Driver records need tightening

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has warned fleet managers that they need seamless drivers’ records regardless of whether their trucks are fitted with analogue or digital tachographs. But it also indicated that not all tachograph analysis companies offer the service.

The warning follows new figures from the FTA, showing that 20% of its analysis contracts (by value) contained some digital content, just one month after introduction of compulsory digital tachographs for new trucks. Some firms have already taken several vehicles with the digital units for normal fleet replacements.

FTA director of audit services Alan Osborne said: “Any company, however large or small, that has a driver using a digital tachograph, will need to combine digital and analogue reports.”

He highlighted that joint analysis will be required over a period of at least five years, until companies switch entirely to trucks with digital tachographs.

The association has spent more than £500,000 developing its own analysis and reporting systems since the introduction of the Working Time Directive in April 2005.

Osborne said: “We have been generally delighted with our first month of digital tacho analysis operations,
with our customers generally experiencing a problem-free transition to merged reporting.”

• Following the introduction of digital tachographs on 1 May, truck registrations have fallen by more than a third to 3,340. However, sales in the year to date are still running 17% ahead and the rolling year shows a 9.6% increase.