A driver's obligation to keep a logbook

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In some circumstances, commercial drivers are exempted from the requirement to keep a logbook, for instance, where their job is to make deliveries in a vehicle able to be driven on a class 1 or class 2 licence within a 50 km radius of their usual business location.

The position changes if normally exempt drivers do a job within a cumulative work period, that requires them to keep a logbook. In that case, the logbook must be kept for the period covering the time it takes to do that job, and also for the entire cumulative work period. (Refer to section 4.1(1) of the Work Time and Logbooks Rule.) Note that a cumulative work period includes any driving work performed between two 24-hour rest breaks.

The following are examples where a logbook exemption no longer applies:

• A dispatcher is not normally required to keep a logbook. But if, on one or more days during a cumulative work period they drive a vehicle that requires them to maintain a logbook, they are then required to keep a logbook for the entire cumulative work period.
• A driver who drives a vehicle on a class 1 or class 2 licence undertaking local deliveries within a 50 km radius of their usual business location is normally exempt from maintaining a logbook. If, during the cumulative work period they drive a vehicle outside the 50 km radius from their usual business location, or drive a vehicle that is not exempt from the requirement to maintain a logbook at any time during the work period, a logbook must be kept for the entire cumulative work period.
• A mechanic is normally exempt from maintaining a logbook under section 4.6(5) of the Work Time and Logbooks Rule provided any driving occurs within a 50 km radius of the normal usual business location. But this is no longer the case when, within a cumulative work period, they are required to drive a vehicle that is subject to work time more than 50 km from their usual business location. A logbook must be kept for this journey and for all work that occurs during the cumulative work period.
• A driver of an urban bus is normally exempt from maintaining a logbook. If, however, a bus or any other vehicle that is not exempt from the requirement is driven at any time during the cumulative work period, then a logbook must be kept for the entire cumulative work period.

Keeping the logbook

A logbook must be maintained in accordance with the requirements of sections 5.2 and 5.3(1) of the Work Time and Logbooks Rule.

A logbook must provide a continuous record of all work, and rest, undertaken during a cumulative work period and must show:

• the registration plate details of all vehicles driven that are subject to work time, and
• the start and finish distance recorder readings for vehicles subject to road user charges, and
• the start and finish times and locations of all work times, and
• the start times and locations of all rest breaks.

Any secondary work must be recorded and, if a general use logbook is used, the activity grid must be completed.

Provided the work periods are separated by a minimum 10-hour break, there is no need to star t a new page for each cumulative work day if work star ts, finishes and then starts again on the same day. Nonetheless, the logbook page must show the full extent of the cumulative work day.

Page created: 2 May 2008