Hi,
This is potentially a bit embarrassing… I am three weeks into my first driving job driving trucks with digital tachos. Having done my research etc. on the regulations and how you use them etc. I thought I was doing everything right, except apparantly one thing…
When arriving back in the yard at the end of the day I have just been pressing eject on the machine, confirming the country and sticking the card in my wallet assuming that the fact I am removing my card shows that I am finishing work. Before doing this I haven’t been changing (up until yesterday) the activity mode to rest. Next day I stick the card back in and get on with it.
Anyway, I now realise I am wrong to be doing this but I am rather concerned as to what my record might look like to a VOSA inspector?
rob22888:
Hi,
This is potentially a bit embarrassing… I am three weeks into my first driving job driving trucks with digital tachos. Having done my research etc. on the regulations and how you use them etc. I thought I was doing everything right, except apparantly one thing…
When arriving back in the yard at the end of the day I have just been pressing eject on the machine, confirming the country and sticking the card in my wallet assuming that the fact I am removing my card shows that I am finishing work. Before doing this I haven’t been changing (up until yesterday) the activity mode to rest. Next day I stick the card back in and get on with it.
Anyway, I now realise I am wrong to be doing this but I am rather concerned as to what my record might look like to a VOSA inspector?
Don’t worry about it Rob, I assume that when you start the next shift you don’t do a manual entry to cover any time at work after pulling the card at the end of the shift or before putting it back in at the start of the shift.
The card will show unaccounted time which will be regarded as rest.
If you get pulled by VOSA they may possibly query why there are no manual entries but tell them that you always pull the card immediately before finishing and put it back in at the very start of the shift 
Assuming that there is a little time at the end and start of the shifts when you’re working without the card inserted start doing manual entries at the start of each shift, this will allow you to finish the previous shift correctly and it won’t matter whether you put the tachograph on rest or not
Technically if you’re still working you shouldn’t be putting the tachograph onto rest before you pull the card anyway, it’s an offence you know
As for your question of “how bad a newbie oversight is this ?”, it’s one I think you will find that most people new to digital tachographs probably make so relax and concentrate on learning to do it right
I hope this puts your mind at rest
Anyway looking on the bright side … prison food can’t be that bad 
Jujst don’t drop the soap in the shower
It’s not an oversight, it’s doing it correctly.
I never switch my mode to rest before taking the card out as it would be a false record as I am not on rest. i still have to go to the office to hand in keys and paperwork and may be get details of my next trip. The following morning I make a manual entry to account for this time.
I always make sure the mode is on other work before I insert my card, usually the dumbass agency drivers we have switch it to rest. If I don’t in the time between inserting the card and making the manual entry it records a minute of break.
Thanks for the replies guys, noted.
One more thing… can POA count towards your breaks? Say I have done 3 hours driving, and then have to wait an hour to get loaded and set the tacho to POA, would that ‘reset’ my driving time and allow me to drive for 4.5 further hours without a break?
rob22888:
When arriving back in the yard at the end of the day I have just been pressing eject on the machine, confirming the country and sticking the card in my wallet assuming that the fact I am removing my card shows that I am finishing work. Before doing this I haven’t been changing (up until yesterday) the activity mode to rest. Next day I stick the card back in and get on with it.
Anyway, I now realise I am wrong to be doing this but I am rather concerned as to what my record might look like to a VOSA inspector?
There’s nothing wrong with that at all. It’s a common belief that the card when removed will show whatever mode it was last on for the time between removal and reinsertion, however this is not the case. It will simply show a gap in the record which VOSA will happily accept as your daily/weekly rest period unless you give them some reason not to…
Paul
rob22888:
One more thing… can POA count towards your breaks? Say I have done 3 hours driving, and then have to wait an hour to get loaded and set the tacho to POA, would that ‘reset’ my driving time and allow me to drive for 4.5 further hours without a break?
No, POA doesn’t count as break.
My suggestion would be simply to have that hour while waiting to get loaded as break instead of POA, that way it does reset your driving clock. The only reason not to do this that I can think of would be if your employer checks your tachos and deducts all recorded breaks from your pay.
Paul