What symbol are you now supposed to put it on to show driving time? Before the WTD we always left it on the square symbol, but now we are being told to put it on the bed symbol whilst driving and switch it over to record “other work” and “POA’s”. 
It would be a lot less confusing if our tacho’s still had the actual symbol for driving (remember those■■?) like when I first started driving. 
It would be great to find out what everyone else is doing.
Mine stays on bed permanantly
simon
I use the square box and the bed symbol.
I dont have periods of availability, I am either at work or at rest 
the tacho is automatic and that can work out when I am driving
The Eastern traffic office INSIST that you change the mode switch, a couple of our guys got a slap on the wrist for leaving it on drive (square box) and believing that it’s automatic but they want to see you fisically change the mode
Driving while it’s on bed mode is actually an infringment
The recommended system is using:
crossed hammers for driving, working, loading, etc
square box for POA’s
and obviusly bed for rest.
This is what the vosa leaflet I read said anyway
richiessex:
The Eastern traffic office INSIST that you change the mode switch, a couple of our guys got a slap on the wrist for leaving it on drive (square box) and believing that it’s automatic but they want to see you fisically change the modeDriving while it’s on bed mode is actually an infringment
There isnt a mode for driving so you have to use the square box, old tachographs used to have 4 modes, modern ones only have 3 modes.
The square box signifies driving , other work and refueling, when I am resting or waiting to load, catch a ferry etc I put the mode on bed
Dapper Scavenger:
The recommended system is using:crossed hammers for driving, working, loading, etc
square box for POA’s
and obviusly bed for rest.
This is what the vosa leaflet I read said anyway
this is correct. the square box was previously not used in the uk which is why it is now POA
SimonRS2K:
Mine stays on bed permanantlysimon
why 
you know you can be done and the company that you work for can get a heafty fine 
square box =poa’s
crossed hammers = driving and other work ( loading/tipping)
bed =rest
kitkat:
square box =poa’scrossed hammers = driving and other work ( loading/tipping)
bed =rest
I’m glad this topic has come up as I used to drive on the square box and never use the cross hammers 
The crossed hammers never used to be used in UK.
Square box was work and the bed was… well that’s obvious.
mrpj:
kitkat:
square box =poa’scrossed hammers = driving and other work ( loading/tipping)
bed =rest
I’m glad this topic has come up as I used to drive on the square box and never use the cross hammers
i was the same untill the wtd came in.the square box was for driving and other work,the bed was obvious,the crossed hammer’s was never used.
this was given to all our driver’s at the start of the wtd
img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/ … y08_01.jpg
which is handy cause i have heard that a few copper’s are saying that they will book driver’s if on the wrong mode.but this is back up and will be produced if stopped and asked why i’m driving on crossed hammers .
Thanks for the advice guys. Lets see if anyone at work picks me up on it.
scanny77:
Dapper Scavenger:
The recommended system is using:crossed hammers for driving, working, loading, etc
square box for POA’s
and obviusly bed for rest.
This is what the vosa leaflet I read said anyway
this is correct. the square box was previously not used in the uk which is why it is now POA
Everyone i know used to use the square box for other work apart from those that used to leave it on rest all the while, but now the general rule seems to be crossed hammers for work including driving, this will show when you come to a stop before you change the mode to a POA or rest as required. Box for POA and bed for rest. A bloke used to work with got well slagged off by a ministry guy for not changing his mode from bed all day, he was told that he should work {box} and only move the mode to rest when he was actually taking a break, and they followed him up 3 months later, which amused me no end becuase i’d been telling him this for years prevously. It was the same when this same bloke and another one of the drivers, got new trucks and got the fitters to put the orange plate on the wrong way up, i took my motor over on the following day saturday, the fitter started lining up the board and i told him which way to fit it, longside horizontal short side vertical. Well i did point out to the other 2 their mistake which they reckoned didnt matter, until one of them got a tug and told to correct there mistake at the earliest oppurtunity, gloat not much 
There is no drive symbol on automatic heads.
Once the vehicle moves drive is automatically recorded, when the vehicle stops the head records the mode which is selected.
To use this head correctly you must select box before you set off.
Drive will be recorded when you start to move and when you stop it will revert to box to record other work.
The only movement you make is from box to rest when you take a break.
Surely a rest of is a rest so therefore a period of availability
DFT website has a down load of WTD advice. I would hope the VOSA have a copy:-)
GOve that a go and you should be OK.
No No NO!!! It was like that when I got here!
hitch:
There is no drive symbol on automatic heads.
Once the vehicle moves drive is automatically recorded, when the vehicle stops the head records the mode which is selected.To use this head correctly you must select box before you set off.
Drive will be recorded when you start to move and when you stop it will revert to box to record other work.
The only movement you make is from box to rest when you take a break.
Surely a rest of is a rest so therefore a period of availability
Hitch seems to have the most correct answer so far.
But, from what I can make out, from the RTD, what we should now do is use,
crossed hammers to show other work, including taking your paperwork to the office,
box to show POA and
bed to show breaks and rest. You can also use bed for a POA, under the right circumstances.
The automatic tacho heads go to “drive mode” automatically, whatever mode the switch is set to.
