Can any 1 help with a few misunderstandings regarding use of tachos?
Basicly i read and im told that in the uk other work is not used…so…as i operate a crane on the vehicle to offload goods what setting am i supposed to use?
If it was left on drive the craning would be taken as driving and there would not be enough time in the day to get the work done
thanks for any advice you can give
I think its other duties Weedkiller. If you mean like a hiab for unloading yourself. We use the square box, not the crossed hammers.
Mal.
on my Tacho head i have 3 selections, Hammers which is other work…Bed which is rest and a square box which is drive…
if it is set on drive it is recorded as drive…isnt it?
I know some tachos have a steering wheel as drive and a box as other work…is that what you mean.
A friend who is also a bit confused by it all spoke to some 1 at the FTA head office and it seemed that they wasnt sure also because they had to ask some 1 else and the final answer wasnt exactly clear from them.
1st they said other work is not used then they say switch to other work but write on back of tacho to tell what you was doin on other work.
On the VDO website it says about passive and active work…i quote: active work…is not used in us…passive work…is other work such as loading the vehicle… my-fis.co.uk/QuickGuides/hours_law_guide.htm
Does any 1 know the proper way and what to do?
if it is set on drive it is recorded as drive…isnt it?
It sounds like you have an Automatic style Tacho fitted…
This will automaticaly record any time the vehicle is not moving as other work… unless you move the switch onto rest mode (Bed)
Therefore if the vehicle is ever moved/driven in a place where it is not counted against daily/weekly driving time( Such as on private land) this should be recorded manually on the back of the Tacho Chart
so…is there a minimum time limit for other work as there is for the 15 min rest break??
My thinking is because when you stop at traffic lights and the like it is being recorded as other work and as i am led to believe by what i have read all the time i am sitting in the drivers seat i am on driving time because i am ready to drive.
Sorry if i am being a nusiance, its just that i have had the FTA reports back and i have exceeded my diving hours by 43 mins…
- I want to make sure it dont happen
- Other drivers do not seem to have a clue either.
Another driver maybe looking at a bann because he didnt realise he wasnt allowed over 60mph in his 7.5t lorry.
I drive a 26t and as you already know, its not easy getting about the likes of london and other town centres.
Unless youre on bed WK, just leave it on the box, its auto for driving and other duties, the tacho knows what to do, just fire it on bed for your breaks.
And, to the second part of your question, get an hours guard, theyre well worth it, it’ll tell you when to take a break even, if you cant be arsed to work it out (like me) 
As for a minimum of other duties like traffic lights ect, just count them as driving, if they want to run you that tight, i’d be pulling the pin!
Mal.
Thank you.
Another driver maybe looking at a bann because he didnt realise he wasnt allowed over 60mph in his 7.5t lorry.
7.5t - 70 on motorway, 60 on dual carriageway, 50 on single carriageway, 30 in urban unless otherwise posted. Note on reverse of chart ‘7.5t’ to advise anyone checking that these limits apply. If this bloke is pulled for this he just needs to prove that it was a 7.5 he was driving at the time (cross reference the reg no. to the vehicle)
Crossed hammers aren’t used in UK, use the box when on duty except for rest periods and driving is automatically recorded as has been explained. To get a clearer picture, look at one of your used charts - just outside the distance trace (the first zigzag trace outside of the details area) there is a printed representation of the lines used for the different modes, it should show a thin line bisected by the bed symbol followed by a 1/3 thickness line bisected by the box symbol then a 2/3 thickness line bisected by the crossed hammers symbol and finally a full thickness line bisected by the steering wheel symbol. If you then look at the mode trace (the middle of the three traces) you can then see when you were in each mode during the day and work out your drive/duty/rest times. The outer trace is the speed trace and it is a good idea to check that when the vehicle is stationary the line follows the top of the time markings, if it is a couple of mm high then your max speed recorded will also be high - if thats the case then defect it, even if they don’t fix it it covers your behind.
I’m with Mal on this one - get an hourguard - they are excellent kit and make life that little bit simpler 
all the best
Jules