Randonneur Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 I had a phonecall this morning from a friend who was returning to the UK after having the Easter Holiday down here. He was in a car towing a box trailer. He noticed something was wrong with the car and managed to get to Warwick services and found that it was a wheel bearing that had gone. He phoned the breakdown service and had to wait until the appropriate vehicle was available (this would also happen in the case of it being a motorhome) and when it arrived he was informed that he could only be taken 60 miles and not to his home near Manchester. The reason being that the recovery vehicle had no tachograph. He was taken to Stafford and had to wait for another recovery vehicle there. When it arrived the driver stated that he had to have a 45 minute break as he had already been on 2 breakdowns and was working on tacho. After the appropriate time they were recovered to their home. I am only posting this in case anyone who has a motorhome and breaks down (hopefully not) is aware of the new!!! law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 I guess you were just unlucky! But I don't thing there's much new about this - LCVs (light Commercial Vehicles) over 3.5 tonnes MAM/GVW have had to have tachographs fitted for some considerable time. We're fortunate, in a way, that mtorhomes are specifically excluded form having to do so and that even applies to the huge Yankee rigs of over 7.5 tonnes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Mel E, I think you have got the wrong end of the stick. It was a friend who was towing a box trailer HIS car. If a motorhome has a breakdown and has to be recovered home then the appropriate RECOVERY VEHICLE can only travel for 60 miles if they haven't got a tacho, if they have then they have to abide by the "tacho rules". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 I'm surprised that a recovery vehicle capable of recovering a car and trailer can do so without requiring a tachograph. When the car is loaded onto the recovery truck, even if it is under 3500KGs gross, adding the trailer will almost certainly put it into tachograph territory. I'm also puzzled as to why a recovery vehicle without tacho can only take your friend 60 miles. If he doesn't have a tacho fitted then there are effectively no limits to his driving hours and distance he can cover. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Will be speaking to him this evening when he has gotten over his trip and will pose the same questions and let you know. I will also find out who his Breakdown cover is with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteS Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 " I'm also puzzled as to why a recovery vehicle without tacho can only take your friend 60 miles. If he doesn't have a tacho fitted then there are effectively no limits to his driving hours and distance he can cover." I will stand corrected but it may have something to do with driving either under UK or EU regs. Some of our bus services have been re-arranged i.e. halfway through the journey the service number changes so as to keep the driver under UK driving rules. EU driving regs hours are shorter. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Under current taco rules driving hours permit 9 hours driving daily which can be extended to 10 hours twice a week after 4/5 hours driving a compulsory brake must be taken of 45 minutes, breaks can be taken before 4/5 hours driving but not less than 15 minutes per break .after 45 minutes of breaks have taken the slate is wiped clean so another 4/5 hour driving duty can be worked drivers have to have a minimum of 11 hours off between shifts this can be reduced to 9 hours at home or 8 hours away from home twice a week provided the dropped rest hours are added to the next 11hour break. most drivers can cover quite a distance in a working day under these rules so 60 miles seems a bit odd !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Do recovery vehicles have to have tacho's? I know there are some different regs aplying to them, i.e. I don't think they require any form of MOT test, at least that was what the driver of last one I rode in told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 I work in the vehicle breakdown and recovery industry and thought I would try and clarify this matter for you. Up to 11th April, 2007 specialised recovery vehicles could carry out recoveries to where ever with out the use of tachograph driving hour laws but were governed by the domestic driving hours. However on the 11th April, 2007 the new driving hours regulations came into force which now encompassed recovery vehicle drivers. Recovery vehicle drivers are exempt from using tachographs if staying with 100km [as the crow flies] of their base. We would ask all broken down clients to have patience with recovery companies whilst we try to come to terms with the new driving hours. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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