There is nothing more important than sticking to the legislation rules set by the government to ensure HGV drivers like yourself remain safe and secure at all times.
As a HGV driver you will already be aware of the driving rules that surround the amount of time you can drive your vehicle at any one time. GOV.uk have outlined the number of hours and breaks you should be having when transporting goods on the roads.
According to GOV.uk, “A break is any period during which a driver may not carry out any driving or any other work and which is used exclusively for recuperation. A break may be taken in a moving vehicle, provided no other work is undertaken.”
You should drive no more than 4.5 hours, after this an uninterrupted break of 45 minutes should be taken unless you take a rest period. There are of course a number of ways you can take your 45-minute break. For example, one break of at least 15 minutes followed by another break of at least 30 minutes is allowed. You ‘wipe the slate clean’ if you have taken your 45-minute break (or breaks that make up 45 minutes) before or at the end of a 4.5 hour driving period. A reminder that this is only a very quick summary and you should look to the GOV.uk website for more information, www.gov.uk/drivers-hours.
It’s the tachograph that records all information about your driving time, speed and distance. It is used to ensure all drivers are sticking to the rules on drivers’ hours. There are 2 types of tachograph, analogue and digital. As of May 2006 all commercial vehicles must be fitted with a digital tachograph. Although an analogue tachograph can still be used. Take a look on GOV.uk’s website for more useful information on tachographs, https://www.gov.uk/tachographs
