Fleet managers rely on tachograph charts to analyse drivers’ information from analogue tachographs. When the tachograph is fitted on a vehicle, it records onto a circular paper-based chart.
How Long Does a Tachograph Chart Last?
Fleet managers can use the charts to find information on the vehicle speed, types of driver activity and distance travelled over 24 hours. Tachograph charts are also legal documents that can be inspected at any time by police for breach of driving regulations. Sometimes, they are used as evidence in courts. Hence, the accuracy of the information is crucial.
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What Is a Tachograph Chart?
A tachograph chart is a wax-coated paper that the stylus automatically marks to record vehicle movements. It is usually circular and can record information for 24 hours. Before driving the vehicle, a driver is expected to fill the tachograph chart with basic information like the name, mileage of the speedometer and start location. At the end of the day, the driver must also fill in the location of finishing work, the odometer reading and the date.
Other parameters are recorded automatically on the chart. The automatic recording is used to reveal inconsistencies. For instance, if a tachograph chart is tampered with, there would be inconsistencies with the distance and speed traces. Fleet managers and transportation companies gather charts from their drivers for analysis. A company relies on various tachograph analysis methods to extract useful information from the tachograph charts.
How To Use a Tachograph Chart
Drivers must ensure accurate recording on the tachograph chart by setting the tachograph clock to the correct local time before the start of the journey. Since tachographs are legal documents, they must be completed fully and handled with care.
How To Fill Out a Tachograph Chart?
Aside from filling in the sections on the chart, drivers should keep the tachograph charts for up to 28 days to keep the legal documents. Some of the information available on the tachograph chart includes speed rating, which appears at the centre of the chart.
How To Read a Tachograph Chart?
The chart usually provides a guideline for the models compatible with the chart. The speed rating is analysed by looking at the speedometer and focusing on the figures shown after the maximum speed. Average speed ratings usually range from 50 mph to 60 mph, depending on the vehicle’s weight.
Tachograph Chart Analysis
Charts can be scanned and analysed by placing them into the analysis system. Fleet managers rely on the analysis system to provide a transparent view of the vehicle activity and the driver. It provides a fast way to analyse the data recorded on the charts.
How Long Does One Tachograph Chart Cover?
Drivers must operate the tachographs correctly to ensure the charts record accurate information. For instance, the tachograph should be perfectly calibrated through the attached plaques to confirm the time is displayed in the correct local time in which the vehicle is registered.
What Period of Time Does One Tachograph Chart Cover?
Drivers should also use the correct type of chart for the vehicle model of the tachograph. Since drivers need to change the tachograph chart in 24 hours, they should carry enough charts for 28 days during long-distance travel. Using a chart to cover a period longer than 24 hours is illegal. If the tachograph is defective, drivers must provide handwritten entries on the shift activities.
Conclusion
Tachograph charts provide helpful information on driver activities, including the distance travelled and their speed. The information inscribed in the wax-coated chart can be analysed and used to make various decisions on fleet management.
Sources:
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-hours-goods-vehicles/4-tachograph-rules
- https://www.gov.uk/tachographs
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