Hi I wanted to enquire about the question mark function on the tacho machine as I was told it could be used in my situation.
I’ve been driving a van for a few weeks and now I’m going to be driving a truck soon and I’ve not had access to a tacho just recording my hours as other work in my diary.
Can I use the question mark function and rely on my drivers diary if pulled and questioned about that time period.
Thanks
I would argue that the “?” mode on the tacho is the only mode you can use for this work whilst doing a manual entry. There are likely too many entries for you to input in one go on a manual entry. I think the limit is around 2 weeks worth of work and breaks.
The record of your other work must be made on the back of tacho paper or a record sheet.
From the government website:
Means of manually recording other activities
Article 6(5) of the EU drivers’ hours rules requires drivers to manually record data using either:
a) manual inputs on a digital/smart tachograph
b) making a manual record on a record sheet or printout paper
When using option (b), drivers must ensure that there is enough detail to identify the individual driver.
On an analogue record sheet, it must be the driver’s name.
On digital printout paper, it must be the driver’s name, or driver card or driving licence number.
Thanks I’ve been using a hgv diary which has driver log sheets in so hopefully that’s fine
There have been discussions on the matter here in the past, and it would seem that diaries are no longer acceptable.
I am going to have to start recording van work when I next get into a lorry as I have just got a nice little permanent part time van job with a local company and the way I’ll be doing it is making a manual entry using the “?” mode, and recording my other work on the back of spare tachograph paper.
It’s a diary with driving logs start time mileage and breaks etc so hopefully that works however I can also do tacho rolls as a back up I guess. Maybe I’ll just call the dvsa for advice
Let us know what they say if you do 
As has been said DVSA no longer accept a written diary, print outs with records on the back or an attestation letter from an employer is the only accepted records now other than on a tacho.
You have been told this several times and keep saying I’ve got a diary and hopefully that will suffice. It won’t suffice it is no longer accepted by DVSA, not sure how anyone can tell you any clearer that is the case now. Diaries used to be accepted but not any more.
Your choice entirely but if stopped you will find it more hassle and problematic for not having full record with you.
So I have some spare tacho rolls I can write on but are you saying that I have to use a tacho daily just to add a manual entry and then print out for other work. I mentioned the attestation form but they didn’t know what it was lol.
It’s confusing as different people say different things
no, you don’t have to access a tacho daily when driving a small van, just need to make the entries immediately before driving any vehicle which is under a tacho.
No thinking you’ll do it at the end of the day because plod could be waiting for you a mile down the road for a check.
But at worst, it’s just the last 28 days, so if you did only 3.5T van for 2 months, you’d only need to write up the last 28 days before you did jump into a larger vehicle.
But you do need to record those 28 days prior, it’s a rolling period.
Record keeping and production
On any day where EU driving is undertaken, drivers must keep a record using tachograph recording equipment. There may also be activities that must be recorded manually, for example, the situation highlighted in the section above.
> Drivers are also required to keep records of all other days, including rest days, for the preceding 28 days working back from any point at which EU driving has taken place. Such records must be made manually and must be either:
written manually on a chart
written manually on a printout from a digital tachograph
made by using the manual input facility of a digital tachograph
So to be clear here, EU driving is that wot you need to use a tacho for i.e. over 3.5T GVW
A chart refers only to the old tachograph disk.
Right ok then so I need to duplicate my log book to tacho roll then. How annoying and a waste of time spending the money on the diary log book then. Hers an example minus the vehicle reg and company names as that is private.
I must admit I am sure I was advised on my recent CPC that a log book was ok but maybe I got it wrong. Hence the confusion.
No, you’ve not wasted your time and money on the book.
Better a book than loads of scraps of paper that you lose.
The worst thing you could do, is try to fudge your previous van driving hours, then you discover the ministry have actually been keeping discreet tabs on the firm because of previous allegations, and have recorded you driving when you incorrectly thought you’d been resting.
Good records keep you out of the brown stuff. And show intent to follow the rules in case you do slip up anyway.
Thanks my records are not perfect but they are getting a lot better. I have not gone back and changed anything apart from adding extra details that should of been added that I missed. I think the dvsa are looking for mostly total hours and how much break and daily rest a person gets, which I’ve done but if im honest i e forgotten to do it a few times but its not lies. I have emailed them so looking forward to what they say.
