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The pros and cons of tachographs
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by John Darker
A FORUM for the frank discussion of the pros and cons of tachographs was provided by a recent seminar arranged by Smiths Industries Ltd. Redland Tiles Ltd is a pioneer user of tachographs under an agreement made some years ago when the instruments were accepted by drivers — on defined conditions — in return for the payment of one shilling an hour bonus. Despite a general agreement by drivers for the installation of tachographs a number of drivers at the company's Shawell Works, near Rugby, refused to have the instruments fitted ; and to this day they have continued this refusal despite the considerable monetary loss.
Redland Tiles have established a tradition of an annual gettogether of dispatch managers to discuss management and operational problems in the presence of a full-time trade union officer, Mr W. H. (Bob) Kay, who has years of experience of the company's labour relations problems. This year a number of shop stewards from Redland Tiles plants in various parts of the country joined in the discussions.
Overcoming apathy
There is a need for both sides of the road haulage industry to understand the full implications of tachographs. Bob Kay wanted many more shop stewards and full-time officers to attend oneday seminars on tachographs; in his words, there is apathy to change because people don't understand tachograph usage.
Mr Pierre Kirk (Smiths Industries) told of a TGWU shop steward at last year's Commercial Motor Show who asked for information at the Smiths stand, saying : "Two days ago I signed a protest about tachographs. Maybe I should learn something about the instrument." Mr Kirk stressed that under EEC Regulations the driver alone held the tachograph key.
The seminar began with a brief introduction by Mr Martin Greenwood, distribution manager of Redland Tiles Ltd. He had been surprised to learn at
Right : A typical delivery operation on a building site. Twentysix of 97 Redland Tiles vehicles are equipped with Hiab or Atlas cranes and mechanical off-loading would be extended if more building contractors were alive to the advantages—load off in under an hour and much saving in site labourers time.
a recent FTA seminar on tachographs that Redland Tiles division, of 80 firms represented, was the only one using the instrument. His company had used tachographs —not of Smiths manufacture — since 1971. With pending legislation it made sense for all parties to get together. He mentioned the usefulness of CM's recent publication on tachographs.
A presentation of the Smiths tachograph conforming with EEC Regulation No 1463/70 by Mr Pierre Kirk and Mr Leslie Morson brought out the salient features of the new instrument. It must enable the driver to ensure that a trace on the chart was being produced. The Smiths design makes this a simple matter of pressing the illumination switch to reveal actual chart recording.
Nine hours' driving The instrument must be .designed to enable the last nine hours of driving to be visible on
the chart, without the need for further action from an examiner, other than opening the tachograph.
There must be a capability of recording four modes of driver time made possible with the Smiths instrument by use of the mode selector switch to one of the four positions indicating work, driving, refreshments or sleeping.
There must be the capability of recording attendance of a second crew member. This in volves the plugging in of the Smiths Industries Slave Unit to record the duty times of the second crew member. This slave unit could also be retained in the traffic office in order that drivers may record working time during periods of vehicle n o n availability. Because research has shown that very few UK-based vehicles are on two-man operation at any one time Smiths feel that it is not cost-effective to fit two-driver tachographs ; it is much more economic to fit single-driver units and to " plug in" a second driver unit when needed.
Among the advantages stressed for drivers of tachograph-equipped vehicles were sensible route schedules, minimising driver fatigue and promoting greater safety and improved health ; " proof" of hold-ups and delays caused by traffic or slow turn-around times, thus im
proving labour relations ; the possibility of analysing the tachograph chart to show precisely the speed and acceleration/deceleration during t h e moments preceding an impact ; the use of charts to indicate a driver's ability with the useful by-product a the chart's use in rebutting a speeding allegation ; as protection against unscrupulous operators whose schedules effectively compel drivers to exceed regulations ; and as a tool of economy : a fleet using tachographs can expect to save fuel and have lower maintenance costs, tyre wear, and insurance costs. The driver can expect a share of such savings and if a productivity scheme is to be operated this can be based on fact and not on opinion.
