I’m looking for some clarification to find out when everyone inserts there drivers card in the tachograph, so that I can either ensure I’m getting it correct.
Obviously I’ve not done anything foolish like drive without it inserted, but I’m being given conflicting info and I don’t wanna be caught out doing it all wrong, maybe I’m the newbie that someone doesn’t like how I do stuff…who knows
For example get in for 6am get ya keys and paperwork, get to your unit, walk around checks then into the cab to fill in any paperwork, now 6.30am - then insert card at that point … manual entry that I started at 6am doing other work then off I go…
Then someone told me that if I start at 6am, get the keys and paperwork from the office, find the unit first insert card, don’t worry about any manual enters just put it on other work…then carry out the daily checks then off you go out, but then the record of actual time is effectively 10mins out
Something else that’s bugging me is that when I was trained years ago, Was given the following advice older tractor unit, pop the front open and check all your fluid levels , modern stuff its all displayed on the dash…run the engine for a few minutes just to charge up the tanks…switch on ya lights including the hazard warnings… then cut the engine off…do your walk around check, use a torch to see the underbelly of the beast and her tail, tire gauge handy if needed…pen and note pad handy to take notes…yet I keep getting a few strange looks… what am I doing wrong if anything
-Sit in cab
-Insert tacho and set to other work
-Do walk round without switching on engine (Your battery can run your lights for the few minutes it takes)
-Having checked oil (depending on truck) switch on engine and check air builds etc etc
-Do paperwork
-Having waited a reasonable amount of time on ‘other work’ you can head off
The record isn’t 10 minutes out. If you go into a Scania it’ll ask you ‘Rest until now?’ and once you hit Yes it says your ready to drive. Put it on crossed hammers (other work) and do your walk around. This shows the ministry man that you’ve at least taken the time (as far as the tacho is concerned) to do your walk round.
Legally count for all hours on duty. Do your manual entries. Up to you as when you put your card in but I always do it before PVI (pre vehicle inspection) if you have to change veh it’ll show you did something actually on the card at the time not just blagging it.
Your checks is up to you what you do as in tyre pressure most look and if it looks iffy then check furthe, remember putting a tyre gauge in might stuff up a valve. as for hazards that just tells you the bulbs and that button works NOT that the indicator stalk is working (2 different switches)
. As Franky boy said "I did it my way "
If you start at 6.
Clock in at 6, get your paper work and keys.
Walk over to truck and insert your card, at point of inserting card complete manual entry from 6 till the time of card insertion
Then do your walk around check (that way your check time is shown at your vehicle)
If you do all your checks before inserting card, dvsa can question whether you were even at the truck for this period of time (and I know before anyone says, certain drivers will put there card in and go for a coffee)
That phrasing of " Check the underbelly of the beast and the tail end .", have you met my Mrs ,is funny.
The ones laughing at you can jog on, do it your way, but the tyre pressure gauge may damage the valves as said. The reason time must be shown on the tacho, to show the vehicle check, is because if involved in an accident and somebody is killed, and no time taken to check the vehicle over, that is a problem .
There is NO set time to do a check, the time allowed to do a check is not written down in any legal advice.
It makes sense to go under the truck to check it for lose pipes, hanging wires or air leaks, so well done on you for that.
Check the beast, lol.
Best practice? Possibly not, as above I would put my card in when I get to the vehicle, then do manual entries for the time between 0600 and when you get in the truck. Also any time from the end of the previous shift.
So what if you are fastidious when you do you walk round check? At least everything on your motor is likely to be working when you leave the yard in the morning. If the other drivers look at you funny that’s their problem.
■■■■ Truckers Club is not a club you should be worried about trying to join.
Nothing wrong at all with the way you are doing it, sensible way as well. No point putting your card in until you’ve checked the vehicle and know it has no defects which will mean changing to another one. Once you know the truck is good to go then card can go in and manual entry made to account for the time from when you started work. Sorted.
It’s really a matter of personal choice whether you put the card in straight away and do a manual entry for the missing 10 minutes or do the checks first then put the card in, personally I’ve always done the checks before putting the card in so if I have to change vehicles for any reason I don’t have to mess about ejecting the card then putting it in another vehicle and doing more manual entries.
As others have said there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, whoever told you that you don’t need to do manual entries is the one that’s wrong.
Many thanks guys, some varied views out their but as it comes across… doing nothing wrong but could be improved and I’m steering to coffeeholic and tachograph’s advice… walk around checks…insert card … off I go… seems to be less fannying about …
Tachograph… please advise… clocks go this weekend…so we will officially be on summer time 1hr forward but the tacho unit in a vehicle will still remains on UTC time… if I start at 6am summer time, it would be entered / logged on the tacho of 5am even for manual entries, so effectively I have to thing 1hr back all the time ?
ChunkyChunk:
Many thanks guys, some varied views out their but as it comes across… doing nothing wrong but could be improved and I’m steering to coffeeholic and tachograph’s advice… walk around checks…insert card … off I go… seems to be less fannying about …
Tachograph… please advise… clocks go this weekend…so we will officially be on summer time 1hr forward but the tacho unit in a vehicle will still remains on UTC time… if I start at 6am summer time, it would be entered / logged on the tacho of 5am even for manual entries, so effectively I have to thing 1hr back all the time ?
On type 1 digital tachographs manual entries are done in UTC time as in your example.
On type 2 digital tachographs (late 2012 or later) manual entries are done in local time, the tachograph converts the time to UTC time for the records.
