The EC wants to ban operators from carrying out their own digital tachograph analysis on the grounds that the practice encourages fraud. The proposal emerged during discussion on legislation to introduce a new generation of tamper-proof digitachs, due on the market in 2015.

The EU Council of Transport Ministers and industry bodies oppose the EC’s move. Hauliers that carry out their own analysis run large fleets and receive an electronic workshop card to process the information.

Prototypes of the new digitachs will be tested before entering the market to prevent the problems that hampered early models, such as inaccurate time calculation. The so-called smart tachograph will include new functions such as satellite positioning, remote communication for roadside checks and integration to other intelligent transport systems, such as hazard warning.

Extracted from Commercial Motor Magazine

New Tachographs were launched to take advantage of reform to legislation due in October.
The most important change will be the loss of the ‘missing minute’ where up to 60 seconds of driving time was recorded even if a truck had only moved momentarily in a calender minute period.
The new tachographs will record 60 seconds of ‘other work’ if the vehicle has remained stationary for the majority of the calender minute, and for the other 60 seconds either side.

The new Tachographs also give the operator the opportunity to input the vehicle’s registration number into the instrument before the vehicle first goes in to service and allows the holder of a workshop card to change the tachograph’s UTC (time) without having to entirely recalibrate the instrument.

There is no legal legislation to retrofit the tachographs, although operators with trucks equipped with old digital tachographs and engaged on urban or multi-drop work may find it advantageous to do so.

Further cahnges are due next year, when tachographs will also have to have two independent speed sources and a primary sensor shielded against magnetic interference.

Extracted from ‘Transport Operator’ Issue 9