hi ive got 3 questions that maybe you guys could help me with.
the 1st is to do with tacho calibration - a few days ago i got a red warning to visit workshop regarding the tacho - i opened the head and the date on the label was 15 august - i told the boss and every day since its been put down to the bottom of the pile of things to do. its a 54 plate so it will be the 2 year certificate it will be going in for - but on the off chance the work does not get completed in time - will it be illegal for me to drive it.
2nd question is about daily time:
06.00 start
3hrs other work (broke down in yard)
15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
3rd question is also about tacho’s - they can detect how fast you go - how long you drive - how long you have on breaks - but can a tachgraph chart reader detect how many km’s you have done on that graph for that day?
any help would be great - im fairly newish so im still learnng
Not sure about Q1 but would hazard a guess that VOSA would have something uncomplimentary to say about driving a vehicle with the tacho past it’s test date.
Q2 you should have had a 30 min break under the WTD regs after 6 hours work.
Q3 yes a tacho chart can be used to see how many km’s you have travelled.
Answer to quesion 2 - Wouldn’t dare stick my neck out to answer that - others will.
Answer to question 3 - YES, the zig zag track shows the k’s done - each line up or down represents 5k if I remember correctly, so it is easy to check whether the k’s you enter on the start/end are true.
2nd question is about daily time:
06.00 start
3hrs other work (broke down in yard)
15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
EU tacho breaks ok - now on a reduced daily rest of 9 hours
WTD problem - should have had a 15 min break at or before 3.15pm
WTD time for the day = 14 hours + 15 mins if you were not on POA or break during the 3 hour breakdown
The calibration label date must not be more than six years old. If it is, then a six yearly inspection must be carried out immediately. If the date is more than two years old, then there should also be a two yearly inspection label. This label must not be more than two years old otherwise a further two yearly inspection must be carried out. For digital tachographs only, the two year inspection will in fact be very similar to a full calibration and will therefore have a new calibration label rather than a two year inspection label fitted.
Question Two.
The Regulations require that:
mobile workers must not work more than 6 consecutive hours without taking a break,
if your working hours total between 6 and 9 hours, working time should be interrupted by a break or breaks totalling at least 30 minutes,
if your working hours total more than 9 hours, working time should be interrupted by a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes,
breaks should be of at least 15 minutes duration.
But you have actually worked 8.5 hours after your 15 minute beak
Question Three.
Yes distance is measured on the chart and is easily reckoned.
merc0447:
sounds like im in a bit of bother then - i dont suppose i could just lose the graph in question
Why? if your working hours are legal why are you gonna be in bother over the amount of K’s travelled., Or am I just being thick. (probably, cos I usually am)
2nd question is about daily time:
06.00 start
3hrs other work (broke down in yard)
15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
EU tacho breaks ok
You sure about that ROG? Looks to me that he drove for 7 hours with only 30 minutes of break. The 15-minute break was before he did any driving so can’t be used with the 30 minutes he took later to give him the 45 minutes required. Under EU rules breaks interrupt periods of driving so you can’t take a break before doing any driving and count it toward a 45-minute break.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the missing WTD break. The driving with insufficient break is a much more serious issue, especially as it isn’t just a matter of a few minutes.
2nd question is about daily time:
06.00 start
3hrs other work (broke down in yard)
15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
EU tacho breaks ok
You sure about that ROG? Looks to me that he drove for 7 hours with only 30 minutes of break. The 15-minute break was before he did any driving so can’t be used with the 30 minutes he took later to give him the 45 minutes required. Under EU rules breaks interrupt periods of driving so you can’t take a break before doing any driving and count it toward a 45-minute break.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the missing WTD break. The driving with insufficient break is a much more serious issue, especially as it isn’t just a matter of a few minutes.
It is a good job you keep popping back occasionally keep us all on our toes
merc0447:
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
When in fact you
have done 7 hours driving with a 30 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
Tacho being out of 2 year or calibration is usually dealt with by means of an; Offence Rectification Notice (ORN). Basically a 21 day ‘fix-it’ ticket. If the Operator proves that the tacho has been checked / calibrated in that time then the matter usually goes no further. If they don’t do anything, they get their day in Court. Usually there is no action against an employed driver. Be aware that action could be taken against the driver, it usually isn’t… There is no legal requirement for a tacho centre to put a 2 year sticker in a tacho. However, the tacho centre manual says that they will
Breaks. As Neil correctly observed you have driven for 7 hours and only taken a break of 30 minutes. I would add that the break should have been immediately after the second chunk of driving, you should not have done the two hours work until after taking a full 45 minute break. As has been said, the 15 minutes you had at 9 o’clock doesn’t count as it occurred before any driving took place.
Article 7 of (EC) 561/2006 says;
After a driving period of four and a half hours a driver shall take an uninterrupted break of not less than 45 minutes,
unless he takes a rest period.
As has been said, not really too bothered about RTD breaks at roadside, but if records suggest that the Regulation is not being adhered to then that could trigger an Operator visit. That does tick boxes for our effectiveness 'cos we have to look at lots of charts and download data which counts to an EU target.
Yes we can easily tell how far a vehicle has travelled by counting the zigzag trace close to the centrefield. A complete up and down is 10 km.
