When I select ‘manual entry’ at the beginning of the shift for the purposes of logging on and off, it goes (correctly so) through a procedure of informing me of the time I ejected it on my last shift, and the time I inserted it on my current shift, and this is for the purpose of logging off and on - as we all know.
However, imagine this: I begin a shift at 19:00, and insert my card at 19:23. The tacho machine said 19:23 on its display BEFORE I inserted my card. However, it will not flash “19:23” from which I could scroll it back to 19:00. Instead it will flash 18:23 and will not let me scroll forward. when I come out of the menu the tacho is displaying 19:23 again. The same happens when I enter the end of my last shift. If I finish at 06:17 and eject my card, when I come to log that shift off at the beginning of my next one, it will say I withdrew it at 05:17.
In other words, when in the manual entry menu, the time which flashes up for me to alter is ALWAYS (no matter which lorry I use) one hour behind the time which is/was displayed on the tacho machine(s) default display.
Can anybody help me, or advise me, or even identify with the same problem? I’m obviously a bit concerned about it and I thought I would ask here amongst the (mostly) professionals before mentioning it to the garage. I always get the “ah don’t worry, it’s probably just a sensor/short/fuse/bulb/water in the brain answer”.
It’s all to do with UTC mate. Universal time coordinated I think. It’s because the clocks go forward by an hour in march. UTC time stays the same. If you notice in winter it will be the same for your manual entry as what the clock is saying. To work out what time you finished for your manual entry just subtract an hour from your actual finish time.
To tell whether or not the tachometer is on British summertime I think there is a black dot on the display
bugcos:
It’s all to do with UTC mate. Universal time coordinated I think. It’s because the clocks go forward by an hour in march. UTC time stays the same. If you notice in winter it will be the same for your manual entry as what the clock is saying. To work out what time you finished for your manual entry just subtract an hour from your actual finish time.
To tell whether or not the tachometer is on British summertime I think there is a black dot on the display
Yes, I can scroll forward to my finish time, so 06:17 eject, then 06:30 clock off real time translates to 05:17 eject and scroll forward to 05:30. But it will not let me scroll forward for the current shift start time. Am I right in thinking that I subtract an hour from my current, real, start time, and scroll back? If so, is this the correct and legal thing to do?
If it’s a type 1 digital tachograph all manual entries are done in UTC time.
UTC time is 1 hour behind British Summer Time, so if you withdraw the card at 06:30 local time, the tachograph UTC time is be 05:30.
If your shift starts at 19:00 local time (BST time) and you insert the card at 19:20 local time, when you do a manual entry it will show the card inserted time as 18:20 , you will scroll back the time to 18:00 and put that as your start time (19:00 local time).
In summer time, all times used for manual entries on a type 1 digital tachograph are 1 hour behind out local time.
On type 2 digital tachographs (the latest models) manual entries are done in local time, but it sounds like you’re using a type 1 digital tachograph.
Thank you. It is only lately that I have began entering manually - since my infringements were beginning to highlight this. Since doing this, the newest lorry I’ve used is an 11 plate. Did type 2 tachos enter operation after early 2011? If so, then my problem may well be solved.
ezydriver:
Thank you. It is only lately that I have began entering manually - since my infringements were beginning to highlight this. Since doing this, the newest lorry I’ve used is an 11 plate. Did type 2 tachos enter operation after early 2011? If so, then my problem may well be solved.
As far as I remember it was the first half of 2011 when the newer type digital tachographs came in, but I can’t remember the exact date though.
I thought it was early 2012. When the type 2’s came out. All our 61 plate November 2011 axors are type 1. My mate had a new stralis on a 12 plate march 1st last year, which is type, and our 62 plate axors are type 2. Is that the version 1.4 ones?
bugcos:
I thought it was early 2012. When the type 2’s came out. All our 61 plate November 2011 axors are type 1. My mate had a new stralis on a 12 plate march 1st last year, which is type, and our 62 plate axors are type 2. Is that the version 1.4 ones?
On reflection, I think it was October 2011 that the new type digital tachographs were released.
Siemens version 1.4 is type 2.
I imagine there would have been some new vehicles coming out of dealers with the old type tachographs for a while after the new type were released.
Spot on Tacho. We have numerous 11 plates on mk2 tacho’s and also 61 plates running mk1’s. it’s year of manufacture that’s the key here, not year of registration.
For what it’s worth when I had a mk2 tacho I rarely went over 80hrs fortnightly driving, now I’m using a mk1 on the same work I’m occasionally having to curtail things on the second Friday as I’m fast approaching 90 hours! Not fit for purpose imo.
So basically, carry on as normal, but if I am using a type 1, then just subtract an hour for my manual entries?
ezydriver:
So basically, carry on as normal, but if I am using a type 1, then just subtract an hour for my manual entries?
Yes UTC time is 1 hour behind BST time, so when the clocks go back to Greenwich Mean Time UTC time will once again be the same as local time.
ezydriver:
So basically, carry on as normal, but if I am using a type 1, then just subtract an hour for my manual entries?
Pretty much. As an example; you start work at 5am (real time), get paperwork, keys etc and finally put your card in at 0515. You then need to do a manual entry of other work from (a displayed) 0400 to 0415. Sound weird I know. But look on the bright side, come October utc will match “real” time so it’ll no longer be an issue!
Well, not until the following year that is. 
Thank you.You are all gentlemen and scholars. May your arses be parked on velvet Bostroms until you hang up your keys for good!
Was in a 61 plate MAN with (I eventually worked out - excellent extra driving time!) a type 2 digital tacho yesterday (shame about reverting to work when I took the keys out in the middle of my break), but, how does one tell if it’s a type 1 or 2?
Snudger:
Was in a 61 plate MAN with (I eventually worked out - excellent extra driving time!) a type 2 digital tacho yesterday (shame about reverting to work when I took the keys out in the middle of my break), but, how does one tell if it’s a type 1 or 2?
Off hand I don’t know of any way to tell them apart until you get to the part where you do a manual entry.
When you do a manual entry on a Siemens digital tachograph:
- The old type digital tachographs will look like this:
- The new type 2 tachographs will look like this:
Was wondering about this myself. Found a nice video explaining how to switch between UTC/BST 
youtube.com/watch?v=ELhY43uID7M