Are there any plans to force operators into retrofitting digital units to trucks with analogue ones? I’ve heard from 2017. Is this correct?
Yeah, that will be half of our lorries parked up then.
The only info I have heard is that if every thing should fail at the same time as in the head the sender ect then a full digi system is supposed to be fitted ,but how often does that happen ?
As far as I am aware there are no such plans. An existing analogue equipped vehicle can remain analogue as long as they can get the repairs/spares and keep it working and calibrated.
I would imagine some vehicles may not be able to be converted to digital.
If I remember rightly 2017 sees the introduction of the next generation of digital tacho … although I have a suspicion this might be 2019 - can’t remember 
I can’t see anything in the legislation that will require retrofitting of the new generation of tachos that will be introduced around 2018. (note- I have only skimmed through it and have not studied or even read anywhere near all 500 + pages, see following link)
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ … 99&from=EN
Of course we may not be within the EU come that date, however I suspect we will still be complying so we can continue to trade within the EU.
One element of the new legislation that I was not aware of, and bear in mind I may be misunderstanding the complex EU legislation, is going to be the ability of the law enforcement agencies to remotely analyse you tacho from out with your vehicle, so for instance as you are driving down the motorway a police car or other listening device will be able to check your records for compliance without you even knowing. It would also appear the vehicle weights and axle weights will be all part of the new regime so, for instance if you have overloaded an axle it will show up, however I did not see any requirement of the new devices to email the traffic commissions each and every time a minor infringement is made - LOL.
Also, interestingly the tachos are going to be requiring two speed inputs to confirm accuracy, I suspect the gps element of the new generation will be double checking on the info from the wheel speeds and alerting if they differ, so the end could be on the cards for having a favourably calibrated truck
Lads, alterego has clearly been sat in a RDC with an ex SAS member, no need to actually research this.
The best story I have currently relates to the consequences of tacho fitting to a vehicle never originally designed to have one. The automatic transmission uses a toothed wheel attached to the propshaft to sense roadspeed. The translation panel (ECU) interprets this signal and initiates a gearchange. Apparently the vehicle owner’s garage and the tachograph agent are now in dispute over the consequences which arose from a tachograph installation. Subsequent to a failure to engage gears which was only evident while the vehicle was in motion and after this installation, a misdiagnosis was made by the tachograph agent (main dealer) that the original gearbox was faulty. At this point the vehicle was returned by the tacho agent with their work assuredly completed correctly and the gearbox sent away for overhaul. Since then two gearboxes have been returned to the reconditioner by the owner’s garage as faulty because gears will not engage. These have been stripped and no internal faults found - warranty claims rejected. The vehicle uses a 24 volt three phase speedo generator however this is not tachograph compatible. The tachograph agent therefore elected to use the toothed pole wheel to obtain a speed signal, however the signal obtained was somehow not compatible. At this point the story goes that someone decided to saw off a few teeth from the pole wheel and the tachgraph then worked brilliantly. Sadly the gearbox did not, since its translation panel (ECU) was now receiving an incorrect signal and interpreted what it was receiving as insufficient roadspeed reached to engage the next gear.
When a new pole wheel was specially made and fitted the gearbox worked perfectly. A compatible roadspeed signal can be obtained it the correct wire is identified and tee’d at the terminal block adjacent to the ECU… oh dear.