Rules for driving a 7.5 tonne lorry

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by Phil th Barrow

Oh this is nothing compared to what Vosa legislates. We (Iv had my licence HGV C+E for over 29 years.)… We are th most leglislated business in th world.. This isn't a flippant remark its fact.

Bit of info below. Also to add insult to injury, as said by others Working time directive (WTD) is also in with drivers hours.

Is a Driver CPC required to drive a 7.5-tonne truck?
Even if a driver passed their test before 1997, they will still have to complete 35 hours of Driver CPC training every five years if they want to drive a 7.5-tonne vehicle professionally, unless they are covered by an exemption.
Exemptions to the Driver CPC requirement include:
The vehicle has a maximum authorised speed of no more than 28mph
The vehicle is operated by the armed forces or emergency services
The vehicle is being driven as part of a test or for repair and maintenance purposes
The vehicle is new and is not yet in service
The vehicle is being driven for non-commercial purposes
The driver is carrying equipment for their work, where their work does not mainly involve driving (e.g. glazer, scaffolder).
The driver is only required to complete the Driver CPC if they are driving professionally, and will not need one of they are driving for personal use. A full list of Driver CPC exemptions can be found on the gov.uk website.

But... How I see it in a accident lets say and your load as caused it having no CPC isn't going to help. No tacho is going to look really bad as well. Vosa are self funded now and on th spot fines are FEARCE....

right I think these two give the answer, no I don't need a CPC. thanks Phil
The vehicle is being driven for non-commercial purposes

The driver is only required to complete the Driver CPC if they are driving professionally, and will not need one of they are driving for personal use.

macafee2

[Phil th Barrow]

Ok its your licence !!!... If your not been payed buy someone its personal use.

Is there a tacho in th truck? Is it digital? If its digital you need a digi card. DON'T borrow one. Either will need you to abide by drivers hours and WTD..

Lastly without CPC is it insured correctly. Its a mind field for sure... Good luck.

[The Rovering Member]

If it's a 7.5 ton, there definitely will be a tacho in it as it's mandatory & it almost definitely will be digital unless it's an extremely old lorry. If it's a hire truck, and l'm guessing it is, then the hire company will be wanting to see the drivers licence & will not hire it out if a class three is needed & the driver doesn't have one.
I'm not sure it's needed though & the tacho will record the run regardless despite the lack of a card.

In fact read here and you'll see it's not needed for private use:

http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=53565

[macafee2]

yes it would be a hired truck. Was wondering if I'd need 1 day or two day hire.
1 day / 24 hour hire would be hard work, 32 hour would be easy but 32 hour is 2 day.

Two day it may have to be, not looking to drive outside the law hence my post.
I've done long days before and had to take naps at services.

macafee2

[Phil th Barrow]

Hire company says "were is your tacho, and if so who's is it"....!!!!

Some basic rools.

You can drive up to 4 1/2 hours then take a 45 min break.

You can drive 9 hours total in a day... But these can be exstended twice in a week to 10 hrs after another 45 min break at 9 hours. Ie, a extra hour to get to base..

Now th Working time directive. WTD.

No matter what you have done in th first 6 hrs Ie, driving, having a lie down, smoking fags, telling jokes or digging a trench you must show a 1/2 hr break. Your still under scope..

Also WTD says you cannot do any more than a 15 hr day..... WHO DOES...?

I darn't mention th POA setting.. "Periods of availability" as that would be just to much. I'll let some one else av a go at that..... :-)

Lastly. What about hiring a driver then th miether ends there https://www.driverhire.co.uk/office/southampton/ There are many more providers too. I wish I was closer as id do it for you. Good luck.

[RPWC]

I looked this up recently as I applied for a job driving a 7.5 ton wagon while I wasnt working for myself during lockdown. As I already have a cpc for driving coaches, it covers me to drive professionally on the truck, but if I wanted to take my hgv test(already have provisional class 2 entitlement), I would need to complete extra parts of the cpc that cover the hgv part. To hire a 7.5 tonner to say move house, is for personal use aand therefore not for hire or reward, so no tachograph card or chart is needed, its the same rule that applies to horseboxes. Most if not all are fitted with tachho but not used.
However as a coach driver, albeit casual part time, I have to keep a written record of my self employment working hours as it comes under the "doing other work" section of tacho regulations. If I was to hire a 7.5 tonner myself for private use, I would use my digicard and adhere to the driving regs , just to keep on the right side of dvsa. They are now self funded so if I get stopped while driving professionally, any infringement can result in a £300 spot fine, and they can list up to 5 at once. Before you leave the base do a walk round check, make sure all lights work, wipers horn indicators, check tyres and all round the body as these are things the vehicle inspectorate will look at on a spot check

[Phil th Barrow]

Thanks Rich for your im put. We all forgot to mention th "walk around checks"... On your walk around check sheet if you were working professionally it has to be ticked off and signed by th driver. So inefect you are signing that th vehicle is road worthy when you leave to do your duty's. As Rich and I have said VOSA arnt payed buy th government any more and self funded. Defects are enforceable and fines do tot up. You can be impounded/fined for everyone's safety or worse.

