Hi all, my first digicard arrived today and I have a few questions. If anyone can help that would be great…
I work as a mechanic for a small haulier and only drive maybe 2 or 3 times a week loading tankers and MOT testing or tipping locally etc.
None of our units have a digital tacho fitted.
Do I have to keep the card with me at all times when I drive one of our units?
I also do outside repairs and maintenence for another local haulier who has digital tachos ( the reason for me getting a card)
If I collect or drive or recover one of his units and use my card do I have to do a printout when i’m finished and keep this with my charts?
Do I need to have the info on my card downloaded every 28 days whether it’s used or not?
If so do this local haulier have to download this info for his records?
the only answer I can give with confidence answers your first question. No , you do not have to have it with you driving your own analogue vehicles. UNTIL you have used it , then you do need to carry it at all times whislt driving etc.
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I would do a printout for your own records but don’t think that it is compulsory.
My boss downloads cards weekly wether used or not but I would imagine that they must be downloaded regularly as if not then they will fill up and overwrite info.
I would have thought that it was your employers responsibility to download info, not the contractor you do jobs for. Although I can see that he may need a record of where and when and by whom the vehicle was being driven.
Someone will be along with proper answers soon.
rabbitboy:
Hi all, my first digicard arrived today and I have a few questions. If anyone can help that would be great…
I work as a mechanic for a small haulier and only drive maybe 2 or 3 times a week loading tankers and MOT testing or tipping locally etc.
None of our units have a digital tacho fitted.
Do I have to keep the card with me at all times when I drive one of our units?
Yes, you should carry your driver card with you regardless of weather or not it’s been used.
I also do outside repairs and maintenence for another local haulier who has digital tachos ( the reason for me getting a card)
If I collect or drive or recover one of his units and use my card do I have to do a printout when i’m finished and keep this with my charts?
No, the data will be on your driver card, you only need to do printouts if you’ve made manual entries on one.
Do I need to have the info on my card downloaded every 28 days whether it’s used or not?
You only need to have the data from the card downloaded if the card contains data that wasn’t downloaded before.
The 28 days begins the first time the card is used, and then a fresh 28 day period begins when you first use the card after the last download.
If so do this local haulier have to download this info for his records?
A bit more difficult this one, but as far as I can see it’s your employers responsibility to keep track of your hours and not the company your doing maintenance and repairs for.
However as you’re driving another companies vehicle they may decide to keep records to cover themselves.
Thanks, John.
del949:
you do not have to have it with you driving your own analogue vehicles. UNTIL you have used it
Sorry m8 but that’s incorrect information, when you get a driver card you should carry it with you at all times so if you get stopped the authorities can see exactly what driving you’ve done, this isn’t a choice but a legal obligation
when we first got smart cards we had no units with digis.
Driver training manager collared a driver one morning and asked to see his smart card. driver said “its at home”
manager replied " you are breaking the law"
driver quoted from the leaflet that comes with the card " after first using the card you must carry it with you at all time when driving" (or words to that effect, i cannot find the leaflet on line).
manager went away in a huff and after checking agreed that this was correct.
I freely acknowledge that once used it must be carried.
But in the light of the above, if you get a card and do not use it, you can throw it in a drawer untill you need to use it.
Doesn’t help if you turn up at work and its in the drawer and you get a digi truck for the first time
now here is a problem.
charts and digi must be returned and downloaded etc during the relevant period.
as i am probably going to made redundant in the spring, does this mean that I have to keep going in on a weekly basis to hand relevant weeks charts in.
Obviosley I need to keep some with me untill they “expire” in case I get another job, but they will need eventually to be returned to current emplyer.
I can’t simply hand them all in on the day I finish… or can I?
del949:
now here is a problem.
charts and digi must be returned and downloaded etc during the relevant period.
as i am probably going to made redundant in the spring, does this mean that I have to keep going in on a weekly basis to hand relevant weeks charts in.
Obviosley I need to keep some with me untill they “expire” in case I get another job, but they will need eventually to be returned to current emplyer.
I can’t simply hand them all in on the day I finish… or can I?
hi
you willl have to keep them and send them in every week
if the company wants them strait away let them photocopy them this is what my company said to me some thing to do with a audit
del
rabbitboy
just in case dont put you card in your wallet as it will mafunction get yourselfe a card holder
when we first got smart cards we had no units with digis.
Driver training manager collared a driver one morning and asked to see his smart card. driver said “its at home”
manager replied " you are breaking the law"
driver quoted from the leaflet that comes with the card " after first using the card you must carry it with you at all time when driving" (or words to that effect, i cannot find the leaflet on line).
manager went away in a huff and after checking agreed that this was correct.
I freely acknowledge that once used it must be carried.
But in the light of the above, if you get a card and do not use it, you can throw it in a drawer untill you need to use it.
Doesn’t help if you turn up at work and its in the drawer and you get a digi truck for the first time
I can’t comment on what leaflet your mate saw but the regulations are quite clear on this, if you hold a driver card you should be able to produce it when requested.
be able to produce at the roadside:
— charts and any legally required manual records for the current ‘fixed’ week and the previous 15 calendar days (this will change to the current day and previous 28 calendar days from
1 January 2008); and
— the driver’s digital smart card if they hold one.
Article 15-COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2135/98:
‘7. Where the driver drives a vehicle fitted with
recording equipment in conformity with Annex I,
he must be able to produce, whenever an
inspecting officer so requests:
– the record sheets for the current week and, in
any event, the sheet for the last day on which
he drove during the previous week,
– the driver card if he holds one
Your digi card has your driving licence number on it so if and when they pull you they will know you have a digi card and anyway it would be on the system
Your required by law to carry it with you as said earlier
del949:
now here is a problem.
charts and digi must be returned and downloaded etc during the relevant period.
as i am probably going to made redundant in the spring, does this mean that I have to keep going in on a weekly basis to hand relevant weeks charts in.
Obviosley I need to keep some with me untill they “expire” in case I get another job, but they will need eventually to be returned to current emplyer.
I can’t simply hand them all in on the day I finish… or can I?
Tachograph charts should be handed in to the operator no later than 42 days from there use, so you don’t legally need to hand them in on a weekly basis as long as they’re handed in within 42 days you’re legal and so is the operator.
Driver cards need to be made available for download within 28 days from the first use date after the last download.
So weather you use an analogue tachograph or a digital tachograph there’s no need to go back to your employer on a weekly basis
There is nothing in the literature that came with my digi card about this problem, Are there many drivers who have had problems by carrying there digi card with there bank cards etc ?
I havan’t used mine for some time as i have been driving vehicles with the old style tacho’s and have been carrying the card in my wallet
there are plenty of stories about this.
Wether they are true or not I don’t know.
i carry mine in my wallet next to credit cards etc, but wonder if my cards being pin and chip still have a magnetic strip.
Anyway had no problems so far
Rocketman:
There is nothing in the literature that came with my digi card about this problem, Are there many drivers who have had problems by carrying there digi card with there bank cards etc ?
I havan’t used mine for some time as i have been driving vehicles with the old style tacho’s and have been carrying the card in my wallet
I have been carrying mine in my wallet since it was issued to me in June 2006 wilt no problems. It lives in one of the credit card slots in the wallet, next to all the other with magnetic stripes on them. My work ID card is also in there and that card is used to open the turnstile to get into and out of the depot. I don’t take the card out of the wallet to get in and out, just hold my wallet against the scanner thing, so several times a week the digi card gets scanned by that as well. My wallet, with the card in it is currently sitting on my desk with my mobile sitting on top of it, which is the usual situation while I am at home and has been so ever since I got the card and as I said not a single problem with the card.