2nd question is about daily time: 06.00 start 3hrs other work (broke down in yard) 15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
EU tacho breaks ok
You sure about that ROG? Looks to me that he drove for 7 hours with only 30 minutes of break. The 15-minute break was before he did any driving so can’t be used with the 30 minutes he took later to give him the 45 minutes required. Under EU rules breaks interrupt periods of driving so you can’t take a break before doing any driving and count it toward a 45-minute break.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the missing WTD break. The driving with insufficient break is a much more serious issue, especially as it isn’t just a matter of a few minutes.
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
2nd question is about daily time: 06.00 start 3hrs other work (broke down in yard) 15 minutes break at 9am
2.5 driving
2 hours other work
2 hours driving
2 hours other work
30 minutes break at 18.00
2.5 hours driving
21.00 finish
so i have done 7 hours driving with a 45 minute break - but what i was concerned about was the amount of time between my breaks which was about 9 hours is that allowed?
EU tacho breaks ok
You sure about that ROG? Looks to me that he drove for 7 hours with only 30 minutes of break. The 15-minute break was before he did any driving so can’t be used with the 30 minutes he took later to give him the 45 minutes required. Under EU rules breaks interrupt periods of driving so you can’t take a break before doing any driving and count it toward a 45-minute break.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the missing WTD break. The driving with insufficient break is a much more serious issue, especially as it isn’t just a matter of a few minutes.
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
Well, it’s worth a try…
well i drove from one end of the yard to the other about 100 metres - so how much bother will this land me in - my last tacho infringements letter from the work i had 17 infringements - 16 where about sod and eod lines and one was for doing 4hrs33mins driving without posting a break - but nothing was really said about that.
ROG:
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
Well, it’s worth a try…
well i drove from one end of the yard to the other about 100 metres - so how much bother will this land me in - my last tacho infringements letter from the work i had 17 infringements - 16 where about sod and eod lines and one was for doing 4hrs33mins driving without posting a break - but nothing was really said about that.
But was the tacho in and did it record the driving in the yard
ROG:
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
Well, it’s worth a try…
well i drove from one end of the yard to the other about 100 metres - so how much bother will this land me in - my last tacho infringements letter from the work i had 17 infringements - 16 where about sod and eod lines and one was for doing 4hrs33mins driving without posting a break - but nothing was really said about that.
But was the tacho in and did it record the driving in the yard
ROG:
But was the tacho in and did it record the driving in the yard
yes
That’s it - I’m SAVED and so is merc0447
As long as the total driving from 9.15 to when you took the 30 min break was 4 hours & 29 mins max. - Well, it would be ok for tacho regs but not the WTD as already stated.
ROG:
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
Well, it’s worth a try…
well i drove from one end of the yard to the other about 100 metres - so how much bother will this land me in - my last tacho infringements letter from the work i had 17 infringements - 16 where about sod and eod lines and one was for doing 4hrs33mins driving without posting a break - but nothing was really said about that.
But was the tacho in and did it record the driving in the yard
yes
That’s useful.
As you recorded some driving before your 15 minute break, as long as your 2.5 hours and 2 hours driving were slightly shorter than the those times, enough to reduce your total driving to slightly less than 4.5 hours, then you’re safe on that bit.
If your total driving time was exactly, or slightly over 4.5 hours, then you have an infringement.
You must take your break at or before 4.5 hours driving, so if you do 4.5 hours exactly then you have to take a break immediately, not after doing Other Work.
Obviously driving for more than 4.5 hours is an infringement.
EOD or SOD lines on a tacho-chart are down to your company policy.
Doing or not doing them is not an infringement as far as VOSA is concerned.
If you do them and they obscure part of the trace on your chart, then you have a legal infringement which VOSA could be concerned about.
ROG:
See if I can get myself out of a hole…
Was any movement in the yard recorded on the tacho before it broke down
Well, it’s worth a try…
well i drove from one end of the yard to the other about 100 metres - so how much bother will this land me in - my last tacho infringements letter from the work i had 17 infringements - 16 where about sod and eod lines and one was for doing 4hrs33mins driving without posting a break - but nothing was really said about that.
But was the tacho in and did it record the driving in the yard
yes
That’s useful.
As you recorded some driving before your 15 minute break, as long as your 2.5 hours and 2 hours driving were slightly shorter than the those times, enough to reduce your total driving to slightly less than 4.5 hours, then you’re safe on that bit.
If your total driving time was exactly, or slightly over 4.5 hours, then you have an infringement.
You must take your break at or before 4.5 hours driving, so if you do 4.5 hours exactly then you have to take a break immediately, not after doing Other Work.
Obviously driving for more than 4.5 hours is an infringement.
EOD or SOD lines on a tacho-chart are down to your company policy.
Doing or not doing them is not an infringement as far as VOSA is concerned.
If you do them and they obscure part of the trace on your chart, then you have a legal infringement which VOSA could be concerned about.
the sod\eod lines infringements was because i was doing the line too far away from the trace without an explanation on the back ie i would start at 6am - tacho would go in at 06.15 and i put sod line at 6am - i got the infringement for not explaining what i did in those 15minutes - i didnt even know i was doing it wrong
but it almost a 15 minute walk to the bloody unit from the office - well that was my excuse
- i dont suppose i could just lose the graph in question 
(probably, cos I usually am)
keep us all on our toes 
