Tachogragh

HCV Test, Tachograph, Plating & Road Speed Limiter

We offer a full range of HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) and LGV (Light Goods Vehicle) testing. Our online booking system makes it easy to book a test. To make a booking, just click the ‘Make a booking’ link above. Full information on how to locate us and about the test requirements and prices are provided on the tab links above. You can also visit the website www.proudfootmotors.ie

Make LGV Booking

Make HGV Booking      –     All the above prices include VAT.

Tachograph

Recording Equipment

Tachograph recording equipment for vehicles is mandatory in the EU. Tachographs record key driver and vehicle information, as well as generate records that monitor the drivers’ compliance with driving time rules.

Note. Publication of Convictions: In circumstances where a person or operator is convicted of a road transport related offence, details of the conviction (including name and penalty applied) will be published on the RSA website at www.rsa.ie

Under EU and national law, the trucks over 3.5 tonnes and buses with more than 9 seats must be fitted with recording devices known as tachographs. Their function is to record the driving times, breaks and rest periods of individual drivers. It also logs vehicle speed, distance travelled and other information.

The records must be available for inspection by enforcement officers.

Some classes of vehicle are exempt from the EU rules on tachograph and driving times, breaks and rest periods. Drivers who are exempt should still keep a record of their total daily working activity.

Tacograph types

Tachographs come in two types: analogue and digital. The EU introduced analogue tachographs in 1985, while digital tachograph technology replaced the existing analogue recording devices, in May 2006.

Digital tachograph smart cards are part of the new digital system, for use by drivers, companies, calibration workshops and enforcement officers. Goods and passenger vehicles first registered after 1 May 2006 must be fitted with a digital tachograph. If they are registered before that date, they can be fitted with either type of tachograph.

If a driver is using an analogue tachograph, they are responsible for writing their name, registration number, location of the start and end of the journey and the start and end of the odometer readings every day that they are driving.

Digital tachographs

Digital tachographs became mandatory in new commercial lorries and buses in May 2006.

The provision of driver cards for use by drivers, companies, calibration workshops and enforcement officers is central to digital tachographs.

Data is stored in the vehicle unit memory and on driver smart cards. The data contains a range of information including distance covered, vehicle speed (for previous 24 hours of driving), vehicle licence number, and driver activity (driving, rest, breaks, other work, periods of availability).

A driver’s card can store information for a maximum of 28 days before it begins to be overwritten; the vehicle unit has a larger memory capacity and can store data for 365 days.

Analogue tachographs

The analogue tachograph records your driving information via three styluses that cut traces into a circular, wax-coated chart, or tacho. These marks act as a record of your speed, distance travelled and your working activity.

The analogue tachograph chart also contains areas for manual entries, measuring activities such as your daily working period, rest periods and work done outside of the vehicle.

Vehicle Unit (VU)

When a driver takes over a goods or passenger vehicle, they must insert the driver card into the digital tachograph unit. Where a vehicle is double-manned, both driver and co-driver must use a card.

Similar to an analogue tachograph, a digital tachograph will record a driver’s activities such as driving, other work, breaks and rest. Digital tachographs start recording automatically when the vehicle moves.

Drivers must use the mode switch (a manual input facility) on the tachograph to record other activities including rests, breaks and other periods of availability. The records are only stored on the driver card. Drivers don’t need to manually enter activities recorded on analogue chart onto their driver cards.

Downloading data

A transport operator must download data from the card every 21 days and the Vehicle Unit every 3 months. The data should be retained for inspection by enforcement officers for at least 1 year from the date of downloading.

To download data from the vehicle unit and driver card, an operator will need a download device and a company card.

Agency drivers

Operators are responsible for making sure drivers return their charts, if they are employing agency drivers. They should download data from the drivers’ tachograph cards and retain that data for inspection.

Digital tachograph training

For information on digital-tachograph training please contact: The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport of Ireland Tel: 01 676-3188 www.cilt.ie

RSA Prosecutions

The RSA is responsible for enforcing EU and national transport legislation on tachographs, EU driver hour rules, Road transport working time directive and the licensing of road haulage and passenger operators to engage in hire and reward operations.

Since 2009 the RSA have initiated prosecutions against drivers and operators in respect of breaches of this legislation details of which can be found in our prosecutions section.

Speed Limiter Setting

Commercial Vehicles that are over 3,500kg Design Gross Vehicle Weight must have a Road Speed Limiter [RSL] fitted to the vehicle. The legal maximum setting for the speed limitation device is 90 km/h.

The Road Speed Limiter [RSL] must be calibrated and a plaque fitted to the vehicle.

Here at Proudfoot Motors we have been certified by NSAI [National Standards Association of Ireland] to calibrate and repair Road Speed Limiters.

Just call our Service Department to book in for your Road Speed Limiter repairs or with any queries you have about Road Speed Limiters.

Vehicle Plating

In the absence of an equivalent manufacturer’s plate the following vehicle types must be fitted with a weights and dimensions plate at an NSAI approved plating centre:

• Goods vehicles (including their trailers and semi-trailers) with a design gross vehicle weight exceeding 3,500kg and,
• Buses/coaches with more than 8 passenger seats and a design gross vehicle weight exceeding 5,000kg.

A check for the presence of an appropriate weights and dimensions plate is part of the roadworthiness test.