There are so many rules and regulations out there that we get asked countless questions. We've put together a list of the most frequently asked questions we get about Tachographs and analysis.

If you can’t find the answer to your question, feel free to give us a call on 0113 877 0190, or email us at admin@tachomagic.com - We’ll be more than happy to help!

Both the Drivers and their employers.
European Commission (EC) rules apply to Drivers of most goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight (including any trailer) exceeding 3.5 tonnes. Separate domestic rules apply to goods vehicles within the UK, which are exempt from EU rules.
The current maximum is £2,500 for breach of the Drivers' hours rules and a £5,000 for failing to install/use a tachograph. Deliberate falsification of tacho charts can mean a £5,000 fine or/and 2 years' imprisonment.
Any period of 24 hours beginning with the resumption of other work or driving after the last daily or weekly rest period.
Whenever driving under EC rules.
The employer or company must supply Drivers with sufficient charts for the whole journey, plus spares for damage or loss.
Drivers must enter their surname and forename; the date(s) and place(s) where the use of chart begins and ends; the registration of the vehicle(s); their odometer readings at the start and end; and the time of any change of vehicle.
If there is anything wrong with a tachograph, get it repaired by an approved repairer as soon as possible. If a vehicle can't return to its base within a week of the discovery of the failure, the repair must be carried out en route. In between, manual records must be kept.

The following exemptions are shared across the EU. Exclusions specific to the UK are detailed below. In almost all cases where a vehicle is exempt from EC rules, it is still subject to UK Domestic Regulations.

The common EU exemptions are:
- Goods vehicles with a maximum permissible gross weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, including any trailer or semi-trailer.
- Goods vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 30km/h.
- Goods vehicles used by armed forces, civil defence and emergency services.
- Goods vehicles used in connection with sewerage, flood protection, utility services, highway maintenance, refuse collection/disposal, telegraph and telephone services.
- Specialised vehicles used for medical and breakdown purposes.
- Vehicles transporting circus/fun-fair equipment.
- Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of goods for personal use.
- Vehicles used for milk collection from farms and return of milk containers or milk products intended for animal feed.

The following are among the additional exemptions for those driving in the UK:
- Vehicles used by agricultural, horticultural, forestry or fishery undertakings carrying goods within 50km radius of the vehicle's usual base.
- Vehicles carrying animal waste or carcases not intended for human consumption.
- Vehicles used as shops at local markets or for door-to-door selling and specially fitted for such use.
- Vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of no more than 7.5 tonnes carrying material or equipment for the driver's use in the course of his work within a 50km radius of the vehicle's usual base, were driving the vehicle is not the Driver's main activity.
- Goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of not more than 7.5 tonnes powered by gas or electricity. Vehicles used for driving instruction not carrying a commercial load.
- Tractors used exclusively for agricultural and forestry work.

If you do or are going to operate a vehicle subject to the EU Drivers hours regulations, you will need to apply for one. Your fleet may not have vehicles with digital units, but hire, and loan vehicles you use may well have as they are often new vehicles.
You can start to apply for your card now from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
You can apply to DVLA now using the dedicated phone line 0870 8501074. Application forms (D779B) will be available from the DVLA, DVLA Local Offices and VOSA Testing Stations. Return the completed form with any relevant documentation [if applicable] and the fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ST. There are notes on the form D779B to assist in its completion.
A company can have up to 2,232 cards. The number you apply for will depend for example, on how many depots you have, the number of people who will use them at each depot etc. to allow you to run your operation easily and efficiently.
Five years.
Yes. You will need it to protect your data in the vehicle unit if you hire in or sell a vehicle and also to download the data.
No, it is entirely feasible for a non-driver to hold a company card. A company card does not entitle you to drive a vehicle.
Company owners, Transport Managers, Owner Drivers. Anyone the owner of the company deems it necessary to hold one.

Before the expiry of your card, you will receive a reminder. If you wish to renew your card(s) you will need to complete the application form and send it to DVLA with the relevant documentation and fee no later than 15 working days before the expiry of your card.

However, if you do not receive a reminder, and you wish to renew your card, you will need to complete the D779B application form and send it to DVLA with the relevant documentation and fee no later than 15 working days before the expiry of your card.

In both cases, you or a representative need to complete an application form D779B and send it with the appropriate fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ST.
You will need to send the faulty card, and completed application form to the DVLA. If you do not return the defective card, the DVLA has to treat the card as lost or stolen, and the relevant fee will be charged.
The card, like a driving licence, belongs to the Secretary of State for Transport.

The card will hold identification data of:

- card number.
- issuing state, body and date.
- valid from and expiry dates.
- company name and address.

It will then store the following other information:
- activities carried out - locking in or out / vehicle unit and/or card downloading.
- period downloaded (if any).
- vehicle registration and registering authority.
- card number and issuing body (if card downloaded.

You can view the data on the card by downloading it on to a computer with the TachoMagic software.
A maximum of 28, but this is not guaranteed. Multidrop Drivers, however, will fill the card quicker, which significantly reduces the days held.
As with tachograph charts, you will need to keep records for each of your Drivers for a year. As the data on a Driver card will be overwritten after about 28 days, you will need to take a copy of this data before it gets overwritten. In the case of the digital tachograph, there is also data stored in the vehicle unit, and this must also be retained.
Yes, there has been no change to the operator's obligation to ensure that Drivers' duties are organised to be legal and to make periodic inspections of Drivers duties to ensure that they are complying with the regulations.
By downloading the data. Either print it out via the vehicle unit or view it on the vehicle unit display.
A note should be produced for your employer's files explaining the circumstances for the loss/damage of the charts in question. It may also help your case if you can provide some paperwork proving, for instance, that the theft of the charts had been reported to the police. Depending on the circumstances involved you may also wish to contact your local area office of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (See Annex E of GV262 and Annex D of PSV375 for contact details) about the loss/damage of the chart(s).
You can use TachoMagic to deal with all your analysis concerns.
If the tachograph devices in each vehicle are compatible, the same chart should be used for the whole of the day. If not, then separate charts will need to be used and then clipped together at the end of the day, as a complete record of the day's work.
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Testimonials

Correct control of all my drivers and vehicles allows me to sleep at night. TachoMagic helps me to do this with tremendous ease and has freed up more of my time to concentrate on other areas.

Bill Johnson, M. Brittain (York) Ltd

I can't believe how simple this is to use. 30 seconds to scan a week's Tachos. Works a treat, highly recommend.

wallaceb

Highly recommended and an excellent price.

gametra

I would recommend TachoMagic to all transport operators.

Bill Johnson, M. Brittain (York) Ltd

We use these by the hundred and I have not found a better price yet

gametra

Top value and delivered quickly thanks.

digipri

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