Tachographs

[Priglet]

Don't know if anybody else was aware of this but if you are towing a trailer used for the carriage of goods and your gross vehicle weight exceeds 3.5 tonne you need to have a tacho fitted or face a £5000 fine.

As I understand it a Landy delivering a caravan needs a tacho but a Landy towing a caravan on holiday doesn't (assuming GVW over 3.5 tonne). Likewise if using a car trailer and both motors are yours no tacho needed but if you are delivering it for someone else you might need one ( presumably depends if it is done as a favour or money changes hands), the tacho also needs to be running if the trailer is empty. There are exemptions for agriculture but I'm not too sure what they are.

I know there are wagon drivers on here who deal with tacho's on a daily basis so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Flow chart here which may confuse the issue :D  :D as I couldn't spot the exemptions.
http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/tachographs/tachographs.htm

[Jake]

I used to work for Direct Line insurance a few years ago collecting accident damaged cars to be repaired 'in house'.
We had a fleet of Disco's with Brian James trailers.
All the Disco's were fitted with Tachograph's.
 :D

[hobbit]

Its all down to the use of the vehicle, if its work related yes the tacho is in, but if it is for non reward, ie hols or helping a friend etc, no

BUT remember under the new licensing system you cannot drive a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes anyway, not sure if this counts for the train weight or just the gross vehicle weight

It quite a minefield nowadays.

As far as tachos, go dont forget about re calibrating them if they are in regular use.

They are handy if one is in a vehicle even if you dont need to use it by law. But not sure if you are stopped by police if you have one with a card in if you are liable to prosecution if you commit an offence on the tacho laws even if you are doing non reward private driving

[Bush Tucker Man]

Essentially it's the 'Hire & Reward' situation.
A contractor 'hires' out a vehicle & driver in order to be 'rewarded' (paid)

[muddyjames]

I do alot of voluntary work and we have transit vans with box trailers. I have had to take my towing test to tow the trailers and yes we use tachos just to be on the safe side as nobody can tell us if we need them or not and the police have told us we will only find out once a case has been taken to court and we dont want to be that case.

We pay for our food but get accomodation free so that can be seen as our reward! Its mad.

But as for these new thacho cards. GRR   We now have 4 vans all with different types of tachos in. How annoying.

We spend alot of time researching tachos and none of us know if once we have towed the trailer whether once it is un hooked we need to still run the tachos for as long as we drive that van until a 7 day gap appears in driving the van. I just keep a manual log of the hours I do when not towing and also when we go and work down on site is that classed as "other work"? If I was to go and play football for a few that wouldnt class asother work but et if I do my hobby which is rebuilding canals and do some brick laying or cutting down trees etc does that count? Who knows?

The law is not clear and if the police want to stop you they can easily find a loop hole you have missed and get done!

[gtomo2]

the tacho law have changed yes using a van with a gross wight of over 3.5 ton for work purpose you need a tacho
the symbols
X or cross hammers is for work and driving and anything conected to work
[] square box is for p.o.a(periods of availability) this is use when you are available for work but not having a rest or braek
the bed symbol is rest
And dont forget after 6 hours work and or driving you HAVE to have a 30 min rest and after 4.5 hours driving you need a 45min rest.
I could go on but i will just send you all to sleep.(if your not already) :shock:  :?

[MTyrrell]

The sound company i used to work for used to tow with a LDV van.

 They got pulled and was told by the bobby that they should have a tacho fitted but when he realised it was a crew cab he reckoned it was classed as a mini bus and didn’t need a tacho.

 Don't know if that's true or not, must have been about five years ago now so the law may be different now.

[muddyjames]

The sound company i used to work for used to tow with a LDV van.

 

My sympathies to the drivers who used to tow with an LDV van. I drive one at work once a week and it is a bad experience. I wouldnt force my worst enemy to drive one let alone tow with one.