Analogue tachograph records management
- Completing your chart
- Must my surname be entered before the forename on the front of the chart?
- Is it legal to draw lines on the front of the chart to depict the start and end of my working day?
- How many charts do I have to carry with me?
- If I carry out other non-driving work before I start driving for the day, am I required to record this time on my tachograph chart?
- Is it illegal to open the tachograph head to check how long I have been driving, and thus when my 45 minute break is due?
- Retention of tachograph charts by employer
- How long am I, as the employer, required to retain my drivers' tachograph charts?
- Is it legal for an employer to keep scanned images of charts or photocopies of charts as proof that the chart exists?
- Do I need to send my drivers' tachograph charts to a company to be analysed?
This section is designed to help answer any questions about the Tachograph, how to use it and how the legislation works. Additional information can be found in
Drivers Hours and Tachograph Rules for Road Passenger Vehicles
and
Drivers Hours and Tachograph Rules for Goods Vehicles
Completing your chart
Must my surname be entered before the forename on the front of the chart?
The EC regulation indicates that the driver's name should be entered as surname then first name. In the Department for Transport’s (DfT) view, all drivers should keep to this format to enable enforcement officers to determine which is the first name and which is the surname, in cases where it is not too obvious - such as "Lee Martin", "Oliver Thomas" for example.
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Is it legal to draw lines on the front of the chart to depict the start and end of my working day?
The EC rules state that:
"When as a result of being away from the vehicle, a driver is unable to use the equipment fitted to the vehicle, the periods of time….shall be entered on the sheet, either manually, by automatic recording or other means, legibly and without dirtying the sheet".
In light of this, it is the DfT's view that it would be permissible for lines to be drawn on the front of the chart to indicate start and end of working day, provided they are clear and do not obliterate other recordings on the chart - which can happen, for example, if a driver presses too hard.
Whilst this is an acceptable practice in the UK, certain other European countries may not share this view - so it would not be advisable to draw lines on a chart during an international journey.
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How many charts do I have to carry with me?
You must carry enough “unused” charts to last the whole journey plus some spares in case any become dirty or damaged. When driving a vehicle fitted with an analogue tachograph you must be able to produce the charts used, and any manual records or print-outs made, for the current day and previous 28 days. You should also be able to produce your driver card if you hold one. [NOTE: the previous 28 days refers to those charts used in the 28 consecutive calendar days ].
What must I do if I am called back to work (with driving/duty time left) but have already marked the end of my shift on the chart?
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If you are required to do further driving but have already drawn a line to mark the end of your shift which would obscure any extended driving trace, you will need to use a new chart, but make a manual entry to explain the reason why your day's work is on two separate charts.
If you are called back to do non-driving work (ie: loading/unloading), you will need to make a manual entry on the reverse of the original chart to show "other work" periods - ie. OW 1800-1900.
To avoid the above such instances from occurring on a frequent basis, you are advised to confirm with your employer that you are not needed for any further driving or non-driving work, before drawing a line on the chart to mark the end of the working day.
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If I carry out other non-driving work before I start driving for the day, am I required to record this time on my tachograph chart?
Yes. Where non-driving work is carried out at the start of your day, and you are not in a position to be able to use the tachograph to record this work, you would be required to make a manual entry on the reverse of the chart to show the period of time spent doing this work (ie. OW - 0800 - 0900). Non-driving work (such as loading or unloading) is taken into account for the purposes of calculating spreadover (duty) time and when your daily rest is due.
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Is it illegal to open the tachograph head to check how long I have been driving, and thus when my 45 minute break is due?
The EC rules state that:
"The record sheet shall not be withdrawn before the end of the daily working period unless its withdrawal is otherwise authorized."
In DfT's view, this requirement should be taken to mean that the record sheet should not normally be removed from the tachograph until the driver has actually finished work for the day. Whilst every effort should be made to ensure that the above requirement is complied with, the DfT would not normally regard the opening of the head as an illegal act, as such action is normally recorded automatically on the tachograph chart.
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Retention of tachograph charts by employer
How long am I, as the employer, required to retain my drivers' tachograph charts?
Unless they are used also to record working time, the employer must keep them in chronological order and in a legible form for at least a year after their use and shall give copies to the drivers concerned who request them. The same applies to print-outs made by a driver when the driver’s card has been damaged or malfunctioned when a digital tachograph has been used.
When the charts are used to record Road Transport Working Time they have to be kept for two years . The charts, printouts and any downloaded data must be produced or handed over at the request of any authorized inspecting officer.
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Is it legal for an employer to keep scanned images of charts or photocopies of charts as proof that the chart exists?
The view of the Department for Transport is that it would not be acceptable to just keep scanned images or photocopies of tachograph charts The Regulations require drivers to return record sheets to their employer, who should secure that return
The purpose of these regulations is to enable the employer/operator to fulfill the requirement to make periodic checks to ensure compliance with the provisions with the EEC drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations.
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Do I need to send my drivers' tachograph charts to a company to be analysed?
There is no specific requirement for you to send your charts away to a bureau to be analysed. But the Regulation does require that you make regular checks to ensure your drivers are complying with the EC drivers' hours and tachograph rules and that steps are being taken to prevent any repetition of these breaches.
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Page last updated: 14/10/2008