Another digital tacho question

[Limestone Cowboy]

I have been out of the game for a while so please excuse me, not fully up on the latest regs.

You can find the latest regs here

[Deepinvet]

I've just had a another quick lok at the VOSA regs (revised 2007) and you are correct.
But they do slightly contradict them selves buy saying under the heading 'Breaks'.... After a driving period of no more than 4.5 hours, a driver must immediately take a break of at least 45 mins, unless he takes a rest period. A break taken in this way must not be interupted.
It then gives a few examples, none that really help.
But then further down the page it does go on about 'wipping the slate clean'
thanks for the help guys

[Coffeeholic]

I've just had a another quick lok at the VOSA regs (revised 2007) and you are correct.
But they do slightly contradict them selves buy saying under the heading 'Breaks'.... After a driving period of no more than 4.5 hours, a driver must immediately take a break of at least 45 mins, unless he takes a rest period. A break taken in this way must not be interupted.

There is no contradiction. If you have done the first period as 4.5 hours driving without a break then you must take a full 45 minute break at that point and cannot interrupt it. At the end of the 45 minutes you have another full 4.5 hour period available before a break is required. If you drive for 2 hours, take 15 minutes, drive for 2.5 hours and take 30 minutes break, at the end of the 30 minutes you will have 4.5 hours available before another break is required.

[Shrek]

Would I be right in thinking the only major change here is that the 3 15min breaks has been scrapped in favour of 1 15min and 1 30min break? I'm thinking the 30min break must be the 2nd one? After that there's another 4.5hrs of driving time. Am I right?

[Coffeeholic]

Would I be right in thinking the only major change here is that the 3 15min breaks has been scrapped in favour of 1 15min and 1 30min break? I'm thinking the 30min break must be the 2nd one? After that there's another 4.5hrs of driving time. Am I right?

Spot on, provided you still have 4.5 hours of the daily limit available.

[rogerreno]

Hanson said;

wat im saying is that there is a fault on the siemans because it say on clock face say 4.30 driving then when you do a print out it says you have done 4.45 they have been changed now we have a different make in i know a couple of lads with new scanias this has happened to.

Not heard of this happening with VDO's, have heard about it with Stoneridge VU's, Stoneridge are the usual OE fit for Scania. Basically, there was a mismatch between the time values stored in the data memory and those displayed on the LCD, before anybody asks, the stored values were correct, the displayed values were not. This mainly effected vehicles used in multi-drop type operations and operators were issued replacement VU's via Scania with upgraded software that resolved the problem. It was not possible to install the software to the VU due to the electronic security measures present in the VU software.

Sorry to bring up an old topic but I was just after a bit of advise...pretty much what Hanson says is happening to my tacho.

I drive an 08 plate Scania 8 wheeler with a Stoneridge tacho fitted, this is the 3rd truck in our fleet that i've had as my regular ride (last 2 trucks sold and moved me into a newer one)

Now in the last 2 trucks and 18 months I didn't have 1 infringement (all fitted with the same Stoneridge digital tachos) , they're quite strict on tacho regs and even 1 overspeed results in loss of bonus so its kind of beneficial for me to be a good boy!!

I've have on a couple occasions (in my older trucks ) run up to 4.28 when trying to find somewhere to park and never had an issue, so when I took the 08 plate over at the start of the year it was just another Scania off the fleet....or so I thought...

So fast forward to March and I pull up for my break at 4.25, have 50 mins and off I go, no problem, or so I thought...until I get back to the yard, card downloaded (download cards every night) and I get the lovely message to say 'insufficient break in 1st period' (or something like that)

I inform my TM that I stopped at 4.25 and went back to the truck and did a printout, the drive time recorded on the VU totaled 4.32

When I questioned the fact something wasn't right with it I was told "oh yeah, they do that sometimes, we've had them read upto 8 mins out before, but the new software should have sorted it and according to Stoneridge the display is only to be used as a guide as its not accurate"

I was then handed my 'non conformance' and had my bonus stopped for the quarter

From then on I've been stopping at 4.20ish for my my break and had no problem, until last Thursday when I when I pulled up at 4.20 for my break, had around 55 mins and then carried on for the afternoon.

I get back to the yard, put my card in the machine and what pops up on the screen??? Thats right, INSUFFICIENT BREAK IN 1ST PERIOD again!!

Again, I question it, go and do another printout and drive time recorded yet again is 4.32.

So now the display has under read by 12 mins, I asked them to get it checked out and all I get back is "It'll be down to 'rounding up', i've spoken to Scania and its got the latest software on it and I've spoken to Stoneridge technical and they've said again that the display is only to be used as a 'guide' so there's nothing more I can do"

I likened it to going to a cashpoint and on the machine the display says you're going to withdraw £20 but it only gives you £15....He said its nothing like??

I'm just struggling to get my head round the fact that this is supposed to be a legally calibrated machine, yet the display that tells you how much driving you've done is telling a different story to the unit that stores the information...which apparently is 'normal'???

So yet again, for the sake of 2 mins driving beyond my control i've lost my bonus....something doesn't seem right, I just want to know if theres anything else that can be done???

Thanks,

Roj

[bald bloke]

Just park up at 4.00 hrs then .

[rogerreno]

Just park up at 4.00 hrs then .

Thats one option!! I'm more bothered about whether i'm just being fobbed off with excuses or whether there is something wrong with the tacho unit...

[bald bloke]

Just park up at 4.00 hrs then .

Thats one option!! I'm more bothered about whether i'm just being fobbed off with excuses or whether there is something wrong with the tacho unit...

Well I don't know but something is not right somewhere.

[cav551]

What do you expect from something designed by a committee of politicians?

Time to wake it up by connecting it to the mains!

[klingon]

It needs to go back to main dealer to be recalibrated to go to other work

Was driving a brand new MAN TGA 440 with Siemens Digital tachograph, went in shoved in digi card, modded entry, went away did my checks. Finished my checks was told wouldnt be leaving for an hour so put it on POA, went away locked up cab to have a coffee and a chat.

Come back an hour later find tachograph on rest, think well musta put it on rest by mistake. Go out start doing my run, go to a place other work for 1hr unloading truck check before i leave cab its on other work, back in cab tacho an hour later it has been on rest for an hour.

Turns out with this siemens everytime you remove the key the tachograph will go onto rest and start flashing for about 10secs giving you the option to change it to another mode.

Is this a fault or new way they are setting them up. Its a pain in the arse because if you stop automatically goes to other work as usual, but as soon as the key is removed it goes onto rest, which is a pain because as soon as you remove the key the tachograph is no longer illuminated and you can't see it.

Spoke with TM about it thought it was strange knew nothing about it tho.