HGV Tacho fiddles
Discussion
I have just been on a German internet site for their equivalent of the DVSA .
They gave details of a case of a Polish truck that was examined at a truck parking area , during the examination a device which could switch the tacho on and off was discovered.
The truck was seized to enable further investigation. The company that owned the vehicle arranged for another truck to collect the trailer with load . When the second truck arrived it was also inspected and it also had a device to switch the tacho on and off .
Each truck was given €18000 in fines , they also found that one of the trucks had run for 600,000kms with its tacho switched off ,this was over half of the recorded total distance the vehicle had travelled .
I think the company will be getting an uncomfortable reception in Germany in the future .
They gave details of a case of a Polish truck that was examined at a truck parking area , during the examination a device which could switch the tacho on and off was discovered.
The truck was seized to enable further investigation. The company that owned the vehicle arranged for another truck to collect the trailer with load . When the second truck arrived it was also inspected and it also had a device to switch the tacho on and off .
Each truck was given €18000 in fines , they also found that one of the trucks had run for 600,000kms with its tacho switched off ,this was over half of the recorded total distance the vehicle had travelled .
I think the company will be getting an uncomfortable reception in Germany in the future .
Trevor555 said:
Interesting.
I was overtaken by a HGV last week in the early hours.
I'd estimate it was doing close to 70mph.
Made me wonder if there's a tacho fiddle going on.
There are all manner of cheat devices out there. I was overtaken by a HGV last week in the early hours.
I'd estimate it was doing close to 70mph.
Made me wonder if there's a tacho fiddle going on.
In this modern electronic age it doesn't take long for some electronic wizkid to find new ways of beating the devices and more and more they are becoming increasingly harder to detect .
The modern top of the range trucks are very capable of exceeding the limits that they are restricted to .
It's not so much speed they're after fiddling, it's driving hours. Speed is too obvious, if you blast past enough traffic at 65mph someone's bound to dob you in eventually.
Disable the tacho sensor and you can drive for as long as you like. Chances of getting caught are slim to none, especially if you avoid the motorway test sites. Outside of DVSA and the specialist traffic police that assist them, there's not a copper in the land who understands drivers hours enough to actually have the gump to pull a truck over for it let alone work out what they've actually done wrong.
Do it for long enough and you'll easily break even on the fines. If you can make it from eastern europe to the UK and back in half the time everyone else does, it'll soon add up, even if you keep things legit through Germany an the UK.
You could also just have your brother/mate/alter ego's tacho card and switch to that when yours runs out. Best not to do it while you're driving along on the limiter though as that takes some explaining if you do get stopped.
Disable the tacho sensor and you can drive for as long as you like. Chances of getting caught are slim to none, especially if you avoid the motorway test sites. Outside of DVSA and the specialist traffic police that assist them, there's not a copper in the land who understands drivers hours enough to actually have the gump to pull a truck over for it let alone work out what they've actually done wrong.
Do it for long enough and you'll easily break even on the fines. If you can make it from eastern europe to the UK and back in half the time everyone else does, it'll soon add up, even if you keep things legit through Germany an the UK.
You could also just have your brother/mate/alter ego's tacho card and switch to that when yours runs out. Best not to do it while you're driving along on the limiter though as that takes some explaining if you do get stopped.
I find that the Irish boys love to have the speed , try keeping up with them on any of the routes to or from the ferry ports that connect to Ireland. The European truckers go for the drivers hours . The advantage of the east European firms with vastly cheaper running costs , cheap wages, illegal operating centres and hugely fiddled drivers hours is killing the transport industry, not just in the UK but all the European countries that abide by the rules .
To be honest I find the inflexibility of the tacho rules makes the possibility of being over tired more of an issue. I’d rather be able to drive a bit longer and get parked up somewhere better or if I’m struggling to sleep in the heat of the day crack on, get a few hours driving in then park up for a nap mid shift.
People will always break or bend the rules and anything man can design can always be overcome.
People will always break or bend the rules and anything man can design can always be overcome.
