How long is data on your card for and can vosa access and how long would they look at the card for infringement s
the data can stay for over a year on your card and even longer on the head unit if you drive the same truck all the time, also I think they can go back 6 months to issue fines ect 
I can go back 4yrs on my card
Doesn’t it get wiped earlier if you do a lot of stop/start as it ha to keep storing each mode used
The data on the driver card gets overwritten when the chip is full, so the more activity changes you do during each shift the sooner the data will be overwritten.
Data gets overwritten in the order of oldest first, so once the card is full, every-time new data is written it wipes the oldest data from the card.
A driver card is designed to hold a minimum of 28 days of data, in reality from what I’ve read on this board I would say the average length of time data is stored on the card is probably somewhere between eight and twelve months.
If you’ve been naughty, best lose your card and get a replacement 
drivergraham:
How long is data on your card for and can vosa access and how long would they look at the card for infringements
My understanding is that generally you won’t get a fixed penalty from VOSA for offences over 28 days.
If it’s regular deliberate offences I believe they could go back six months for most offences if they wanted to.
How often is the head unit checked? Is there a set time scale, I’ve never heard of one getting check myself but that means bugger all.
I think there should be an option to delete all data over 28 days when the card is downloaded!
cypry0:
If you’ve been naughty, best lose your card and get a replacement
Good idea but that won’t work as all the data is still storedcon the head. I download the units at work and you can see on the head data who’s card was in on each day. So even if you get a new card your data is still avalible. Once its been down loaded the company has to keep it for a minimum of 12 months and if they are uskng tacho records for monitoring your wtd that then has to kept for 2 years. There is nowhere to hide now 
wildfire:
cypry0:
If you’ve been naughty, best lose your card and get a replacementGood idea but that won’t work as all the data is still storedcon the head. I download the units at work and you can see on the head data who’s card was in on each day. So even if you get a new card your data is still avalible. Once its been down loaded the company has to keep it for a minimum of 12 months and if they are uskng tacho records for monitoring your wtd that then has to kept for 2 years. There is nowhere to hide now
That’s very true for the likes of yourself Wildfire who uses the same truck day in day out, but cab hoppers have a get out of jail free card as the chances of them getting checked whilst in the same vehicle they were “naughty” in diminishes.
Has to be downloaded every 56 days I think
Smoggie89:
Has to be downloaded every 56 days I think
Thought it was 42 days
It’s over 28 anyways lol
The data from a digital tachograph head (VU) should be downloaded no later than 56 days from the last download.
Driver cards should be downloaded no later than 28 days from the last download.
Tachograph charts should be handed in no later than 42 days from the day after it’s use.
cypry0:
If you’ve been naughty, best lose your card and get a replacement
Ive heard that if you ‘accidentally’ insert it into an ATM, thinking it was your bank card, that formats all the data on it, but like you say, info is still on the tacho head? And I wouldnt go as far to rip that out and replace with one on ebay, just take it on the chin and dont do it again!
hi boys (and girls?), first post so please be gentle with me.
i work nights for a large parcel company and as the site’s acting transport co-ordinator works days and doesn’t see all the drivers i have been asked to download employed and agency drivers on the nightshift’s cards and lock out vehicle units when going for service etc.
he’s had a reprimand from head office/tachomaster for some agency drivers not having a leaving date next to their log on the tachomaster’s workers list so “officially” (head office’s word) they’re still regisered as working for us, and is passing the blame on to me. that i’m not worried about cos he hasn’t shown me that bit.
i’ve had a look around the tachomaster system and what i have noticed is that at least two employees who have digicards have not had their cards downloaded for over 6 weeks. one is the acting transport co-ordinator himself, a driver who is ill and has been taken off driving duties, and one is the site manager whose name doesn’t even appear on the tachomaster workers list. to my knowledge he’s not driven a hgv in the two years i’ve worked for the company.
my first question is; do cards have to be downloaded every 28 days even if there’s no driving in that period, ie to show that officially, or do cards have to be downloaded after every 28 days’ worth of driving, eg if a driver only takes out a vehicle once every month then he could in theory only need to have his card downloaded once every 2 and a bit years?
