How do stobarts get away with them hours.
They get away with nothing, that 9 hour rest period is at my discretion not their dictation.
If I'd wanted longer off, I could have said no but I'd rather start at 15:00 so, in the event of another 15hour shift I'll still be heading home by 6am on empty roads, say I'd started at 5pm instead,15hours later I'd be crawling home through morning rush traffic, half asleep, **** that!
The EU drivers hours regulations allow me to do three 15hour shifts with 9 hours rest on the trot, not safe imo but entirely legal in the eyes of the authority's! Absurd but there you go.
An hgv driver normally is required 11 hours rest in any 24hour working period but he can reduce that to 9hours upto three times in a given week.
In fairness to Stobart, they don't and wouldn't insist on what rest I take nor do they apply any pressure to do so, it's the drivers choice if he reduces his rest period or not.
In the past, I've worked for some hauliers who don't appreciate this and try to make drivers reduce against their will, I'm not afraid to say no!
Many people don't appreciate that whilst hgv drivers are indeed strictly regulated, the hours we can legally work are long and the down time relatively short.
As an example, 90 hour driving limit over a fortnight (just driving nothing else included in that like breaks, waiting time and other work) most people don't work 45hour weeks!
I have signed an opt out from the night workers directive, quite legally, it's a necessity of the nature of my job alas.
When I posted this morning, I was home and out with my two dogs in the garden, I then had my tea (end of my day if you will) and then went to bed, I was up again @14:00 and in work for 15:00, I'm now sat waiting at my delivery in St Albans.....
Fat Controller. Actually not so fat these days but that is something else you need to watch on nights, especially when energy ebbs away at 0300/0400. Don't hit the chocolate bars - I went through a phase when I was eating a Cadburys Boost bar most nights, horrible sickly stuff, cholesterol in a wrapper. Now I try and stick with fruit plus a decent sandwich and a yoghurt which is much healthier.
