Digital Tachograph Rules and Regs

[6RCS27@CW]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms what I can and what I cannot do with regard to the Digi-Card please.
ie What mode is is to be on when Driving
What mode when loading/unloading
What mode when on break.

Also is there a difference between the max hours per week when driving compared to when working.
I know that 48hrs comes into it somewhere but the last thing I want is to get pulled over bt the police /VOSA and be told that I am over my allowable hours when I am miles from home.
Thanx in advance.

[Buenchico]

Driving: Set to 'Driving' (steering wheel symbol)
Loading/unloading: Set to 'Other work' (crossed hammers symbol)
Breaks: Set to 'Break or Rest' (bed symbol)

For the purposes of tachograph legislation, a week starts on a Monday and finishes on a Sunday. The maximum driving time in any one week is 56 hours but the maximum in any fortnight is 90 hours.

Lots more detail here:
http://online.busines...hs_Goods_vehicles.pdf

Chris

[sddsddean]

The tacho rules are supposed to be simple, but when you get into what rules you can 'break or bend' it starts getting complicated. (for example, in Chris' example, you can only drive for 9 hrs per day, but twice a week you are allowed to drive 10 hrs, hence the 56hrs). You would be much better off getting a book on the rules from RTA or someone. As such, the rules for a Digicard are exactly the same as for a analogue chart. The main problem my colleagues have is that you cannot set a digitach to default to reast when you stop...you have to rememeber to change the mode. As with an analogue, it will automatically got to 'driving' as soon as you move. Next problem with a digitach; if you move bit by bit (like in a queue on the motorway), the digitach decides you have driven for 1 minute. You can easily reach your driving time, so watch it! Personally i don't know why the things were invented. Everyone I know has problems with them and the old charts were so easy to use, but thats 'European' progress for you!

[Hopkirk]

No need to set to 'Driving' (actually you can't select this)

Set to cross hammers (other work) for all work including driving.
It automatically records as driving when you move.

Set to bed symbol for breaks.

[Hopkirk]

I have to politely disagree with sddsddean, as I far prefer the modern digicard to the old steam driven paper tacho system.

It works out your breaks for you, so no more sitting around for a few extra minutes just in case. Also it stops recording you as driving when you stop for a short period. With a paper tacho you never knew how they would read the chart for short stops, so you didn't know how many driving hours you had done.

Since the last software update on my digitacho, it does default to break every time I turn the ignition off, which is what sddsddean wants, so perhaps that is coming your way soon. It is with the software that insists on a 30 minute second break.

6RCS27@CW, don't worry about the 48 hour rule. That is a European Working Time regulation for working hours, not driving hours. It restricts you to an average of 48 hours per week over a 17 week period. You can actually work 60 hours in any week, and that does not include breaks.

Also if you have long periods of sitting around doing nothing (EG waiting in a big queue to be unloaded) you can record these as 'periods of availability'. POAs are recorded using the third mode, a square with a diagonal line across it. POAs are also not included in your 60 hours maximum.

[sddsddean]

They must be ironing the bugs out then Hopkirk. Personally I like old fashioned stuff that works, so we'll just have to agree to disagree! If I didn't have to work for a living, I think I'd be one of the ones giving up driving when the Driver CPC needs renewing in 2014. More expense to have some spotty faced herbert to try and tell me how to drive when I've been doing it for 20+ years!

[Hopkirk]

All that faffing around with charts, making sure you have the last 28 days and have returned all the others.

Writing all that centrefield stuff when all you want is to pour yourself a coffee.

Setting a timer to try (unsuccessfully) to keep track of your driving hours.

Getting infringement notices because you missed off some tiny bit of unimportant info off the centrefield, or accidentally went half a mm over the dotted line with your name.

All I have now is a card. Oh, so much better! I can't believe you prefer the old charts.

We will have to agre to differ.