Plenty of times I have run out of hours up to 30 minutes away from home because of traffic, Utterly no way I'm having a night out in a cab that close to home.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
Getragdogleg said:
Plenty of times I have run out of hours up to 30 minutes away from home because of traffic, Utterly no way I'm having a night out in a cab that close to home.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
If it's plenty of times then i'd be looking at your office to ask why they are planning such routes that will leave it so tight. Was this the 15 hour day or 10 hour drive that you hit? There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
I've only been tight a couple of times, most notable was after a long day and drive time was getting very tight. Left huge gaps when in traffic and foot hard down when moving. Got back to the yard on 4 hours 28 mins. I could, and should, have just stopped and had another 45, but after 12 hours out and minutes from the yard, it's a huge ballache to stop so close to home and finding the parking is hard enough. There should be an added grace of if <20 mins from end of the day/back to base then it's acceptable. But then some operators would take the piss on it!
Kiribati268 said:
If it's plenty of times then i'd be looking at your office to ask why they are planning such routes that will leave it so tight. Was this the 15 hour day or 10 hour drive that you hit?
I've only been tight a couple of times, most notable was after a long day and drive time was getting very tight. Left huge gaps when in traffic and foot hard down when moving. Got back to the yard on 4 hours 28 mins. I could, and should, have just stopped and had another 45, but after 12 hours out and minutes from the yard, it's a huge ballache to stop so close to home and finding the parking is hard enough. There should be an added grace of if <20 mins from end of the day/back to base then it's acceptable. But then some operators would take the piss on it!
I'm not driving any more because I hate doing it and found it all a massive hassle. I'm in the far reaches of West Cornwall so any trip away was a stretch.I've only been tight a couple of times, most notable was after a long day and drive time was getting very tight. Left huge gaps when in traffic and foot hard down when moving. Got back to the yard on 4 hours 28 mins. I could, and should, have just stopped and had another 45, but after 12 hours out and minutes from the yard, it's a huge ballache to stop so close to home and finding the parking is hard enough. There should be an added grace of if <20 mins from end of the day/back to base then it's acceptable. But then some operators would take the piss on it!
You only need to encounter some delay or roadworks on the home leg or a summer jam because some Enid has inverted a caravan and all of a sudden you are having a night out on Bodmin moor with no food because you ran out of hours.
Yeah , sod that game.
Getragdogleg said:
Plenty of times I have run out of hours up to 30 minutes away from home because of traffic, Utterly no way I'm having a night out in a cab that close to home.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
Not sure if its still in place, but think there used to be a 'rule 15' from memory, I used it a couple of times. 20-30 minutes max from base, kept going to get to yard, Then end of shift do a printout and write on the back, rule 15 used so as to make safe and secure parking.There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
agent006 said:
It's not so much speed they're after fiddling, it's driving hours. Speed is too obvious, if you blast past enough traffic at 65mph someone's bound to dob you in eventually.
Disable the tacho sensor and you can drive for as long as you like. Chances of getting caught are slim to none, especially if you avoid the motorway test sites. Outside of DVSA and the specialist traffic police that assist them, there's not a copper in the land who understands drivers hours enough to actually have the gump to pull a truck over for it let alone work out what they've actually done wrong.
Do it for long enough and you'll easily break even on the fines. If you can make it from eastern europe to the UK and back in half the time everyone else does, it'll soon add up, even if you keep things legit through Germany an the UK.
You could also just have your brother/mate/alter ego's tacho card and switch to that when yours runs out. Best not to do it while you're driving along on the limiter though as that takes some explaining if you do get stopped.
Easily said, but not easily done. The tachograph is connected to the truck like the face hugger in Alien was to John Hurt. For example, it takes speed readings from all ABS sensors.Disable the tacho sensor and you can drive for as long as you like. Chances of getting caught are slim to none, especially if you avoid the motorway test sites. Outside of DVSA and the specialist traffic police that assist them, there's not a copper in the land who understands drivers hours enough to actually have the gump to pull a truck over for it let alone work out what they've actually done wrong.
Do it for long enough and you'll easily break even on the fines. If you can make it from eastern europe to the UK and back in half the time everyone else does, it'll soon add up, even if you keep things legit through Germany an the UK.
