Sorry if these been posted before or same thing on the same lines. But how easy is it to operate the tachogrpah system. I am a new driver and I start my new job after Xmas but I’m already panicking about the tacho. I don’t want to be getting pulled and getting fined or losing my license. I know I should be getting training when I start but any information from the forum what there’s experiences are like with them and did they feel the same when 1st starting out
List of Do’s:
Have a look at the online simulators.
Be familiar with the different symbols on a tacho and what they mean.
Be familiar with EU rules and the WTD.
Have a good fiddle with the Tacho before you put your card in so you know what does what.
Know when you should be putting a manual entry in.
Know which way round you should orientate your card.
List of Don’ts:
Be so paralysed with fear you are to scared to touch the bloody thing.
Be afraid to ask a question of your fellow drivers at the company.
Its difficult to be more useful than that without knowing what make and version the tachograph you will be using…
They’re a ******* nightmare mate. I’m having therapy for the ******** things !
Press No and Go it’s what I do and nobody has ever pulled me up about it,I’m such a rebel me 
VOSTAPO might but not been stopped by them for about 20 years.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll be defo making sure I’m fully clued up on it. Think it’s the fear of getting pulled over by vosa and heavy fines and losing my license
Mellor:
Thanks for the advice. I’ll be defo making sure I’m fully clued up on it. Think it’s the fear of getting pulled over by vosa and heavy fines and losing my license
Look mate, the DVSA, are not sitting there at the roadside, rubbing their hands together at the thought of dry arse ■■■■■■■ the next poor noooob that comes along without a clue. They are there to make transport in our country safer and fairer for everyone.
If you put the effort in, learn what you can as you go, have a polite and sensible attitude, then at a stop your license will be quite safe I assure you! Also don’t expect to be stopped everyday day, if you work for reputable firms, and know how a loaded truck should look going down the road, you are unlikely to get pulled very often. I’ve had one stop in 7 years… Plenty will have never been stopped in that time…
Good luck, and try not to worry too much!
As mentioned each works a little differently, and even the same make works slightly differently, but to be honest the simulators make these things seem overly complicated when you actually use them. OK, analogue ones are more fiddly and I’d ask someone at the depot, but most are now digital tachos.
In my experience at least you’ll find two types of digital - Seimens VDO and Stoneridge. Main difference is that the former has 2 buttons for each card labelled with a number and an eject symbol and Stoneridge has only one. Ignore the right hand slot in 99.9% of cases, so always use the left one.
- Card usually goes in chip first and facing upwards. It’ll tell you if you get this wrong with “card error” message.
- Unit ponders and considers
- It might ask you stuff, just press “OK” to confirm or use the up/down arrows to change the selection of yes/no then OK.
- Ponders more…
- Either says “Ready to drive” or just displays the various times (driving, breaks etc).
- When it does this you’re ready to go.
When running you can use 3 modes by pressing the “1” or single button - work, break or POA. Ignore POA for now, so break is the chair symbol and work is the cross one. Use break for your 45 min breaks and work for unloading, loading etc.
I’d personally ignore manual entries for now unless you have to do them as they’re a pain sometimes, so if it asks about that click “no”.
As for VOSA, they’re actually nice it seems esp when they realise you’re new. Just be polite, answer honestly and you’ll be fine. Do avoid M1 services in Nottinghamshire esp Trowell and the one up from it as they are there regularly.
In class 2, we’ll learn how to fake things, have 3 different cards, install dodgy stuff to block the tacho from recording (running the wire?), blame it on someone else when VOSA catch you, how to get a good solicitor, etc… 
There are different makes of digital tachograph and they operate slightly differently, but I would say Siemens digital tachographs are still by far the most widely used.
Without knowing what make and age tachograph you will be using it’s not possible to be specific but the links bellow may help.
For operating these are the same as the latest Siemens digital tachographs.
Thanks again for the help again