i got my digi card a few weeks ago as the company are about to take delivery of brand new trucks. these have been delivered today and i am expected to drive one wen i return to work next week. i have had no training wotsoever and the TM says its just a matter of put card in and away you go i have serious doubts about this has anyone got any advice or info please as i see it it is the drivers responsibility to comply whith the hours rules and keep records for the specified period but it is me up for the chop if i dont get it right
When you insert the card it will ask you for the time that your last shift ended (in case it is different to when the card was ejected - or your last tacho) - it will also ask you when your current shift started, again in case you have 3 hours POA before you got your unit. Time is in UTC rather than UK time (same as UK in the Winter, uktime - 1hr in the summer)…
… that was the main gist of the training we were given anyway. Still not seen a unit with a digital tacho in though !!!
G
Upon insertion (in slot number one with chip facing up and arrow facing in!), it takes time to “load” your card. It’ll ask your start country usually pre set to UK or using up and down arrows and select ok. It will then ask you if you want to make a manual entry (if you have used other vehicles without digi tach or done any other work), usually select no again using arrows then press ok. you are then good to go.
Just select break by pressing number one (or other modes) till the correct symbol shows. It automaticaly reverts to other work so if you move it whilst on break you will have to re-select break.
Upon pressing eject it will ask you finish country uk? press ok. Then if you want printout of last 24H activity? usually select no press ok but press yes first time so you can have a look at a printout.
If in doubt, press ok, If you go over 60 for more than 10 secs or so it will show overspeed, press ok. (try not to go over 60 as this is now more easy for the man to spot). Don’t move it without a card inserted as it will show driving without card! for a while after, press ok to get rid of this.
Cards hold approx 28 days data, make sure yours is downloaded to mainframe before this time or data will be overwritten!
Other than that they’re a doddle, print this out and take with you. NB, Siemens VDO, dunno if t’others are the same , presume so.
silver have you had any official training? thanks for the info by the way
gazwrf:
silver have you had any official training? thanks for the info by the way
Do you need official training to be allowed to understand that?
Silver_Surfer:
Upon insertion (in slot number one with chip facing up and arrow facing in!), it takes time to “load” your card. It’ll ask your start country usually pre set to UK or using up and down arrows and select ok. It will then ask you if you want to make a manual entry (if you have used other vehicles without digi tach or done any other work), usually select no again using arrows then press ok. you are then good to go.Just select break by pressing number one (or other modes) till the correct symbol shows. It automaticaly reverts to other work so if you move it whilst on break you will have to re-select break.
Upon pressing eject it will ask you finish country uk? press ok. Then if you want printout of last 24H activity? usually select no press ok but press yes first time so you can have a look at a printout.
If in doubt, press ok, If you go over 60 for more than 10 secs or so it will show overspeed, press ok. (try not to go over 60 as this is now more easy for the man to spot). Don’t move it without a card inserted as it will show driving without card! for a while after, press ok to get rid of this.
Cards hold approx 28 days data, make sure yours is downloaded to mainframe before this time or data will be overwritten!
Other than that they’re a doddle, print this out and take with you. NB, Siemens VDO, dunno if t’others are the same , presume so.
I normally get on duty 10/15 mins before i actually get to the truck does this mean i have to add that every night and every morning when i finish?, how much of a pain in the ■■■ is it?.
Who is authorised to change the roll of paper ?, as a driver am i clever enough to be able to do it on my own or do i need da management to do it for me?.
What if the roll of paper runs out half way through printing can i reprint?.
Can i print half way through a shift to see what ive done hours wise and then print fully at the end of the shift?.
IF i have to drive a digi vehicle then a manual tacho the next day with a 9 hour rest and i put my (manual)tacho in at daylight saving time 9 hours after i finish but then use a digi the next day will it show 8 hours rest which is actually 9 because the clock is 1 hour out, and is the “man” intelligent enough to realise this may happen?.
What happens if someone leaves theirs in the “head” and i come to work can i finish his digi tacho off for him and if he left at 14:00 and i start at 16:00 how can the 2 hours be taken off?, I presume you cant write on the back of it.
Will the machine get damaged if i’m stupid enough to put my credit card in instead of my tacho?, and can it damage a credit card?, I.E. as it can overwrite the digi card at 28 days will it over write my credit card debt? 
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Is it the blue wire? like the old tachos or is it a different colour 
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Phew i love it i cant wait.
From the VOSA website:
Who is responsible for training me?
You are ultimately responsible for ensuring you know the drivers hours regulations and how to use the tachograph —analogue or digital. Your employer is also responsible for making sure you are doing it correctly.
i know i am responsible for drivers hours but as stated there is a bit more to it than fill out details as analog and insert disc time diffrence (utc) printouts blah blah
follow silver surfers advice and you wont go far wrong, the two they did stress was not to move truck without card and no overspeeding 
jammymutt said;
I normally get on duty 10/15 mins before i actually get to the truck does this mean i have to add that every night and every morning when i finish?, how much of a pain in the ■■■ is it?.
EEC Reg 561/2006 whch (some parts of which) came into force on 01/05/2006 requires that duty, periods of work not recorded to the drivers card by the Vehicle Unit (VU) must be entered onto the card using the manual entry facility. This can only be done when the card is next inserted into a VU. So, if you take your card out of the VU 15 minutes before you finish yours shift and insert the card into the VU 15 minutes after your next shift starts, you must manually enter details of both 15 minute periods. Manual entries MUST be in UTC time and can only be entered when the card is next inserted into a VU. If you forget to do them you cannot go back a couple of days later and do them. They aren’t easy to do the first couple of times, but it’s a bit like programming the video, once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s relatively easy. If in doubt ask any six year old to do it for you, they seem to manage the video OK 
Who is authorised to change the roll of paper ?, as a driver am i clever enough to be able to do it on my own or do i need da management to do it for me?.
