Tachodisc is warning the industry to be ready next month for the changes to the law with regards the retention of charts, which comes into force on 1st January 2008. The time period is being extended to include the current day and the previous 28 calendar days (in other words, the driver will have to carry 29 calendar days' worth of records, in one form or another).
In effect, this means that on Wednesday 2nd January 2008, drivers must be able to produce that day’s chart together with any charts and manual records for any day on or after Wednesday 5th December 2007.
Therefore, under the EU Drivers Hours’ rules, the information that drivers must be able to produce whenever an inspecting officer so requests (e.g. at a roadside check) is:
Drivers using vehicles fitted with analogue tachographs must be able to produce:
- Record sheets for the current day and those used by the driver in the previous 28 calendar days (from 1st January 2008),
- Their digital tachograph Driver Card (if the driver has been issued with one), and,
- Any manual record and printout made during the same period.
Drivers using vehicles fitted with digital tachographs must be able to produce:
- Their digital tachograph Driver Card;
- Any manual record and printouts for the current day and those used by the driver in the previous 28 calendar days (from 1st January 2008),
- Any analogue tachograph record sheets for the same period (i.e. covering occasions where the driver drove an analogue tachograph equipped vehicle).
Return of charts to employer
The UK legislation, which currently requires tachograph charts to be returned to employers within 21 days, is also expected to be amended shortly, to 42 days. This will mean that drivers must return charts no later than 42 days after they have been produced, but may return them earlier provided the roadside production requirements are met.
