Just a couple of quickies…
When doing a printout, does this have to be done after / during the card ejection, as opposed to when the card is still active. I’ve noticed that printing when the card is active, it doesn’t give a finish (or current) mileage readout.
Also, If I’m in a truck on duty for say 3 days, do you do just one printout at the end of the 3 days, or is it one every 24 hours?
Regards
Chris
at the end of your shift when you hit the card eject button you will be asked do you want a printout. if you say yes then as the printout starts the card will be ejected.
their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
if you exceeded your driving time by getting caught in an accident etc, then by all means take a printout and write on it the reason.
- their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
…Of course. Thanks for clarifying that. Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
Oxygen Thief:
- their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
…Of course. Thanks for clarifying that. Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
I’ve never used a digi but I would have thought an employer would just download the info from the card if they wanted it
Oxygen Thief:
- their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
…Of course. Thanks for clarifying that. Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
I’m not sure that’s strictly true.
I think that if you’re in the position of being required to write a manual entry on a paper chart, you are supposed to take a print out, and write the (same) manual entry on the print out, and hand in/keep the signed print out.
But I’m not sure.
Oxygen Thief:
Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
Yes some employers do ask for a printout, not sure why if there’s someone in the office, they could just download the data from the card but…
dambuster:
Oxygen Thief:
- their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
…Of course. Thanks for clarifying that. Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
I’m not sure that’s strictly true.
I think that if you’re in the position of being required to write a manual entry on a paper chart, you are supposed to take a print out, and write the (same) manual entry on the print out, and hand in/keep the signed print out.
But I’m not sure.
I kept handing in paper print outs to the office and they said (after vosa paid a visit) we dont need to hand them in. Just take the card in every 28 days toget downloaded. But if you run out of drive time on a m’way after getting closed or something, you do a print out, write on the back reasons, and keep it for the 28 days…
So if you get a tug by the ministy, you can prove you didnt just “ignor it” and when you get your card read, you hand in the “iffy” printout.
Although this is what ive been led to beleive by reading info and our office, but i think it makes sence 
dambuster:
Oxygen Thief:
- their is no legal requirement to have a printout. all the data is stored on the card.
…Of course. Thanks for clarifying that. Do some employers ask for a print out anyway, in the same way that copies are taken of discs?
I’m not sure that’s strictly true.
I think that if you’re in the position of being required to write a manual entry on a paper chart, you are supposed to take a print out, and write the (same) manual entry on the print out, and hand in/keep the signed print out.
But I’m not sure.
Under normal circumstances you don’t need to do a printout, but if for any reason you need to add a manual entry that can’t be put onto the driver card through the tacho head then you need to write it on a printout, that printout would need to be kept and eventually handed in just the same as a chart.
Stu190:
I kept handing in paper print outs to the office and they said (after vosa paid a visit) we dont need to hand them in. Just take the card in every 28 days toget downloaded. But if you run out of drive time on a m’way after getting closed or something, you do a print out, write on the back reasons, and keep it for the 28 days…So if you get a tug by the ministy, you can prove you didnt just “ignor it” and when you get your card read, you hand in the “iffy” printout.
Although this is what ive been led to beleive by reading info and our office, but i think it makes sence
You have a rare thing among transport offices there, they got something pretty much correct. Look after them because they are a dying breed and need to be preserved. 
I would suggest in the case where you have to take a printout to make a manual entry, you take two printouts and write the same thing on both. You then hand one into the office and keep the other one. That way when the one you handed in goes missing and you have been pulled up for an infringement 6 months down the line when VOSA call round to check driver’s records, you can produce your copy and show the reason for the departure from the regulations. While most transport offices would be careful to store and keep tacho charts and I think ‘bits of till roll’ will be treated with less care.
ROG:
I’ve never used a digi but I would have thought an employer would just download the info from the card if they wanted it
Most of them don’t do that, as is too much hassle for them to put new driver into the system if it’s only one-day agency driver.
orys wrote;
Most of them don’t do that, as is too much hassle for them to put new driver into the system if it’s only one-day agency driver.
