Was at a DCPC course yesterday (wheyyyy only 1 left to do) - and I dont know if i got the wrong end of the converstation but:-
An example was given that if a dustcart (owned by council) had a tacho fitted then they had to have it calibrated and downloaded every 56 days BUT they would still be under domestic rules because of the 50km rule BUT they could have chosen not to have the taho fitted■■? so they would not have to worry about the tacho download or calibration.
Now as far as I know a dustcart would be over 3500kgs, so if this is true - or its me getting it wrong - could you tell me how it works.
Our local council uses them but a trade waste firm that I worked for doesn’t. Very dodgy ground. His theory was that the waste belonged to him as he had bought it from the customers so he only need a restricted o licence and no tacho’s. Between 100 and 150 calls a day in a deathtrap, job and jack with no breaks and all for a pittance. I didn’t stay there long!
iv driven for 2 local councils neither used tachos althoigh one made us fill out a log book to show we had taken the correct breaks…being job and knock we obviously did this correctly!!
My last DCPC course mentioned a council who fell foul of the law as the dustcart had no tacho and did a domestic round (no problem) but due to a breakdown, went back out afterwards and did a trade waste round (hire and reward) and VOSA stopped them for no tacho etc…
Total guess but, I would think it’s along the lines of its main function being the rubbish compacting machinery mounted on it therefore tacho exempt.
Used to service an 18ton with a grain drier mounted on it. That was exempt both tacho and o-licence, I think, because its primary function was grain drying machine.
if the vehicle is used under domestic hours rules and fitted with a Tacho (analogue or digital) then the Tacho may be ignored if records are kept using Log Books. The Tacho will need to be calibrated and sealed as it is probably used to provide a speed signal to the speedo. If the Tacho provides a speed signal to the speed limiter then it must be calibrated and sealed. There is no need for 2 year checks under these circumstances.
If the vehicle is used under EU rules (even only occasionally) which would be the case with trade waste, then the Tacho needs to be calibrated and sealed, periodically checked and downloaded.
if the vehicle is used under domestic hours rules and fitted with a Tacho (analogue or digital) then the Tacho may be ignored if records are kept using Log Books. The Tacho will need to be calibrated and sealed as it is probably used to provide a speed signal to the speedo. If the Tacho provides a speed signal to the speed limiter then it must be calibrated and sealed. There is no need for 2 year checks under these circumstances.
If the vehicle is used under EU rules (even only occasionally) which would be the case with trade waste, then the Tacho needs to be calibrated and sealed, periodically checked and downloaded.
I work for a local authority and all the trucks have tacho’s fitted, when driving the dustcarts we have to fill in a log book and use a tacho/drivercard for the hook loaders, any vehicle used for household refuse collection is tacho exempt, i am pretty sure our trade trucks are exempt too but not having driving one i am not sure.
The hook loaders have there tacho’s downloaded, the dustcarts even though they have digitachos fitted don’t have to be downloaded.
I work for a company that hires out bin carts to councils and trade waste colection prople. Councils dont need tacho but some now a-days use them. If on the domestic rounds then they dont need them, now like some councul do is pick up the odd trade bin. Bang they need tachos for that. Any trade waste needs tachos full stop.
When you take a bin cart for mot and no tacho is fitted, you need to fill out a tacho exemption. all is fine then. But more and more councils are useing tachos now, but there are still a lot that dont.
when i had my own tippers i used tachos, and the ministry checked them at the regular fleetwood checkpoint.
i always thought i’d probably be exempt, but i just used them anyway.
we would only drive about 3 or 4 hours on a busy day, so there was never an issue of there ever being a problem with hours regs.
i liked the lads from the ministry. a copper once wrote out a ticket due to my lorry not having reverse lights. i refused to sign it until the ministry man gave his opinion. he did, and he made the copper look like a complete ■■■. the ticket got ripped up, and the copper went off for a sulk.
