Two-up drivers rest breaks
While two-up drivers must never exceed the working hours mandated by their particular work/rest option, there are no set short rest requirements for drivers operating in a BFM two-up arrangement. In other words, you do not have to take a break after or within the first 6 ¼ hours and so on.
However, it is important for drivers and other parties in the chain of responsibility, working under this arrangement to keep to the general duties provided for in the law.
Operators accredited under BFM are entitled (and encouraged) to install their own short rest break requirements.
Under the CoR it is the;
228 Duty of driver to avoid driving while fatigued
(1) A person must not drive a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle on a road while the person is impaired by fatigue and
229 Duty of party in the chain of responsibility to prevent driver driving while fatigued
(1) A party in the chain of responsibility (a party) for a fatigue-regulated heavy vehicle must take all reasonable steps to ensure a person (the other person) does not drive the vehicle on a road while the other person is impaired by fatigue.
If you don’t show that you have taken rest breaks, it is entirely feasible that Inspectors or other Authorities could rule you as working while fatigued.
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I think you are totally wrong here! Your assumption seems to me to be based on the fact there is no short rest breaks listed in the BFM table for two up. It is ridiculous for you to suggest that drivers may drive in excess of the 6,9 & 12 Hr rules that underpin the BFM level. By doing so you put drivers at risk of penalties because I can guarantee that any enforcement officer will immediately issue fines on viewing your diary.
The point of the post was to show that although there is no mandated rest and work times periods, both the driver and operator have obligations under the CoR to ensure that drivers do not drive while fatigued.
when i 2 up’d we did a 7 hr shift with a small break so as too keep work dairy was good
Has the NHVR verified that there is no short rest breaks applicable to BFM two up driving? It seems strange that the short rest breaks for Standard are uniform across its three variations yet you suggest they are not for the two variations of BFM. As i said, I believe that is an assumption based purely on the fact the short rest breaks are not physically printed in the table and have been simply left out to make room for other important information regarding longer durations and required breaks. My interpretation, as per probably 90% of others would be (including… Read more »
Can a Standard and Bfm driver two up together?
If the BFM driver took all required breaks and then reverted to standard hours, the drivers could drive two up under the standard hours option. There is no way two up drivers can operate on on different work/rest options.
That doesn’t make sense! Surely, the standard driver would get better rest breaks.
Ok! Explain properly.
Does the resting driver off duty in the resting area of the cab, have to break his or hers rest when requested by authority?