I’m not bothered if the operator thinks it’s all too much hassle to do it for an agency driver, they are required by The Passenger and Goods Vehicles (Recording Equipment) (Downloading and Retention of Data) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008-198), although I’m sure a better name could have been used 
. This regulation came into force on the 5th February 2008 and requires Transport Undertakings (Operators) to download cards at least every 28 days and VU’s at least every 56 days and keep the data files for 12 months from when they were created (that’s not the day of the download).
Had an ‘interesting discussion’ with a Transport Manager who decided he only had to download the VU and couldn’t be bothered with the cards for agency drivers. He changed his mind after he was asked if he wanted to book the Court or whether he wanted me to do it.
The same Regulation gave us the return period for charts and printouts as being 42 days.
Coffeeholic:
Stu190:
I kept handing in paper print outs to the office and they said (after vosa paid a visit) we dont need to hand them in. Just take the card in every 28 days toget downloaded. But if you run out of drive time on a m’way after getting closed or something, you do a print out, write on the back reasons, and keep it for the 28 days…So if you get a tug by the ministy, you can prove you didnt just “ignor it” and when you get your card read, you hand in the “iffy” printout.
Although this is what ive been led to beleive by reading info and our office, but i think it makes sence
You have a rare thing among transport offices there, they got something pretty much correct. Look after them because they are a dying breed and need to be preserved.
.
They are alright now they have been educated 
geebee45:
I’m not bothered if the operator thinks it’s all too much hassle to do it for an agency driver, they are required by The Passenger and Goods Vehicles (Recording Equipment) (Downloading and Retention of Data) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008-198)
I just doing agency jobs just now and no-one is trying to download this - they only wants to keep printouts… Propably you right, but that’s the reality
Rules on Drivers Hours & Tachographs Page 33
Digital tachographs work by storing digital data on the driver and vehicle in their own memory and
separately on a driver’s smart card. Transport undertakings must periodically download this data from
the digital tachograph (known as the Vehicle Unit or VU) and from driver cards and analyse the
information to ensure that the rules have been complied with.
I take 2 printout copies before ejecting the card
the 1st I keep and stick into my work diary for my own personnel records
the 2nd I stick in a tacho envelope and store them as I would analogue tachos, then send em to the agency after the 28 day period
peirre:
I take 2 printout copies before ejecting the card
the 1st I keep and stick into my work diary for my own personnel records
the 2nd I stick in a tacho envelope and store them as I would analogue tachos, then send em to the agency after the 28 day period
exactly what i do.
i have only ever had my card downloaded once while i have had it and that was when i was doing a week of trunking up to nuneaton for a subby to dx.
do you think the agencies should have the facility to download your card and send it on to the company on your behalf? would this be possible?
As said previously, it is not the ressponsibility of the driver (unless O/D) or the agency to download the card, it’s the Operators problem. If Operators are relying on storing paper records from digital tachos, looks like my colleagues are going to be busy in the near future
Most of them don’t do that, as is too much hassle for them to put new driver into the system if it’s only one-day agency driver.
Depends what system you use, ours takes all the drivers data from the card and puts it into the system itself so there’s no need to ‘put a new driver into the system’.
Pesonally, its more aggro to keep printouts than to download the card. Thats one of the reasons they were invented.
I would suggest in the case where you have to take a printout to make a manual entry, you take two printouts and write the same thing on both. You then hand one into the office and keep the other one. That way when the one you handed in goes missing and you have been pulled up for an infringement 6 months down the line when VOSA call round to check driver’s records, you can produce your copy and show the reason for the departure from the regulations. While most transport offices would be careful to store and keep tacho charts and I think ‘bits of till roll’ will be treated with less care.
I just put them in a tacho envelope with the date on it and it gets stored away with all the discs. You cant always rely on people handing them in either so your ■■■■ right coffee, do two copies, write your manual record on them both then hand one in and keep the other.
Slightly off topic 
if an offence has been commited, how far back can this information be taken from the card and used? I believe the card will take up to 280 days of info?
Tiger
Fastrantiger:
Slightly off topicTiger
Cards have to hold a minimum of 28 days but in reality they hold far longer than that. I have around 160 days on my card at the moment and geebee45 mentioned recently he came across a card with around 300 days on it. If the offence is on there VOSA can see it if they check the card. The unit will hold at least a years worth of records and as records also have to retained by the company for at least a year, for tacho regulation purposes, VOSA could potentially take action as far back as that.