In order to comply with the UK's transport regulations, businesses that operate in-scope of tachograph rules must manage and keep track of their tachograph records. This guide provides detailed insights into how long you keep tachograph records, touching on digital tachograph print out rules, DVSA weekly record sheets, and more.
Table of Contents
Understanding Tachograph Records
Tachographs are devices fitted to commercial vehicles to record driving time, speed, and distance. Transport Managers must ensure that the data recorded is downloaded and analysed for any infringements.
Law enforcement agencies such as the DVSA also need to see these data downloads/records during inspections and investigations. This is the main reason that careful record-keeping is so important.
What is the penalty for failing to provide tacho records?
Failing to produce tachograph records when requested by the authorities can result in fines of up to £5000, further investigation, and the business being prevented from operating vehicles in-scope.
How Long Do You Keep Tachograph Records For: Drivers
28 days
The main rule that drivers need to follow, is that while out driving, they must be able to produce that day's tachograph records, along with complete records of the previous 28 days. Drivers stopped by authorities who are unable to produce this information will be subject to fines or legal repercussions.
DVSA Weekly Record Sheet
The DVSA mandates that operators maintain accurate weekly record sheets, for any week that in-scope driving takes place. The DVSA has provided an example weekly record sheet to log your activities - you can download a copy here.
Drivers must keep written records of their hours of work on a weekly record sheet for vehicles used for the carriage of goods that require an Operator Licence and driving exceeds 4 hours in that day. Operators are expected to check and sign each weekly record sheet. (gov.uk)
How Long Do You Keep Tachograph Records For: Operators
Operators must retain the raw (pre-analysis) tachograph Driver and Vehicle data for each vehicle, for the previous 12 months. If this data is the only place that the Drivers' working time data is accessible, then it must be stored for 24 months.
This applies whether the data is digital, downloaded from digital tachographs, or analogue in the form of used tacho discs.
Operators must ensure that their driver's Driver Cards are downloaded every 28 days, and that vehicle data is downloaded every 90 days, at the latest.
Digital Tachograph Print Out Rules
When dealing with digital tachographs, it's essential to understand the print-out rules:
- Regular Print Outs:
- Drivers don't need to have all their 28-day working history in print-out form - it's acceptable for the authorities just to have it stored on the Driver Card. However, print-outs are useful for making manual entries - if you've needed to make any manual entries in the past 28 days, then you'll need to keep whichever bit of paper you made it on in the cab with you. In many cases, this will be on the back of a print-out!
- Printouts for Enforcement:
- In case of roadside checks or inspections, drivers must be able to produce printouts from their digital tachograph on request. These printouts serve as immediate proof of compliance with driving regulations.
How Many Tacho Rolls Should I Carry?
For drivers using digital tachographs, carrying enough tacho rolls for printouts is vital. You don't want to be caught in a roadside stop with no way of producing the day's tachograph records for the authorities to see. Here's a quick guide:
- Minimum Requirement:
- Drivers should carry at least one spare roll in the vehicle at all times. This is a minimum requirement to ensure that they can produce printouts when requested.
- Additional Rolls:
- It’s advisable to carry more than one spare roll to cover any unexpected needs or extended trips. Having extra rolls ensures that drivers are never caught without the ability to produce necessary documentation.
Summary: How Long Do You Keep Tachograph Records For?
How long do you keep tachograph records for? In summary, most organisations need to keep tachograph records for at least one year, but in almost all cases they should retain records for 24 months, due to the tacho data being the only source of working time for compliance with the UK's WTD. This includes both digital and analogue records.
Drivers must be able to provide 29 days (including the current day) worth of tachograph data in case they are asked to provide it by enforcement authorities. This can be stored on the Driver Card, as long as the driver carries enough tacho rolls to produce a physical copy in full for the authorities.
Regular downloads, accurate record-keeping, and understanding specific requirements like carrying tacho rolls are essential for compliance. Adhering to these guidelines helps avoid penalties and ensures smooth operations.
Further Reading
If you've found our page, "How Long Do You Keep Tachograph Records For?" useful, we've linked below a few more of our tacho guides:
- What to do when a Driver Card is left in overnight
- Tachograph Overspeed infringements
- How to record holidays and days off - tacho data
About The Author
Simon Theaker
Simon has over 20 years of dealing with tachograph analysis, and the technologies involved.
His in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience have made him a key behind-the-scenes member of the TachoMagic team.