You could also just have your brother/mate/alter ego's tacho card and switch to that when yours runs out. Best not to do it while you're driving along on the limiter though as that takes some explaining if you do get stopped.
chilistrucker said:
Getragdogleg said:
Plenty of times I have run out of hours up to 30 minutes away from home because of traffic, Utterly no way I'm having a night out in a cab that close to home.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
Not sure if its still in place, but think there used to be a 'rule 15' from memory, I used it a couple of times. 20-30 minutes max from base, kept going to get to yard, Then end of shift do a printout and write on the back, rule 15 used so as to make safe and secure parking.There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
red_slr said:
chilistrucker said:
Getragdogleg said:
Plenty of times I have run out of hours up to 30 minutes away from home because of traffic, Utterly no way I'm having a night out in a cab that close to home.
There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
Not sure if its still in place, but think there used to be a 'rule 15' from memory, I used it a couple of times. 20-30 minutes max from base, kept going to get to yard, Then end of shift do a printout and write on the back, rule 15 used so as to make safe and secure parking.There should be a close to home exception to the hours rules that lets you drive to the operating centre so you can go home instead of the rules making you get another lad out to drive the last bit and you drive his car back to base.
It is pointless and adds time to the arse end of a trip when you could just be home and resting quicker.
No exception to get to the delivery mind, only a get you home clause.
They seem to think you are hiding some sort of fiddle .
can some one help? recently whilst part way through my day, the tacho ejected my card. i put it back in and carried on. when i finished i did a printout and it showed that nothing had been recorded after the ejection despite putting the card back in. the next morning i put my card in and it said i needed a break as id exceeded my driving. when i did a quick printout the tacho said id been driving for 17hrs but the truck was staionary all night, the tacho mode reverted to work and the card was at home with me. never seen this before. any ideas?
jmead90 said:
can some one help? recently whilst part way through my day, the tacho ejected my card. i put it back in and carried on. when i finished i did a printout and it showed that nothing had been recorded after the ejection despite putting the card back in. the next morning i put my card in and it said i needed a break as id exceeded my driving. when i did a quick printout the tacho said id been driving for 17hrs but the truck was stationary all night, the tacho mode reverted to work and the card was at home with me. never seen this before. any ideas?
Report it to the transport Manager, that tacho unit needs looking at, make a note of what you actually did and get him/her to sign it.Defect note. Keep an electronic copy (take a pic).
Then report to TM.
Your TM will also be doing a tacho report every 28 days, so when they next download your card and run the report it will show a (actually probably 3) major infraction(s) and you will then produce the defect note and then sign the infraction notice as per the fault on the tacho.
As for the vehicle you are not the TM so have no say over their course of action but in reality it needs to go to an approved tachograph calibration center for investigation. The one I used to use would usually see stuff like this on a drive up basis.
Or if its main dealer (i.e newer truck) you can normally drop off at the end of the day and they will look at something like that overnight.
Then report to TM.
Your TM will also be doing a tacho report every 28 days, so when they next download your card and run the report it will show a (actually probably 3) major infraction(s) and you will then produce the defect note and then sign the infraction notice as per the fault on the tacho.
As for the vehicle you are not the TM so have no say over their course of action but in reality it needs to go to an approved tachograph calibration center for investigation. The one I used to use would usually see stuff like this on a drive up basis.
Or if its main dealer (i.e newer truck) you can normally drop off at the end of the day and they will look at something like that overnight.
The most common dodge is to take the truck for speed limiter calibration with the smaller high cube wheels on, this gives you about 6-8 mph.
But as said above a whizkid with a laptop can do most stuff. I knew a guy who ran back and to to Spain and Italy whose truck could do 80 while registering 56 and could be put on break while running full tilt. He ran like that for years without getting caught. When his laptop was unplugged there was no trace of trickery left in the truck.
But as said above a whizkid with a laptop can do most stuff. I knew a guy who ran back and to to Spain and Italy whose truck could do 80 while registering 56 and could be put on break while running full tilt. He ran like that for years without getting caught. When his laptop was unplugged there was no trace of trickery left in the truck.
BillyWhizz888 said:
My lorry sits comfortably at 58.
Ran tyres low tread and got them re cut. Then worn more before sending for calibration. Then fitted shiny new rubber and more speed came from it. As time passes I now notice it sitting at 57 more as tyres start to wear now
Very common trick .Ran tyres low tread and got them re cut. Then worn more before sending for calibration. Then fitted shiny new rubber and more speed came from it. As time passes I now notice it sitting at 57 more as tyres start to wear now
Unfortunately many companies run full GPS tracking these day along with telematics systems and drivers get warned if they don't comply .
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