Got a problem, 12 days ago my Digital Tachograph card went kaput and started throwing up loads of errors and it was entirely unusable.
Rang up the DVLA helpline, reported it as malfunctioning, got a reference number and a link to the form, downloaded it in the office and sent it off recorded delivery, with my old card, the same day.
Been doing my printouts like a good boy etc and waiting for it to turn up. This afternoon I started getting a bit nervous as I suddenly realised that my 14 days is up on Thursday.
Rang up the DVLA Digital Tachograph helpline and spoke to the kind person there, yes the card has been received, no issues etc, but it seems to have got lost in the system somewhere and forgotten about, he promised he’d get back to me, but this was about 4pm and I heard nothing tonight.
Assuming it doesn’t come by the Thursday morning post, what am I to do, just tell the boss that I can’t work anymore as we have no analogue vehicles? I can’t really afford to go loosing pay just because my card isn’t back, and I’m pretty certain the DVLA aren’t going to compensate me.
Can’t you put manual entries in the digi tacho while the replacement is sent to you? I’m pretty sure you can because when my dad started back at where he is, his digi tacho malfunctioned and had to send off for a replacement and he still was able to work and he was driving a rental truck with the digi tacho in so in that in mind i’d talk to your boss about it see if he can help
Yes you can mate but only for 14 days, after that my understanding is that manual entries because you haven’t got a card is permitted.
I was wondering if anyone knew the actual legal standing on it?
Alex
It isn’t going to be back this side of Easter, so I would just do the printouts and argue the toss if stopped, you have a record of the phone calls to DVLA. They have told him it got lost in the internal system
Can you just make a manual entry on a paper tacho for the vehicle? Vaguely remember hearing you can depending on what you’re transporting, but don’t know for sure.
Squiddy:
Can you just make a manual entry on a paper tacho for the vehicle? Vaguely remember hearing you can depending on what you’re transporting, but don’t know for sure.
Yes but only for 15 days as has been said in this thread a few times
Squiddy:
Can you just make a manual entry on a paper tacho for the vehicle? Vaguely remember hearing you can depending on what you’re transporting, but don’t know for sure.
No, you can continue to drive for 15 days after the card malfunctions, is lost or stolen by making a printout at the start and end of the shift. After 15 days if you continue to do that you commit an offence. You cannot continue to drive and make manual entries on a paper chart.
Squiddy:
Can you just make a manual entry on a paper tacho for the vehicle? Vaguely remember hearing you can depending on what you’re transporting, but don’t know for sure.
Yes but only for 15 days as has been said in this thread a few times
My 14 days is up tomorrow and my card is still not back, work have said I will not work after tomorrow as they wont risk me being pulled but one the office bods(ex driver) seems to think they can send me out on analogue while I wait, I am not sure how accurate his info is, and the gaffa just said under no circumstance will I drive until its back but I never thought of using analogue after 15 days. Wouldnt it still be an offence seeing as if issued with a digi card we have to carry them by law even if not using one?
OllieNotts:
My 14 days is up tomorrow and my card is still not back, work have said I will not work after tomorrow as they wont risk me being pulled but one the office bods(ex driver) seems to think they can send me out on analogue while I wait, I am not sure how accurate his info is, and the gaffa just said under no circumstance will I drive until its back but I never thought of using analogue after 15 days. Wouldnt it still be an offence seeing as if issued with a digi card we have to carry them by law even if not using one?
You can drive an analogue while you wait for the card. If you are stopped in a control you won’t be committing an offence by not having your digi card with you as you currently don’t actually have one so can’t carry with you what you don’t have. VOSA will know this if they check as it will be recorded that your card was lost, stolen or malfunctioned.
OllieNotts:
My 14 days is up tomorrow and my card is still not back, work have said I will not work after tomorrow as they wont risk me being pulled but one the office bods(ex driver) seems to think they can send me out on analogue while I wait, I am not sure how accurate his info is, and the gaffa just said under no circumstance will I drive until its back but I never thought of using analogue after 15 days. Wouldnt it still be an offence seeing as if issued with a digi card we have to carry them by law even if not using one?
You can drive an analogue while you wait for the card. If you are stopped in a control you won’t be committing an offence by not having your digi card with you as you currently don’t actually have one so can’t carry with you what you don’t have. VOSA will know this if they check as it will be recorded that your card was lost, stolen or malfunctioned.
but they’d prob still bend him over minus the vaseline for not having 28 days of tacho’s on him
Recy_Mech:
Could you not take some annual leave and go do something with wife / kids /dog etc. I know not ideal but you will still be getting paid
Yeah I suggested this to the boss and he said we’ll work something out only problem is I don’t know how long I’ll need off I rang dvla up today and they said could take another 15 days as they haven’t even started to process it yet. Better then losing out but already had my annual leave planned so may need unpaid leave later in the year. Ah well.
I can totally sympathise with you mate as I went through the same situation a couple of years ago . I spoke to VOSA and the DVLA a few times and they did not want to know . All I was told was what Coffee etc above has said about 15 days without the card and then it’s analogue or nothing I’m afraid . I was lucky as I was owed some WTD time and my firm were quite understanding . It was a full month before I got my card back
I wrote a letter of complaint too , that must have got lost in the post as well
OllieNotts:
My 14 days is up tomorrow and my card is still not back, work have said I will not work after tomorrow as they wont risk me being pulled but one the office bods(ex driver) seems to think they can send me out on analogue while I wait, I am not sure how accurate his info is, and the gaffa just said under no circumstance will I drive until its back but I never thought of using analogue after 15 days. Wouldnt it still be an offence seeing as if issued with a digi card we have to carry them by law even if not using one?
You can drive an analogue while you wait for the card. If you are stopped in a control you won’t be committing an offence by not having your digi card with you as you currently don’t actually have one so can’t carry with you what you don’t have. VOSA will know this if they check as it will be recorded that your card was lost, stolen or malfunctioned.
but they’d prob still bend him over minus the vaseline for not having 28 days of tacho’s on him
No, he’ll be fine as he will have everything required in a control.
charts and any legally required manual records for the current day and the previous 28 calendar days; and the driver’s digital smart card if they hold one.
Check, he will have the charts for the analogue vehicle(s) he has been driving since the end of his 15 day period.
Check, he has the printouts for the 15 days since his card could not be used
Check, he doesn’t currently hold one so he is covered there.
Note it just says you have to produce your digi card if you have one, it doesn’t specify how many days data must be on it so the 28 day thing is a bit redundant for those who only drive digi vehicles and haven’t had to make any manual entries.