Now because unscrupulous company's in th past flouted th rules. Ie, it was cheaper to pay th fine than lets say buy a tyre, a lot of this went on. Lets hope it is now thankfully all in th distant past.

Lastly id like to had this. I hope it dosn't send it into a political debate as its not intended too, so here goes.

Driving professionally in th UK is th most legislated profession in th world. It is not cheap to train yourself to th required standards. We are expected and rightly so to keep to th driving rules and working time directive whilst some unsrupalauss bosses/drivers want us to do more, and some drivers do also because of there pitiful hourly rate. So because there is a discrepancy between been a professional driver and them not been payed a professional's wage there is a 60,000 drivers short fall.

Th future.

It will be automation. Driverless trucks. Will it be safer??? Can driverless trucks do th "Last mile".. Not yet but they are learning.

Im just nipping off up windy hill now (M62). Be careful out there and have a safe one in what ever you all do.

[Avulon]

Originally Posted by macafee2

With having grand farther rights, do I need a CPC to drive for personal use a 7.5 tonne lorry?

How many hours per day can I drive?

Does not driving count as rest?

As it is for personal use do I need a tacho print out?

collect lorry at 8am, load 9-3pm, drive 2 hours, 15 minute break, drive 2 hours, unload lorry. Don't know how long to unload. Can I then drive 2 hours, 15 minute break, drive 2 hours? How long before I can next drive?
May need extra breaks on way home.

my "working day" if it starts at 8am when I collect the lorry could be 15-18 hours. Legally, is this too long?


macafee2

Despite the discussion on tachograph rules, and drivers hours and whether or not they apply in your case. Take a look at what you are proposing. Collecting the lorry at 8 am and variously loading or unloading ('other tasks') or driving or taking only very short breaks. Tottiing up the the hours you've given and allowing only 1 hour for the unknown unload time, I have your finishing after midnight. That's more than 16 hours start to finish. On drivers hours regulations you'd be busted well and truly - nevermind how dangerous it is. From a safety point of view please don't even consider this. In good health, fit and well rested I'd suggest no more than a 12 hour working day including breaks when driving is involved. When I was driving, breaks under tacho rules mean just that, no paperwork, no loading, no unloading and if the cab doesn't have a sleeper then out of the lorry. A 15 minute break is too short to be any benefit as well, 8am -3pm + 2 hours driving then only a 15 minute break? In reality your day's driving is about finished and you should have taken 45 minutes break much earlier.

[Avulon]

Originally Posted by Phil th Barrow

...

Th future.

It will be automation. Driverless trucks. Will it be safer??? Can driverless trucks do th "Last mile".. Not yet but they are learning.

Im just nipping off up windy hill now (M62). Be careful out there and have a safe one in what ever you all do.

Driverless trucks - known as trains. last mile by driven van. Let's get these big lorries off of the trunk roads and motorways.

[RPWC]

Originally Posted by Avulon

Despite the discussion on tachograph rules, and drivers hours and whether or not they apply in your case. Take a look at what you are proposing. Collecting the lorry at 8 am and variously loading or unloading ('other tasks') or driving or taking only very short breaks. Tottiing up the the hours you've given and allowing only 1 hour for the unknown unload time, I have your finishing after midnight. That's more than 16 hours start to finish. On drivers hours regulations you'd be busted well and truly - nevermind how dangerous it is. From a safety point of view please don't even consider this. In good health, fit and well rested I'd suggest no more than a 12 hour working day including breaks when driving is involved. When I was driving, breaks under tacho rules mean just that, no paperwork, no loading, no unloading and if the cab doesn't have a sleeper then out of the lorry. A 15 minute break is too short to be any benefit as well, 8am -3pm + 2 hours driving then only a 15 minute break? In reality your day's driving is about finished and you should have taken 45 minutes break much earlier.

As a sole driver, your total daily working allowance is 15 hours, on a two driver job it’s 21 hours,that has to include driving, other work and rest breaks I am not familiar with rules for non professional use, but I would certainly consider what has been said above and adhere to the 15 hour rule for safety reasons.