I work for ASDA & we have been told that if i am on a 9 hour shift lets say that starts at midnight, i return to the yard at 8.oclock & remove my tacho but do not clock off work till 9 oclock, Adsa are saying that i must draw a line on the FRONT of the tacho from 8 till 9 & draw a little picture symbol of crossed hammers or box with line through it to cover for that hour.All the drivers here are saying that we are not allowed to deface the front on the tacho and any thing that needs to be recorded manually has to be on the rear of the tacho. can anyone tell me who is correct as Asda say they have spoken to the FTA who says we can write on the front of tacho, but managment at ASDA are not prepaired to put this in writing. We are now using FTA tachos that conveniently have no comments area on the back.
The only thing I would put on the trace area on the front of a disc is a line straight across that area and either SDR,EDR, SWR, EWR, for start/end daily rest, start/end weekly rest. Any other information such as what you were doing in the times between those lines and the disc being in a tacho should be filled in on the time graph on the rear of the chart.
Interesting that the operator is is telling you to do something but doesn’t have the strength to put it in writing. Another example of weak management methinks.
When i worked for mastercare we had to mark the front of the tacho with a line at the start of shift and another line at the end of shift
simon
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 9:12 am Post subject:
The only thing I would put on the trace area on the front of a disc is a line straight across that area and either SDR,EDR, SWR, EWR, for start/end daily rest, start/end weekly rest. Any other information such as what you were doing in the times between those lines and the disc being in a tacho should be filled in on the time graph on the rear of the chart.
Agreed.
If you do write anything else on the front you will be ok as long as it doesn’t damage or obscure the trace from the head
Yes, I’ll third that too.
I’ve been writing EDR/SDR/EWR/SWR on my tacho’s for as long as I can remember at my start and end times (no actual line, just eg. EDR 0600, SDR 2100 at the appropriate points) and never had any come back on it.
So long as it doesn’t interfere with the trace at all they’re not fussed, but for all other comments I write across the centre fields on the reverse.
For your own peace of mind though, I wouldn’t start writing anything on the trace part of your tacho’s with Asda until they put it in writing. Meanwhile, carry on as you have been doing.
Ever since I have been using tacho’s, (last 14yrs), I have always been told never to deface the front of a chart. There is a place for doing things like EDR, SDR, etc on the back of the disc. I always have and always will do it this way.
Same as Jase do not write anything on the front i always put it on the back, our’s are checked by the FTA and they have never said anything about writing on the back this includes edr and sdr
I think the reason that some operators want the SDR/EDR marks on the front of the chartis so the scanner can read it.
I’ve always used the front of the chart without a problem, ensuring as others have said, that you don’t interfere with the trace. The main reason being that I never have a felt tip pen handy and if I use the back of the chart it traces marks to the face.
I alway’s mark the rear of the tacho.It does not need to be a line from top to bottom,Just a mark to show start/end of rest/duty.Also if as you said you remove your tacho at 8am,the ministry will allow you 20mins grace from removing your tacho to putting your sdr( start of daily rest) mark.they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks if it is more than that,and ASDA .
kitkat:
I alway’s mark the rear of the tacho.It does not need to be a line from top to bottom,Just a mark to show start/end of rest/duty.Also if as you said you remove your tacho at 8am,the ministry will allow you 20mins grace from removing your tacho to putting your sdr( start of daily rest) mark.they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks if it is more than that,and ASDA .
Really 
Is there anything official on this News to me.
if you are going to write on the face of the chart use a felt tip type pen - this will not mark the surface of the chart.
if you use a normal biro it takes away the surface of the chart - if you look at the points inside the head they are just metal spikes - these take away the face of the chart the same as a biro - a felt tip type pen doesn’t and so you have not defaced the tacho chart with an instrument.
I’ve always used a biro - still never had any problems…
Rob K:
kitkat:
I alway’s mark the rear of the tacho.It does not need to be a line from top to bottom,Just a mark to show start/end of rest/duty.Also if as you said you remove your tacho at 8am,the ministry will allow you 20mins grace from removing your tacho to putting your sdr( start of daily rest) mark.they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks if it is more than that,and ASDA .Really
Is there anything official on this
Rob,We had a meeting with our fleet manager who was telling us this m8,it was news to me.I will try and get concrete evidence for you.
From GV 262
36 WHERE SHOULD MANUAL ENTRIES BE MADE?
If a chart has a special place to make entries, usually on the reverse side, this is where they should be made. But they can be made anywhere on the chart provided they are clear and do not obliterate other recordings.
Although, as Coffee has mentioned elsewhere. Don’t do it in France.
How are daily rest periods recorded?
When a chart cannot be left in the vehicle’s tachograph to record a daily rest period, drivers should make manual entries, for example: start DR 18.30, end DR 06.30.How should other work be recorded?
If the driver is working away from the vehicle and cannot leave a chart in the tachograph or has left a chart in but changed his work mode whilst away from the vehicle - he must make a manual entry on the chart, eg OW 09.15-10.20.What about out of scope or off-road driving?
This may be recorded by marking on the chart - ‘Off Road or Other Work/Duty (time)’: eg OW 11.15-12.15; on some models of tachograph the mode switch can be left on other work at these times.
I have seen at many firms an FTA wall chart that shows a representation of a chart, of how it should be completed, and this shows lines drawn to show Start of Day and End of Day.
Remember also that with the WTD, Asda have an obligation to keep records for 2 years and can, should they choose, use tachograph charts for this purpose.
Whilst they may issue day or trip sheets that also fulfil that function, notice that by relying on tacho charts as the main record of work, these sheets can be disposed of within the two year period. A saving in storage space.
Rob K:
Yes, I’ll third that too.I’ve been writing EDR/SDR/EWR/SWR on my tacho’s for as long as I can remember at my start and end times (no actual line, just eg. EDR 0600, SDR 2100 at the appropriate points) and never had any come back on it.
I do similar but with a line drawn 10-15 mins the appropiate side of the trace. Although you are i’ve been led to beleave ment to leave your card in if your on a night out"Perkins VOSA Norwich" Also any other comments such as if you ocasionaly forget to change mode for a break maybe, then i will write in the break time on the back eg;break taken 1115-1200, forgot to change mode, it isnt strictly corrrect but as long as its only done rarely they’ll let it go. In the position you find yourself i’d write on the back something like; work duties caried out away from vehicle between 0800-0900 start daily rest, i certainly wouldnt entertain what your bosses say, or get in touch with VOSA they’ll put in writing and you’ll have no come back then 
Never put anything on the front of the card, dont see as there is need to.
My current employer is kicking up a stink over this, they keep telling me to mark the front of the tacho SOD & EOD, of course im not, I have started filling in the back of the tacho.
My last days work:
They are still complaining but they can do nothing about it (they wont put the instruction in writing either)
As far as I can understand they want it because the tacho scanner can readit it all which of course makes their job easier (like im going to do that 
You will also note that im taking my required half hour brakes as required or getting paid an extra half hour
All I’m required to do is put start and end of shift on the back. Well they say start and end of duty, DUTY! I don’t serve them I bloody work for them so it’s not duty. Besides I like putting SOS at the start of my shift.
I have marked EDR SDR on the front of the card after it was asked for by the ministry and it caused no problems when being stopped by for tacho checks.
Although as far as I’m concerned all other manual enteries should be on the back of the card and only if you cannot keep the card in the head. I have also started writing EDR and SDR in the manual entry area instead of the front of the card.
why would you take the taco out 1 hour before the end of a shift
hitch:
why would you take the taco out 1 hour before the end of a shift
If the vehicle is required to be used by someone else, maybe