a bunch of posts about how little parking there is and what a complete pain it is trying to find somewhere to stop for breaks.Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
agent006 said:
GC8 said:
There is a lot more poorly informed opinion here, than understanding. Broadly, I would say that unless you have an HGV licence and a tachograph card, you have little to no idea what you're talking about. Your opinion is of no worth and would be better kept to yourself.
Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
Genuinely don't see what your issue is. I don't see anything in this thread that's in any way doing drivers down or is born out of ignorance. Just a bunch of posts about how little parking there is and what a complete pain it is trying to find somewhere to stop for breaks.Learn by all means, but do it quietly and without making a fool of yourself.
He is a lorry driver, king of the road, little people get out of his way and all that...
I agree that the thread is well reasoned and explains some of the issues that the drivers do face.
I’m an HGV driver and have been in the job for nearly 20 years, and I’ve yet to have a break on the hard shoulder or a slip road purely because it’s stupid and illegal. This is usually a practice done by foreign drivers.
If I have to go over my hours be it a 4.5hr driving period, daily driving limit or spread over period the only thing to do is take a printout and write an explanation of why you’ve gone over your hours. Reasons could be being stuck in an accident, roadworks before a planned rest area impacting on your progress, no safe parking, breakdown etc.
Once I have stopped a printout of my day’s work to that point is taken and my explanation written on the reverse, I keep a 2nd copy for myself and hand one into the office once I return to base. It’s all about keeping records.
Don’t keep a record of that infringement and if stopped in the future it’s likely you will be fined, but if you can say ah yes officer on that date Took a printout and here it is with said explanation on the back.
However if you are doing this on a daily basis, then it won’t wash and you will likely be fined, and hauled up in front of the traffic commissioner
Recently I was stopped at the scene of a fatal accident and wasn’t allowed to pass for obvious reasons. As I drive a Heavy Haulage truck the diverted route wasn’t suitable (44t weight limit and I was running at 97t) so I had to park there until the road was reopened, in that instance I was going to get the traffic police officer to sign the printout if I was unable to sit there to have my time off. As it was I was there for 13 hours so my break was more than sufficient.
VOSA are now able to issue on the spot fines to us for drivers hours infringements, from things such as insufficient rest taken to down right tachograph manipulation, the former can be punished with fines starting at £100 the latter can be a jail term
VOSA, as much as I agree that they are clamping down on dodgy operators and drivers, which is a great thing, much of their officers don’t have a clue and read it from a book. Things like load security, some guys have been securing loads for years without incident, but because their book says it’s wrong they are fined. This I don’t agree with in the slightest. Experience wins every time in my opinion with some areas of the job
Any further questions fire away and I’ll answer them as best as I can
If I have to go over my hours be it a 4.5hr driving period, daily driving limit or spread over period the only thing to do is take a printout and write an explanation of why you’ve gone over your hours. Reasons could be being stuck in an accident, roadworks before a planned rest area impacting on your progress, no safe parking, breakdown etc.
Once I have stopped a printout of my day’s work to that point is taken and my explanation written on the reverse, I keep a 2nd copy for myself and hand one into the office once I return to base. It’s all about keeping records.
Don’t keep a record of that infringement and if stopped in the future it’s likely you will be fined, but if you can say ah yes officer on that date Took a printout and here it is with said explanation on the back.
However if you are doing this on a daily basis, then it won’t wash and you will likely be fined, and hauled up in front of the traffic commissioner
Recently I was stopped at the scene of a fatal accident and wasn’t allowed to pass for obvious reasons. As I drive a Heavy Haulage truck the diverted route wasn’t suitable (44t weight limit and I was running at 97t) so I had to park there until the road was reopened, in that instance I was going to get the traffic police officer to sign the printout if I was unable to sit there to have my time off. As it was I was there for 13 hours so my break was more than sufficient.
VOSA are now able to issue on the spot fines to us for drivers hours infringements, from things such as insufficient rest taken to down right tachograph manipulation, the former can be punished with fines starting at £100 the latter can be a jail term
VOSA, as much as I agree that they are clamping down on dodgy operators and drivers, which is a great thing, much of their officers don’t have a clue and read it from a book. Things like load security, some guys have been securing loads for years without incident, but because their book says it’s wrong they are fined. This I don’t agree with in the slightest. Experience wins every time in my opinion with some areas of the job
Any further questions fire away and I’ll answer them as best as I can
I'm in kind of the same boat as Martin above, but I drive coaches. Planning is all well and good until you arrive at the destination (often pre-planned by the transport manager) and it's all blocked up by cars, and the tacho is saying you're getting perilously close to your 4.5 or 9 hours. Sometimes you just have to go find somewhere else and parking a non-articulated machine 44ft long can get interesting sometimes. Hazards of the job I suppose, but the traffic officer isn's much fun at the side of the road
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