Spring 2006

The digital tachograph - a long-planned, late and limited form of in-cab computer - was finally due to become mandatory in new commercial vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes on 1 May. But the new instruments arrive amid uncertainty, misunderstanding and potential lack of preparation on the part of users.

The Freight Transport Association says that according to polls taken during recent tachograph briefing seminars, 55 per cent of UK vehicle operators will be buying new trucks in the next 12 months - meaning that over half of all operators will have to come to terms with the new instruments within that time.

Despite this rapid take-up, the FTA found that by early March only about 10,000 of the essential driver smartcards had been issued to the UK's half-million lorry drivers - leading to concerns that some drivers would not be equipped to handle vehicles with digital tachs when they became mandatory.

There are also fears that the enforcement authorities could have trouble dealing with the new instruments. According to some reports, German studies have suggested that there could be instances where it takes up to 20 minutes for an enforcement officer to download data digitally at the roadside. This is blamed on the fact that the regulations were written years ago, and specify now-outmoded equipment and procedures.

 

The FTA also remains unhappy with a new requirement that drivers should be able to produce the current week's records on demand at the roadside, plus the previous 15 days' records. It says this could present operators with difficulties in managing the weekly 48-hour average working time, and could also have an impact on the efficient monitoring of drivers' hours.

A predictable effect already noted in Britain in the run-up to the implementation date was a rush to register vehicles fitted with old analogue tachographs. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, more than twice as many trucks (34,513) were registered this April as last, while coach registrations were also up, though by a more modest 21 per cent (to 1,336).

The SMMT points out that registration figures for the rest of the year are likely to be below expectation as new vehicle provision levels itself to demand.

The tachographs themselves

There are just four manufacturers offering tachographs that meet the EC technical specification. Even that limited choice may be more apparent than real, because vehicle manufacturers have each teamed up with a preferred tachograph supplier, and may impose a penalty if you insist on another make.

However, all the digital tachograph units are designed to fit in a DIN radio slot, so in theory they should be interchangeable.

The four makers are Actia, Siemens VDO (Kienzle brand), Stoneridge Electronics (Veeder-Root brand) and Time Instruments (Acctim brand) - all of which have a long history in supplying the old analogue tachographs.

The good news is that at least there should eventually be a greater choice of tachograph servicing and recalibration centres. The number of analogue tachograph centres in the UK is around 200 - limited because tachograph manufacturers themselves nominate and sponsor service centres. Now any workshop with the correct equipment can apply to the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency to become a tachograph calibration centre.

VOSA controls the issuing of workshop cards, so it can still police integrity of the calibration. The workshop card allows electronic calibration of the digital tachograph, and replaces the mechanical calibration required for analogue tachographs.