I work for a company who’s main rdc is in birmingham but i work out of an outbase located in severn beach near avonmouth. I use a digi tacho & the only way i can have it downloaded is to leave it in the cab when i finish & then the night driver would have to hand it in when he arrived at the main rdc. This could mean my card being left with the normal night driver or an agency driver that i dont know. I dont wanna do that as not being funny but i dont trust anyone else with my card for obvious reasons.
Anyway i work the same route everyday my last drop being merthyre tydfil in wales, the branch is getting their own 18tonner with a digital tacho & they are getting the equipment to download the digi card. When i arrived there on friday i was informed that the company wants me to start downloading my digi card at their branch every friday. Now i always thought you couldnt take your card out mid shift & then put it back in & carry on working so my question is can it be done■■?
Obviously i still have to drive back to base.
My employer downloads the cards weekly, the download only takes seconds so you don;t have to leave the card with them for any time. The info is sent off for analysis and any infringements are emailed back to the company. I have removed the card mid-shift a couple of times, for example to drive one vehicle to the garage for service and come back with another, and this has not been flagged as an infringement, so I would say you are ok to do as they ask.
When you insert the card you get an option to continue the previous shift and also to do manual entries, I’m reasonably certain that when you re-insert your card after it’s been downloaded you would be covered if you selected (from the digital tachograph menu) to continue the previous shift and do a manual entry to cover the time the card was out.
But I’ve never tried it so can’t be 100% certain I’m afraid.
It’s no different to taking the chart/card out when changing vehicles really, but I’ve never done that with a driver card either 
as someone who`s fat fingers end up hitting the eject button instead of mode button when putting it on break etc 
I`d be more concerned about the card being out of my control and would be asking for a card reader being made available at the outbase
A record (card or chart) may not be removed from the tacho before the end of the working day unless its’ removal is authorised. Doesn’t say by whom the removal has to be authorised, but I see no reason why you couldn’t take the card out to get it downloaded.
When you put the card back in, do as Tachograph suggests and make a manual entry to cover the period that the card was out of the tacho.
Whilst Operators need to download cards at least every 28 days and store the data for at least one year. They also need to download the Vehicle Unit (posh name for a digital tacho) at least every 56 days and store the data for at least one year. What are your employer doing about downloading the VU?
Personally I would not be leaving my card in the wagon for somebody else to take to the operator. Your employer could always buy you a card reader (about 40 quid plus software) and get you to download your own card and e-mail them the file, not hard to do.
So if i was to remove the card with the intention of putting it back in to drive back to base how would i do that? Normally when ejecting card it asks for end country & then if you want a 24hr day etc.
Just eject the card as usual, I think you’ll have to enter the county but you will be able to select not to do a printout.
" leave it in the cab when i finish "
Q’fusus say:
Thats realy a bad idea, because:
What plan is in place,
should the return of you card be forgotten by the other driver
also:
A) your responcible for its security.
B) during your absence !
“Other Work” or “Driving” might be recorded by accident
or even deliberately (ie because the Other Driver is going over hours & borrowes your card)
Wer’st of ALL
If either happens during a required break (especially Dayly / Weekly Rest)
Then your be in violation until the required break period has be compelted.
I give you an example.
By mistake, I forgot to remove my Tachno-Disk from the head unit
The head unit was set to “Other Work”
Gess who came into work 14 hours later
to discover I’d been recording “Other Work”
and the occasional few minutes of driving for the last 14 hours.
Gess what…
I either sit in the rest-room (until required break is compelted)
or write an explanation on the back of the disk (in your case, printout)
and begin working imediatly (and hope for the best)
So Q suggests,
Always remove the card and store it in a safe place.
( perf on your person, not in cab)
Then as required, make it available for download …
(if the card must travel in your absence, then make certant it done ina secure way)
tachograph:
Just eject the card as usual, I think you’ll have to enter the county but you will be able to select not to do a printout.
So i select uk as usual & when asked if i want a 24hr day & would normally select yes for a printoutbut instead i type no. Does this mean i can carry on with my shift when the card is put back in?
Thanks for the help & advice. If i can remove it mid shift to download it i would rather do that then leave my card with another driver.
Yes but you will probably need to make a manual entry for the time the card was out of the tacho.
Here’s the instructions from the Siemens digital tachograph instruction manual for continuing the last shift when you re-insert the card.
Follow the instructions from stage 1 to stage 12 and you should be OK
This is a 110% better option than leaving your card with someone else 
Thanks for that tachograph, much appreciated mate. Definately didnt want to be leaving my card with someone else.
tyler4164:
So i select uk as usual & when asked if i want a 24hr day & would normally select yes for a printout but instead i type no.
Why do you normally select ‘YES’ for a printout?
There is no need to take a print-out on a daily basis for record keeping purposes. Your record of daily duties is on your card for anyone who needs to know. Those who need to know have access to what’s on the memory on your card, including you.
Simon:
tyler4164:
So i select uk as usual & when asked if i want a 24hr day & would normally select yes for a printout but instead i type no.Why do you normally select ‘YES’ for a printout?
There is no need to take a print-out on a daily basis for record keeping purposes. Your record of daily duties is on your card for anyone who needs to know. Those who need to know have access to what’s on the memory on your card, including you.
I woulod take a print out cause it’ll ask when you last finished work and you wanna remember the time for your man entrys next time you use it maybe 28 days later ■■?
nick2008:
I would take a print out cause it’ll ask when you last finished work and you wanna remember the time for your man entrys next time you use it maybe 28 days later ■■?
Never heard of a diary? 
Simon:
nick2008:
I would take a print out cause it’ll ask when you last finished work and you wanna remember the time for your man entrys next time you use it maybe 28 days later ■■?
Never heard of a diary?
That’s the principle that I work on. If I even need to ever refer to it. The card will show the time of last removal and, assuming nothing unusual, the finishing time will be the next 15 minute quarter hour after the card has been removed.
The alternative is to have a garbage bag full of print-outs which, in my case, are never in any form of order. 
Therefore. They would serve little purpose.