Recording Data

Since 1st May of 2006, all newly registered HGV’s of more than 3.5t and passenger vehicles with more than 9 seats including the driver must be equipped with a digital tachograph, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006.

All vehicle data from digital tachographs and driver data from driver cards must be archived in accordance with legislation. At least one company card must be available per company and every driver who drives a vehicle equipped with a digital tachograph must have his own driver card. Card validity and archiving regulations in the UK are as follows:

Validity

• Driver Card - 5 years
• Company Card - 5 years
• Workshop Card - 1 year
• Control Card - 2 years

Archiving Requirements

Archive data is a complete copy of the files held on the Vehicle Unit (VU) and the Drivers Smart Card.

It must be held in a secure form with all "digital signatures" in place to ensure integrity for a period of at least 12 months.

In the UK there is a mandatory requirement to download data from digital tachographs every 56 days and there is a requirement for the driver card to be downloaded at least every 28 days.  The downloaded data must be available for inspection by VOSA at any time.

Drivers Obligations

When driving a vehicle that is equipped with a digital tachograph, drivers should:

• ensure that the instrument is calibrated by inspecting the calibration plaque or interrograting the instrument;
• ensure that their Driver Card is inserted into the correct slot (driver in slot 1, second driver in slot 2) from the moment they take over the vehicle, and that it is ready to use, before the vehicle is moved;
• record the country in which they begin and end their daily work period.  This must always be carried out at the time of the start or end of the period, even if the card is not to be withdrawn or inserted (for example if the card is left in overnight);
• carry sufficient supplies of type-approved print roll on board the vehicle so that a printout can be produced at an enforcement officer's request;
• ensure that all duties conducted since the Driver Card was last removed from a tachograph are manually entered onto the card record, using the manual entry facility on the tachograph;
• ensure that the tachograph is working properly;
• ensure that through the daily working period the mode button is used correctly to record other work, periods of availability, and rest and breaks;
• take reasonable steps to protect their card from dirt and damage;
• use only their own personalised Driver Card to record driving and other activities they undertake;
• ensure that the card is not removed from the tachograph during the working day unless otherwise authorised.  The rules are not specific, but cases where cards can be removed include a change of vehicle, or where another Driver will be using teh vehicle during a break or rest period;
• on multi-manning operations ensure that their Driver Card is placed in the correct slot (slot 1 when they are acting as Driver and slot 2 when co-driver on a double-manned journey), when they take over driving;

Company Obligations

Operators of transport undertakings have legal responsiblities and liabilities for their own compliance with their regulatiosn and that of the Drivers under their control.  Transport undertakings must:

• ensure that tachographs have been calibrated, inspected and re-calibrated in line with the rules;
• supply sufficient quantity of type-approved charts and print rolls to drivers;
• properly instruct drivers on the rules;
• ensure the return of used tachograph charts from Drivers.  Note that this responsiblity  continues after a Driver has left employment until all charts are returned;
• not make payments to drivers related to distances travelled and/or the amount of goods carried if that would encourage breaches of the rules;
• download data from the Vehicle Unit and Driver's Smart Cards as frequently as stipulated in national law.  (Driver Cards to be downloaded at least every 28 days and for VU's to be downloaded every 56 days, but in any case often enough to ensure that no data is lost);
• make regular checks of charts and digital data to ensure compliance;
• be able to produce records to enforcement officers for 12 months and take all reasonable steps to prevent breaches of the rules;
• properly scheduel work so the rules are met.

Production of information, downloding and storage

• downloaded digital data must be kept for at least 12 months following its recording;
• all data downloaded from both the VU and the Driver Card must be accssible either directly or remotely from the premises of the undertaking to an inspecting officer;
• copies of downloaded data from the Drivers Cards and the printed papers of these copies must be given to the drivers concerned who request them;
• analogue charts and legally required printouts must be kept in chronological order for at least 12 months after their use.

VDO delivers next to the Digital Tachograph DTCO 1381 a complete Tachograph System. Click the product names for further information.

• Digital Tachograph find out more
• Tachograph Cards find out more
• Printer Paper find out more 

The following table shows you the tasks and new responsibilities which are requiredsince the introduction of digital tachographs.