Effective communication is at the heart of everything we do. We want our drivers to be well equipped to do an outstanding job for our clients - and that means we must keep you well informed and well trained.
In this section you’ll find details of courses and workshops we’re running, updates on new regulations and legislation, plus items relating to current concerns and best practice.
Free Digital Tacho Training - normal cost £129 per candiate
As a specialist driving agency, 24-7 Drivers are committed to improving service standards within the industry and are delivering complimentary digital tachograph training courses for our clients and drivers in line with this. These courses take place on a quarterly basis, or can be delivered on site by a qualified member of our team for up to 16 people.
Please call the office to find out details of the next local course. If you would like to arrange a complimentary course at your site, simply click here and someone will come back to you.
This course has been designed to enable you to carry out your duties effectively knowing that you are in full compliance with current UK and EU legislation for digital tachographs.
Course content:
- Employers responsibilities
- Drivers responsibilities
- The digital tachograph
- Centre field information
- New drivers hours regulations
This programme will help you navigate your way through the legislative requirements for the digital tachograph use, maximum allowed duties and driving times. In addition the course will show you how to download, read and interpret digital tachograph data as well as many other ways to ensure that you remain within the law.
Ignorance of the law is no defence and tachograph infringements carry a fine of up to £2,500!
Drivers hours in a nutshell
At 24-7 Drivers we pride ourselves on providing you with up to date information on legislation and like to offer help whenever we can. Please see below a summary of the driver’s hours amendment from the EU regulation 3820/85 that came into force on the 11th April 2007 affecting all drivers.
- Daily Driving - 9 hours can be extended to 10 hours twice a week
- Weekly Driving - Weekly driving time maximum limit of 56 hours
- Fortnightly Driving - Maximum 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks
- Breaks from Driving - After 4½ hours driving, you must take a break of at least 45 minutes. The break may be split throughout the 4½ hours into 2 periods. The first being 15 minutes and the second 30 minutes.
- Daily Rest - 11 hours per 24 hours from the end of the last daily/weekly rest period. Can be reduced to 9 hours 3 times per week, no compensation for the reduction is required.
- Split Daily Rest - Must be increased to 12 hours if taken as a split rest. The 12 hours can then be split in two periods. The first period must be at least 3 hours and the second at least 9 hours.
- Weekly Rest - After working a maximum of 6 days a Weekly rest period of 45 hours must be taken. This can be reduced to no less than 24 hours but the reduction shall be compensated for ‘en bloc’ (in one go) and attached to a weekly rest period within the following fortnight.
We hope you have found this summary useful, although a more detailed version of the changes can be obtained from the office on request, and a member of the operations team will be glad to run through this with you if you have any other questions.
For more up to date information on this subject or similar legislation changes please click on the logo for our associate membership with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
The Drivers CPC - what does it mean?
The Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) will be implemented for LGV Drivers from September 2009. The aim is to raise the standard of professional drivers by maintaining skills and knowledge levels, and will be compulsory for all LGV drivers to undertake in order to continue in the profession.
Existing drivers won’t lose their licence, but will be required to complete a total of 35 hours of periodic training within 5 years of the implementation date (by September 2014) to update their knowledge and skills in light of new technologies and legislation.
The Driving Standards Agency will run the CPC in the UK. Although they are still undergoing a period of consultation on the final implementation of the scheme, it would appear their intention is that each driver will ideally attend a 7 hour training day each year for 5 years. It is anticipated that each training day will cost £252.
Drivers will be issued with a Drivers Qualification Card (DQC) on completion of the 35 hours of training. All new drivers joining the industry will have to pass the Drivers CPC prior to driving LGV vehicles and will also have to complete the 35 hours training in the following 5 years.
For more up to date information on this subject or similar legislation changes, please click on the logo for our associate membership with the Freight Transport Association
Do you qualify for mileage allowance?
Google Maps is an easy-to-use website which calculates mileage in just two steps.
Click here and select the “Get directions” tab. Enter your home and destination address - and your mileage is calculated automatically. If this mileage is over 30 miles for a round trip, ask us about claiming a mileage allowance.
