Hello all,
Still fairly new to this forum, I hope to post lots more to discuss in the future on various pet hates of mine, but for now let me give you all some information.
I work as a professional driver, for a company that handles demonstrator cars, based in Oxfordshire. This means I get to drive lots of nice new shiny cars all over the UK. Great job.....yes.....but it has it's moments of **** too, not least the ever increasing amount of traffic on the roads.
Having done the job for over 10 years now, I've been able to work out that annually I cover between 110,000 and 120,000 miles a year. Yeah we demo drivers laugh at all you sales reps claiming 'high mileages' of 45,000 lol!!
What I'm looking for are your thoughts regarding the amount of hours I'm having to work/drive on a daily basis. Generally I work 12-14 hours/day, but actual driving time can be as much as 12 hours in itself......or more. A run from Oxon to Inverness for example, starting at about midnight would take about 8 hours, obviously having at least one stop included. If the job itself was what we call a 'Key4Key', once I'd arrived at destination, I would simply swap the vehicles over, and then head back south, for the mammoth 10 hour drive back, again with at least one stop included.
Nowadays I would most likely enjoy a night out, although I would have to inform my company of this so they didn't plan me any work for the following day, which is perfectly acceptable, BUT, was wondering if there are any rules, or health and safely legislation to govern, or guide how long any working day, whilst driving should be? Does anyone out there know for sure?
I'm wondering more and more about this these days, because a simple job into London and back out again, could take as long as 6 hours these days, only a round trip of approx. 140 miles, but that would just be morning work for guys like me, afterwards I could easily have a delivery to Manchester and a collection from Liverpool after that, all to be done in a certain time frame too.
Thoughts??
Still fairly new to this forum, I hope to post lots more to discuss in the future on various pet hates of mine, but for now let me give you all some information.
I work as a professional driver, for a company that handles demonstrator cars, based in Oxfordshire. This means I get to drive lots of nice new shiny cars all over the UK. Great job.....yes.....but it has it's moments of **** too, not least the ever increasing amount of traffic on the roads.
Having done the job for over 10 years now, I've been able to work out that annually I cover between 110,000 and 120,000 miles a year. Yeah we demo drivers laugh at all you sales reps claiming 'high mileages' of 45,000 lol!!
What I'm looking for are your thoughts regarding the amount of hours I'm having to work/drive on a daily basis. Generally I work 12-14 hours/day, but actual driving time can be as much as 12 hours in itself......or more. A run from Oxon to Inverness for example, starting at about midnight would take about 8 hours, obviously having at least one stop included. If the job itself was what we call a 'Key4Key', once I'd arrived at destination, I would simply swap the vehicles over, and then head back south, for the mammoth 10 hour drive back, again with at least one stop included.
Nowadays I would most likely enjoy a night out, although I would have to inform my company of this so they didn't plan me any work for the following day, which is perfectly acceptable, BUT, was wondering if there are any rules, or health and safely legislation to govern, or guide how long any working day, whilst driving should be? Does anyone out there know for sure?
I'm wondering more and more about this these days, because a simple job into London and back out again, could take as long as 6 hours these days, only a round trip of approx. 140 miles, but that would just be morning work for guys like me, afterwards I could easily have a delivery to Manchester and a collection from Liverpool after that, all to be done in a certain time frame too.
Thoughts??