ive only used digi tacho’s before. on my next assignment i may have to use the analouge one. my question is if i leave the mode switch on other work. will the tacho disc show other work when im sat at the lights or stuck in traffic and will i be able to deduct these periods of time from from the 4.5 hours before i need a break. ( like a digi one seemed to do for me)
secondly i am work for various agencies and i want to know when and who should be downloading my digi card
An analogue tacho only records periods of driving when the wheels are turning, but I should think it would be nearly impossible to see the short periods of time waiting at a traffic lights on the trace. In theory I suppose the answer is yes but in practice no - if that helps!
As for downloading your digi card, i’m not sure of the legal situation, but I guess that any companies you do work for will want to download the info as may the agencies, but as its only like showing your licence, I don’t see it matters how many people have the information - it still stays on your card.
Now there is a point I’m not sure on and would like the answer to.
If on analogue and stopped for 2 mins at a set of lights or whatever, is that regarded as ‘in control of the vehicle’ so deemed as ‘driving’ or as it actually records ‘other work’, is it deemed as that.
In the past I have always deemed it as driving to be on the safe side - was I wrong
well it is a very interesting question to which i would like to know the answer. all i can say is that i cant see how they can have two sets of rules in effect for the diggi and analouge tacho.
and in practice i was thinking of using a stopwatch every time i was stopped in traffic to help me see how long i had actually been driving. this would help make more efficient use of time because i found that i had been at the wheel of my lorry for about 5, 5 1/2 hours before i was due a break ( digi tacho told me that)
When we switched between as I do now I just use a stopwatch and time between drops. Traffic lights dont make any difference on a digi because none stop for longer then two minutes(none where I have been anyway) so it is more for your call in the shop/cafe for breakfast or being stuck in a proper traffic jam where you dont move for 5-10 mins at a time so the time is actually stopping. To be honest the 30 seconds you might gain at long queues really wont affect your day on the whole, but a stop watch is very usefull and always remember your start time as you still need a break at 6 hours regardless of if you have drove for 4.5 of them
just thought that i might add that i usually drive in london so traffic lights can go on for ever and likewize with traffic jams and i found with the digi tacho the time really did add up so i think it would make quite a difference. i dont want to take a break early and end up stuck somewhere with my truck after driving 10 hours. i need to use my time as effectively as possible so yeah a stop watch will really help. i just need to know if the analouge tacho will record time stopped as other work■■?
Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck or a car
If your sat in a vehicle with the engine running then you are driving or in the position of driving
if you get out of the vehicle with the engine running then unless your on a closed road or private property your breaking the law
The only time you would be alowed to do this is when you need the use of Power take off unit to load or unload the vehicle this would not I think include the use of a tail lift
nick2008:
Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck or a car
If your sat in a vehicle with the engine running then you are driving or in the position of driving
There are 2 sets of things here -
The definition in law as to what constitutes driving
The driving time for the purpose of the tacho regs
The two are unlikely to be exactly the same.
Driving (from case law) is the act of sitting behind the steering wheel in order to control the movement of the vehicle. It said nothing about the engine running as you can still be ‘driving’ a vehicle that is being pushed by other people (a large number of ‘others’ in the case of an HGV / PSV). Other cases say that you could be outside the vehicle steering it and helping push. In short you have some element of control over the vehicles’ course and speed.
Driving time (from Article 4 of (EC) 561/2006, the time recorded automatically (or semi-automatically) by the Recording Equipment (tachograph)
An ‘automatic’ analogue tacho will record whatever mode the switch is set to when the vehicle is stationary and revert back to ‘driving’ when the vehicle moves. The chart will be analysed such that if the trace shows ‘other work’ for example, that is what is noted. So, yes the bits of ‘other work’ will be taken away from the driving trace in the calculation of the 4.5 hour driving period. Like others have said, don’t forget the RT(WT)R requirement for break(s).
Just remember that a minute in the mode trace area of an analogue chart is represented by a linear distance of 0.13 mm, so accurately determining times without a chart reader and a magnifier may be a bit difficult
Also, doesn’t matter what your stopwatch tells you, the display, printout or downloaded data from a digital tachograph is what counts.
Finally, the operator whose vehicle you are driving needs to download your driver card. They must do it at least every 28 days or at the end of the period where you are employed as a driver, if sooner. If you are agency and regularly swap between operators that could mean they need to download your card on a daily basis.
ROG:
Now there is a point I’m not sure on and would like the answer to.
If on analogue and stopped for 2 mins at a set of lights or whatever, is that regarded as ‘in control of the vehicle’ so deemed as ‘driving’ or as it actually records ‘other work’, is it deemed as that.
In the past I have always deemed it as driving to be on the safe side - was I wrong
