blast from the past who had or remembers using a tachrak was a good bit of kit & ahead of the time back then
When tachographs were first forced on hauliers on 31 December 1981, they were an almost universally unwelcome addition to the cab environment. In practice, however, the tachograph has unlocked a whole collection of useful management information, providing detailed statistics on vehicle use, wear and route times.
Tachograph manufacturers like VeederRoot now offer electro-mechanical tachographs which incorporate a self-checking system, an electronic quartz clock and a number of output sockets which allow tachograph information to be relayed to a personal computer for analysis without recourse to the tachograph chart.
Government legislation prohibits electronic tachographs. Foden’s electronic dash, first seen in this country last year at Tankcon, could be used to provide all the tachograph information currently required — and detailed information on vehicle performance including fuel consumption. It can also serve as a speed limiter. Ironically, an industry which was once so loathe to accept tachographs is now stymied by outdated Government controls.
One neat innovation which is used in conjuction with a tachograph, but which could be incorporated in an electronic tachograph, is the Tach: Trak which allows drivers accurately to calculate their driving hours.
The driver simply programmes the pocket-calculator-sized instrument with the details of his working day, including rest periods. Tacit Trak automatically sounds an alarm 15 minutes before the end of a permitted driving period.
Tach: Trak operates on three pen-light batteries which are claimed to give at least 12 months’ service; it also incorporates a seven-day memory so it can warn a driver of weekly, as well as daily, hours or rest offences.
The makers claim that its the major benefit is in optimising vehicle usage because drivers can accurately forecast how much driving time they have left. Tach: Trak is said to be in use with 15,000 drivers; it costs around £42 from Iveco Ford dealers.
