Tachodisc

THE ISSUES FACED BY DRIVERS

HOW TO USE DIGITAL VEHICLE UNITS
After many years of discussion and debate, legislation for the mandatory requirement of digital tachographs was finally introduced last year to all new vehicles over 3.5 tonnes registered in the UK.  Twelve months on, and nearly a quarter of million drivers employed across 32,000 companies have been issued with new smart cards.

In a new series of articles for Trucking, we have consulted with Karen Crispe, Director at Tachodisc, one of the UK’s leading experts on both analogue and digital tachograph management, to review some of the practical and legal issues faced by drivers during this transitional period.   The first subject focuses on ‘how to use digital vehicle units’.

There are currently three different types of digital tachograph vehicle manufacturers – Siemens VDO, Stoneridge and Actia – in operation, and whilst the overall function of these units is similar, the visual display and navigation through the menu options is somewhat different.  Employed and agency drivers, those who operate multi vehicles that have different tachograph units, have been reporting problems getting to grips with the three units.  There are a number of reasons for this, mainly training; either training has been restricted to one unit type, or if drivers have been trained to use all three, this information has been forgotten by the time they come to operate a unit that they haven’t used before.

Here are some tips on the differences between the units, and some guidance on how to use them all.

Logging on or Commencing Duty
Turn on your ignition, then:
Siemens VDO
Insert your card into slot 1 with the chip facing upwards
Stoneridge SE5000
Press and hold down the driver 1 button until the smart card drawer opens, then insert the card, chip side upwards, into the drawer
Actia SmarTach L2000
Gently insert your card into the slot until the mechanism draws it in. There may be a flap inside the slot, in which case press and hold down the activity key first.

Logging off or Finish of Duty
The card won’t eject until all of the information has been fully exchanged between the driver card and the vehicle unit. Keep the ignition on, but ensure that the vehicle is stationary.
Siemens VDO
Press the eject button and enter the country in which you are ending your journey. The option to produce a printout of a daily record is available at this stage.
Stoneridge SE5000
Long press the eject button and select the end location.
Actia SmarTach L2000
Press and hold down the relevant activity / ejection key to start the ejection process, then confirm to eject the card and confirm end location
NB Printouts from the SE5000 or L2000 can be produced through the menus

Manual Entries
It is a legal requirement to enter information via the digital tachograph regarding additional duties at the beginning or at the end of a shift that have not already been recorded on the driver card. Each time the card is inserted, the driver will have the option to amend start and finish times of previous activities.

Siemens VDO
Use the up and down menu keys to select the required activity and time additions, then press the ‘enter’ key to confirm. 
Stoneridge SE5000
You will be prompted to change or confirm the correct duty type, times and dates. Make any changes using the up and down keys and press ‘enter’ to confirm. If you don’t need to make any changes, press quickly on the ‘cancel’ button. You are only able to make 16 manual entries in each 24 hour time period.
Actia SmarTach L2000
The activity start date and time can be changed using the ‘<’  ‘>’ keys and pressing the ‘OK’ key to confirm. If you wish to cancel an entry press the ‘<<’ key.

Replacing the Print Roll
Sunlight, diesel, oil and even milk can degrade your digital printouts so only buy good quality, EU approved printer rolls displaying the approval number for the tachograph being used. It is important to ensure that the paper is inserted correctly.

If the print roll runs out halfway through a printout it will automatically restart once the roll has been replaced.

Siemens VDO
Press the ‘printer unlock’ button and insert a new printer roll with the end of the paper protruding from the tray. Close the printer drawer and tear off any excess paper.
Stoneridge SE5000
Remove the print roll cassette by pressing the fascia at the top of the cassette in the middle. Hold it at the bottom and gently pull out the cassette, insert a roll of paper and carefully replace it.
Actia SmarTach L2000
Pull the printer door downwards, and then pull the red tab to release the paper roll. Insert a new printer roll into the printer with the paper pointing upwards and push the door closed ensuring that the paper protrudes. Tear off any excess paper.

The information here is only intended to be a basic guide, and if you would like to know more further information is available from Tachodisc. We also have a number of training options available for drivers and operators who need to know more. Please call one of our trained team on 01925 283328, or email sales@tachodisc.co.uk

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