Dopey tacho question from newbie

Just started my first job (on Monday) for agency, pallets, did my tacho print off as requested and Monday and Tuesday both show Out of Regulation. This is for several reasons I think, mainly being ‘I had no clue how to work it’, ‘I put myself under massive pressure not to screw up the job/hit something/get lost’, and ‘I just got chucked in at the deep end and boiled alive’. And I was too busy looking everywhere else I forgot to look up at the tacho ticker.

I think I went over my drive time by about 20 mins, or possibly screwed up the WTD, or something.

My question is should I be writing something on the back, or recording anything somewhere else? And will I get any backlash for it?

I’ve sussed it now and it shouldn’t happen again, just worried that I ought to be writing something somewhere.

(I await flaming and eye-rolling but be gentle, I’m only little!)

Not enough info here really to say what, if anything, you have done wrong. I suggest you don’t worry about it, if there is a problem then the obligation is on the operator to identify it, explain what you have done wrong and ensure that you have understood it. However I doubt you will hear anything further about it, and DVSA target drivers who deliberately flout the law, not newbies who make innocent mistakes through inexperience.

If forgetting to look up at the tacho unit to monitor your driving time etc is an issue,can you not have a fiddle with the dash display settings and get the tacho information on there?Then it’s in front of you and easier to keep tabs on rather than remembering to look up.I don’t know what you’re driving,but every truck I’ve driven with a digital tachograph has been able to show driving time since last tacho mode change,break taken since last reset,and total driving time since last reset.These all reset to zero once you have taken a 45 min break or a 15 then 30 min break.Hopefully that makes sense?

Personally, I ignored the tacho completely. Knowing I had a max of four and a half hours drive time, I planned a 15 minutes break after two/two and a half hours work. Then, after another two/two and a half hours work I’d have my 30.

Not right, not wrong. Just different ways of doing the job.

Don’t worry about it mate, it aint ‘dopey’ we all have to learn.
When I changed from analogue to digital I hadn’t a ■■■■ clue and it took me 2 days to suss it. :blush: , and I aint a newbie by any means…although sometimes dopey. :smiley:

Following on from what Harry said, and do 2 printouts and write on them explaining your difficulties, about being new etc, and showing you understand you have gone over your driving time. It was a genuine error and that explanation should suffice to satisfy the powers that be.
Keep one yourself and hand the other to your tm.

As for wtd, don’t bother your arse mate too much about that, it’s all ■■■■■■■■ anyway, and afaik nobody has been fined for it let alone hanged, I don’t worry about it myself. (…maybe that’s bad advice as it’s only my personal opinion, wait for the experts to come on, and listen to them not me on the wtd bit btw :laughing: )

Just keep asking other drivers about all aspects of the job, 90% will help you.
Stick in.

It’s not really possible to say whether or not you need to write anything on the printout without knowing whether or not you’ve done anything wrong.

Check the printout to see if you’ve done anything wrong, if you can’t read the printout you could scan it and post it here so we can tell you if you’ve done anything wrong.

Everyone was new to the job once so don’t let it get you down.

Good luck :wink:

Who or what told you out of regulation?
If they’ve been analyised by the agency then they should at least tell you where you went wrong.
Is it using the tacho itself, 2 main makes and differ slightly how they work or is it keeping a check on hours you’re having problems with?

Personally I think you prioritised the correct things of not trying to hit anything, screw up, over getting the tacho right. :wink:
I do remember my first days out on multi drop trying to keep a track of hours, and that was before they threw WTD on top.

I think as others have said keep it simple,
Maybe when you start work, work out what time it will be in 6 hours and make sure you get a break before then that will sort out keeping an eye of WTD if you’re not doing many hours driving.
If you’re doing a lot of driving then you will get the tacho flashing a warning at you at 4:15, but try and plan ahead of that as it’s not always possible to find somewhere to stop in 15 minutes.
As somebody said if you’re driving a reasonably specced modern truck, you can get a display on the dashboard with all your drive time and breaks.

as harry says they are not interested in first day or week faults, the first digi I drove was from the yard to the ferry, went to bed got up drove off into Holland stopped within the first half hour only to find the tacho had reverted to other work not rest as the old one had done, dutch ministry man said 40 euros each as double manned with both cards in But as we were all good with the rest of the 28 days and he was teaching (a very nice young lady) in the art of catch the brits, he let us off saying we all have to learn, shaking of the hands all round and good bye, relax and enjoy the ride, rushing only confuses the brain, whats not done today will get there tomorrow or the next day.

I had a big gap from driving trucks from about 1995 until 2005 ish and so went straight from 10 years of not driving a truck at all and being given a truck with digi tacho! I made a complete dogs breakfast of it!
I can remember taking my break on dinner time one particular day and I’d sat there a good 20 minutes before I realised I’d not actually put it on break!
Another balls up saw me take a 15 and then I wondered why my red driving time message was flashing up on the dash after 4.30 drive time. :laughing: You’l also leave your card in all night on other work sooner or later!
We all gota start somewhere. As Harry said above, dont beat yourself about it, DVSA are looking for the real ■■■■ takers, not drivers who make a genuine mistake and new to the job!
These days I occasionally get a crapagram from the analysis company if I go over my WTD break by 2 minutes, I ■■■■ you not! :laughing: