Truck Driver Online - Digital Tachograph Introduction and Basic User Guide

Digital Tachographs – Basic User Guide

As of 1^st May 2006 every eligible vehicle is required to be fitted with a digital tachograph vehicle unit (VU) to assist drivers in keeping track of their hours behind the wheel. The most common tacho in use today is made by Continental Automotive (formerly known as Siemens) and the second most common is made by Stoneridge. It is very important that drivers have a thorough knowledge of how to use their tachograph and the rules and regulations attached to them to help maintain accurate driving records.

Important Rules and Regulations

A VU must be able to store data for at least one year (365 days) and that data must be available for download.
UK drivers are required to download the data from their VU every 56 days and that data must be stored for at least 12 months
A digital VU must be calibrated every two years

Driver’s Card

A Driver’s Cards or “smart cards” are issued to drivers by the proper authorities; once received they must be on your person at all times while you’re working (even when no vehicle unit is present). The driver’s card contains a chip that is capable of holding at least 28 days of data.

Data Held on the Smart Card

The Identification of vehicle(s) used
Activities (working and resting times)
Crew Status
The dates and times the card was either inserted or removed from the tacho unit
The location where work began and location where work ended
Total distance traveled
Identification of control official
Overspeed information
Tachograph errors and events

What to do if Your Card is Lost, damaged, or Stolen

Should your driver’s Card be lost, damaged (meaning the chip no longer is working properly), or stolen you must request a new card from the DVLA (DVLNI in Northern Ireland). While awaiting the arrival of your new card you can track and document your activities by making a printout at the beginning of your work day and another at the end, put your name, license number, and signature on the back of each printout, and retain this record for 28 days.

Company Card

A driver must acquire a company card if they own more than one truck which contains a digital tachograph. The purpose of the company card is very different from the driver’s card. The company card is not meant for storing data, instead it is meant to identify which company the driver is working for on a digital tachograph device.

How to Use Your Digital Tachograph

The Basics

It is important to remember that the engine ignition must be turned on before the VU can be used. One must also bear in mind that their driver’s card must be inserted into the unit before the vehicle is in motion. If you attempt to insert your driver’s card while the vehicle is in motion you will receive an error message (that will remain in your unit’s downloadable memory) and will have to stop the vehicle before the card can be inserted.

To Begin

Insert your driver’s card, chip side up, into the appropriate slot.
If you are team driving then the driver inserts his card into the slot on the left (slot 1) and the crew member inserts his card in the slot on the right (slot 2).
Your drivers card will then be accepted and verified
You will know the verification process is complete when the date and time of your last card withdrawal is displayed on the VU’s screen.
If you have any data that needs to be entered into the VU and driver’s card this is the time to do it.
Begin Driving – once the vehicle is in motion the tacograph will record the work related activity as “driving”

Modes

It is important to bear in mind that the VU will automatically select “driving” when the vehicle is in motion. When the vehicle is not in motion it is the responsibility of the driver to choose the correct mode from three possibilities:

Driving -Other Work

Period of Availabilty
POA

Rest - Break

Whenever the vehicle stops moving the VU will automatically put you in “other work” mode, if you wish to be in “availability” or “break” mode then you must manually change your status on the unit. It is also very important to remember that if the driver selects break mode and moves the truck, even just millimeters, and the unit will put the driver back in “other work” mode when the vehicle returns to a stop.

Continental Automotive Group (Siemens) Digital Tachograph

The Continental Automotive Group DTCO 1381 Tachograph is the most common unit found in commercial vehicles today. Remember, before attempting to use this VU in any way you must start your engine.

The Controls

Red Circle: The Driver button (left) and Eject button for driver’s card (right)
Blue Circle: The Eject button for crew card (left) and Crew button (right)
Yellow Circle: Cancel/Back button
White Circles: Up button (top) and Down button (bottom)
Green Circle: Ok/Enter button

When to Use Each Control

Driver Button: Use this button when setting the driver’s mode.
Eject Button (driver and Crew): Use to remove Driver’s/Crew’s card from the VU.
Crew Button: Use this button when setting the crew member’s mode.
Cancel/Back Button: Use to exit from the main menu or any of the submenus, also use to leave a selected action without making any changes.
Up and Down Buttons: Use these buttons to scroll through menu options as needed.
Ok/Enter Button: Use to get to the main menu, choose a menu option, or confirm an action.

How to Make Manual Entries

Manual entries can be made on this device to account for work related activities that were performed, but not recorded on the VU or driver’s card. These entries can be added when a driver first inserts his/her driver’s card.

Manual Entries Step-By-Step

Insert Driver’s Card
When asked if there are entries to be made scroll to “yes” using your up and down buttons, once you have “yes” on the screen push the Ok button
The VU will show the date and time the driver’s card was last removed, and ask if this was then end of your shift.
Using the Up and Down buttons scroll to the word “No” and press the Ok button once the word “No” is on the screen
You can then use the Up and Down buttons to alter the time.
When the end time is correct press to Ok button
You will then be prompted to select the activity you were performing during the additional time, do so using the Up and Down buttons, pressing the Ok button when the correct activity is shown on the screen.
Once the device has processed your activity you may begin your work day.

How to Make Printouts

It is necessary for all drivers to know how to take a printout from their VU. As discussed earlier if your card is missing or damaged to the point of being unusable you are required to take daily printouts from your VU. If you fail to take these printouts you and your employer can be prosecuted.

Step-By-Step Printout Guide

After making sure that the VU is in standard mode press the OK button to access the main menu
Press the Down button until you find “Printout Vehicle,” (if there is a card in the slot the first option that comes on the screen will be “Printout Driver 1,” simply press the Ok button)
You will then be offered a selection of printout options, scroll through the options using the Up and Down buttons until you have found the desired printout option.
Once you’ve selected your printout type the unit will ask for the date you wish to create a printout for, select the date using the Up and Down buttons, press the Ok button when the date is correct.
Allow the report to fully print.
Once the report has printed press the Cancel/Back button until “Exit main menu?” appears on the screen, press the Ok button when this message appears.

How to Change the Print Roll

The DTCO 1381 makes the process of changing the print roll fairly simple. First make sure that the engine is on. To gain access to the print roll press the cassette drawer switch (circled in red below), once the switch has been pressed the drawer will automatically open (do not forcibly move the drawer as it could damage the unit). Once the drawer is open put the new roll into the cassette, being sure to leave the loose end of the print roll at the top. Once the print roll has been properly inserted gently press the drawer back into place.

The Stoneridge Digital Tachograph

The Stoneridge tachograph is a great deal less common than the Continental Automotive tachograph. The Stoneridge unit can mainly be found in Scania vehicles. Although the Stoneridge and Continental Automotive units are fairly similar there are a few key differences.

Instead of inserting your driver’s card into a slot on the front of the Stoneridge unit you must eject a drawer, place your card in the drawer, and push the drawer back into place.
Due to the set up of the Stoneridge unit’s printer it is far more complicated to change the printer roll in this unit.
The downloading process is also far more complicated, the Continental Automotive unit has a connector on the front of the unit for downloading. The Stoneridge unit has a connector tucked behind the printer, so the unit must be slightly disassembled in order for data to be downloaded.