Different jurisdictions have guidelines about the maximum amount of time that drivers of heavy vehicles should spend working or training in order to manage fatigue. Drivers may, therefore, be required to maintain a diary (digital or hard copy) in order to document the amount of time that they spend performing each activity during their work day. This article discusses some of the information that drivers are trained to record as they perform their duties as heavy vehicle drivers:
Number Plate(s)
Heavy vehicle drivers should include the number plate of the vehicle in their daily diary. This information is necessary because anyone that is reviewing those records should know the specific vehicle that you were driving at a given time. Some drivers switch vehicles in the course of the day. Including the number plates of those vehicles, therefore, helps to clarify which vehicles you drove on a given day.
Odometer Readings
It is also important for you to note down the odometer readings at the key points during your work day. For example, you should note the reading when you start and end your shift. Similarly, you should record the odometer readings when you stop to rest or when you change vehicles. This information helps to confirm that you rested at the intervals that are recommended for managing fatigue.
Locations
You should also indicate the locations where different activities in your day took place. For instance, you can include the names of the different truck stops where you rested during your day. Such data can be used to corroborate the accuracy of the other information in your work diary. For instance, the actual distance between the rest stops should confirm that the odometer readings given are accurate.
Time Zones
Your assignments may involve driving the vehicle through different time zones. It may, therefore, become difficult to keep track of your driving and resting schedules if there is no point of reference regarding the time indicated in your work diary. Your employer or the guidelines of the authorities will suggest which time zone to indicate. For instance, you can convert all times to the time zone of your base station.
Providing inaccurate information in your work diary may attract heavy penalties and criminal charges. It is important for you to pay attention as you are being taught how to maintain a work diary. That information, together with all the skills you will be taught as you undergo heavy combination truck training, will make your driving career incident-free.
Contact a company that offers medium rigid truck training for more information and assistance.
Share