my supplimentary question is; if an employee no longer drives for the company, should he have a leaving date entered on the tachomaster workers list to show that?
ta sarah x
The download frequency, as stated by DfT, is no more than
28 days for a driver card and no more than 56 days for the
vehicle unit. All records must be returned to, or driver cards
downloaded by, the operator within 42 days. The downloaded
data must be kept in a safe and secure manner for a minimum
of 12 months; this will allow you to comply with the requirement
to be able to produce records for an enforcement officer
For anyone worried about any dodgy days:
Vosa will check your card for the last 7 days, If they find anything a bit iffy, They will check the last 14 days. This will show them if you made an honest mistake, you don’t know the rules, or don’t care about the rules. If it turns out you fall into the category of an honest mistake, Then you may get a warning or a fine. If you fall into the category of the latter two, Then you’re in for a long wait.
Keep a diary of any cockups. That’s really important. If you don’t, Then as far as the law is concerned, You don’t know or care about the rules.
■■■■■■_sarah:
hi boys (and girls?), first post so please be gentle with me.
i work nights for a large parcel company and as the site’s acting transport co-ordinator works days and doesn’t see all the drivers i have been asked to download employed and agency drivers on the nightshift’s cards and lock out vehicle units when going for service etc.
he’s had a reprimand from head office/tachomaster for some agency drivers not having a leaving date next to their log on the tachomaster’s workers list so “officially” (head office’s word) they’re still regisered as working for us, and is passing the blame on to me. that i’m not worried about cos he hasn’t shown me that bit.
i’ve had a look around the tachomaster system and what i have noticed is that at least two employees who have digicards have not had their cards downloaded for over 6 weeks. one is the acting transport co-ordinator himself, a driver who is ill and has been taken off driving duties, and one is the site manager whose name doesn’t even appear on the tachomaster workers list. to my knowledge he’s not driven a hgv in the two years i’ve worked for the company.
my first question is; do cards have to be downloaded every 28 days even if there’s no driving in that period, ie to show that officially, or do cards have to be downloaded after every 28 days’ worth of driving, eg if a driver only takes out a vehicle once every month then he could in theory only need to have his card downloaded once every 2 and a bit years?
my supplimentary question is; if an employee no longer drives for the company, should he have a leaving date entered on the tachomaster workers list to show that?
ta sarah x
Welcome to Trucknet-UK Sarah 
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In the case of a driver who has never driven for the company, the driver card should be downloaded no later than 28 days after the first time the driver drives for the company.
-
In the case of a driver who does drive for the company, the driver card should be downloaded no later than 28 days from the first time the driver drives for the company after the last download.
-
In the case of a driver who only drives for the company occasionally, the driver card should be downloaded no later than 28 days after the last time the driver drove for the company.
-
In the case of a driver who ceases to be employed by the company, the driver card should be downloaded immediately before the driver ceases to be employed by the company.
In other words the driver card should be downloaded either:
-
no later than 28 days from the first time the driver drives for the company.
-
no later than 28 days after the fist time the driver drives for the company after the last download.
As far as the question about Tachomaster is concerned, whether or not a drivers leaving date should be entered on the drivers list I suspect it should, but as I haven’t used Tachomaster for some time I can’t be sure, either way whilst it seems to make sense to put the drivers leaving date on the drivers list it’s between your company and Tachomaster and not a legal requirement.
To discus the Tachomaster question with someone who can give a definitive answer I suggest you contact Tachomaster by one of the options bellow.
- Email: feedback@tachomaster.co.uk
- Telephone: 01923 469222
thank you for a prompt reply, tachograph. i think i’ve got my head around your answers…
incidentally my brother worked for the same company years ago, occasionally (maybe once every few months when no other drivers were available) driving 7.5t lorries. he was taken off the driver list in 2005 as the company said that as he drove from them, albeit occasionally, they had a legal duty to record all his driving and working hours, but didn’t want to have to issue him with 6 paper tachos each week for him to record his all hours as other work on them!!