Short answer, anybody. Not a very difficult task, just make sure that you use the type approved paper for the vehicle unit fitted to the lorry. Most VU manufacturers paper is only type approved for their own VU. Helpfully Tachodisc and the FTA sell rolls that are type approved for all three; VDO, Stoneridge and Actia. It’s about £7 per box of 3 rolls.
What if the roll of paper runs out half way through printing can i reprint
Yes, it depends upon the VU, some will start the printout from the begining, others will start from where the printout ended. When you printout you only print a day at a time from midnight to the following midnight. So if you work over night you will have to take one print for to-day and one for yesterday to see your total driving etc in the shift period.
Can i print half way through a shift to see what ive done hours wise and then print fully at the end of the shift?.
You can take a printout at any time, although it’s best that the vehicle is stationary at the time Remember that the current activity is still ongoing when you take the printout, so only the start time of the activity will be shown, not the end time and duration. The display will zero the timer for the activity each time the mode is changed, so if you look at the display, that will tell you how long you’ve been on POA, Break etc.
IF i have to drive a digi vehicle then a manual tacho the next day with a 9 hour rest and i put my (manual)tacho in at daylight saving time 9 hours after i finish but then use a digi the next day will it show 8 hours rest which is actually 9 because the clock is 1 hour out, and is the “man” intelligent enough to realise this may happen?.
I know what you’re saying, but the problem is when you move from an analogue (on summer time) to a digital (on UTC). If you get out of the analogue vehicle at 06:00 (BST) and take 9 hours rest you could start your shift at 15:00 (BST). However, when you put your driver card in the digital VU at 15:00 (BST) the time recorded as shift start will be 14:00 (UTC). You have still had 9 hours rest though. It is only the same as changing from a French registered vehicle to a UK registered vehicle, both fitted with analogue tachos. Whether the ‘Man’ is smart enough to work it out is debatable, I know it has caused a major problem with the software used by tacho centres to analyse records. Of course this problem only exists for UK drivers when we have daylight saving time, the rest of the year, analogues and digis will be running the same time.
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What happens if someone leaves theirs in the “head” and i come to work can i finish his digi tacho off for him and if he left at 14:00 and i start at 16:00 how can the 2 hours be taken off?, I presume you cant write on the back of it.
Just enter the location of duty finish (usually ‘UK’ for most of us) and eject his card. Then put your card in slot one and add manual entries as required. You cannot drive with someone elses card in the VU and your card must be in slot one to record driving. The other driver cannot change the record on their driver card for the ‘extra two hours.’ What they could do is use the grid on the back of the printout paper to record the period as ‘rest’ they then add their full name, driver card number or driver licence number and sign the record and keep it for the required production period (current week plus 15 calendar days prior to current week). The record would then be kept by the employer for at least 12 months after it was made. Bit long winded, but only the same as making a manual entry on the back of a chart if you did the same thing with an analogue tacho.
Will the machine get damaged if i’m stupid enough to put my credit card in instead of my tacho?, and can it damage a credit card?, I.E. as it can overwrite the digi card at 28 days will it over write my credit card debt?
Probably not, it will recognise that your credit card is not a digi card and it will throw a fault warning like; ‘invalid card inserted.’ You get the same warning if you put your digi card in with the chip facing downwards. You have no chance of wiping your credit card debt out using the card in a VU. Tragic that, 'cos my flexible friend ain’t very flexible at the moment.
Is it the blue wire? like the old tachos or is it a different colour
I could tell you, but as the fine for doing so is £5000 and I would get 2 years holiday I’m not going to
Regarding training, the modified Article 13 of 3821/85 requires that drivers AND employers shall ensure the correct functioning and use of the recording equipment (applies to both digi and analogue) and the driver card where the vehicle is fitted with Annex 1B compliant recording equipment (digi). Put simply I reckon that means that; a) we have to know what we are doing and b) the employer has to ensure that we know what we are doing, they cannot just expect us to ‘get on with it and learn as you go along.’
thanks for the info geebee45 the sort of response anyone with doubts is looking for unlike some idiots have posted no names mentioned then again some people now everything and never need to ask questions
when i first saw a digi tacho the driver showed me the bpooklet he got with the truck it had how to use it in variuos languages
Cheers Geebee like Gaz said none of us know everything and for thosew of you who know how to use them please let those of us who havent got a clue find out and dont post stupid comments about our lack of knowledge.
I’ve been using one of the blasted things here in Spain since the end of January. Like people have said it’s easy enough when you get used to them but you have to get the idea that there are no fiddles, moodies or speeding that it will not pick up - unless it is the blue wire that is! 
One thing that we have to do, and I suppose you will have to as well, is have a print-out of the last day worked before a week rest break.
Because it’s Spain, though, it has taken our ministry four months to issue driver cards during which time we have been running with no card and doing a print-out every day. that’s fine in Spain but the French aren’t happy at all. Also the Guardia Civil still do not have their cards to download the information so all they can do is get you to do a days print-out.
Isn’t it wonderful in the single European market?