The technicalities of the instrument were brought out in the presentation and subsequent discussion. It was stressed that any removable part of the tachograph assembly must be wire and lead-sealed with from five to 18 connections. The limits of accuracy recorded for distance travelled (± two per cent) ; speed (±4kp/h); •and time (Lt two minutes per day or -± 10 minutes per seven days) were noted. It was stated that a certification plaque would identify the fitter and workshop installing and calibrating a tacho ; and the magnitude of the whole task in Britain was discussed.
Smiths reckoned 20,000 vehicles out of 660,000 eligible were now fitted and 160,000 vehicles would have tachos installed as original equipment in the 1975-78 period, leaving the balance of 500,000 vehicles to be equipped.
Tacho concession
Mr Greenwood said his fleet included 97 vehicles fitted with non-approved tachos and only one was fitted with the approved type. He was told that the tachos should be replaced with new type models by 1978, but there was the possibility of a concession being introduced as to timing. Compliance with EEC specification is expected after January 1, 1980.
On the effect of tyre wear, the seminar was told that the ± four per cent tolerance on distance travelled covered normal tyre wear but a change of tyres from, say, 7.50-20 to 8-25 would involve an eight per cent margin — the tacho would need to be reoalibrated. It was said that the tachos on new vehicles were often badly fitted and required recalibration. In Germany, it was noted, a standard charge for recalibration and sealing is £6. No standard charge exists in the UK.
A driver asked in what cir cumstances a conviction could follow an enforcement officer's inspection of a tacho chart. The reply was that conviction could only be for a driving hours irregularity ; a retrospective conviction for speed as indicated on the chart would not be possible — though drivers should remember there could be corroboration by Vascar or radar speed checks. A number of drivers — and Bob Kay — revealed their detailed knowledge of the time and place of some " silent " and speed checks. Some Redland drivers reckoned to use a longer though faster — route when making deliveries, returning by a slower route.
Managers were told that if a tacho calibration was incorrect the onus was on them, though the DoE had the right to strike off the register unsatisfactory calibration firms. Mr Kirk said he had urged calibration centres to recalibrate if there was the slightest doubt as to the correctness of an instrument following vehicle overhaul.
£120 to fit
Mr Kay said many of the 900 companies he dealt with could not afford the £120 plus fitting costs for a tacho, and the annual cast of charts (£5 or £6). The nine per cent of owner-drivers and other small firms were facing huge cash-flow problems. The general picture was of fleet reduction and redundancy with some companies invoking S14 of the Road Haulage Wages Council asking for suspension of working week arrangements.
Mr Greenwood said that some Redland Tiles' vehicles were fitted with power take-offs used for crane operation. This could be recorded by an additional trace on the chart if a fourthstylus model tachograph was specified.
Bob Kay raised the question of flexible start drivers : would a man starting two hours later Lban normal take his disc ? Was there not scope for fiddling here? He was told that the DoE would expect the time sequence for each chart to fall into line. If necessary there would be a check of employment records to prove payroll strength. Mr Kirk said the two-driver situation was expected to apply to less than one per cent of all operators.
A number of managers present expressed concern at the likely delays, with cost effects, of sending vehicles in for tacho graph servicing or calibration. Mrs J. Stockton, dispatch manager at Burlescombe Works, said she waited seven to 10 days to get a " graph service," The warranty and replacement service offered by Smiths was explained to her.
Waiting time
Mr Ernie Seal, shop steward at Moorhouse Works, said the trade unions accepted the introduction of tachos because they were told by Redland that the company wanted TO charge customers for excessive waiting time on sites. "We said fair enough, for a shilling an hour bonus. Then we found out that the company were not charging
demurrage." (Author's note : On this point Mr Seal was in error — though he is not to blame for being unaware of the true position. Redland in fact does make a practice of charging customers when undue delays occur on sites.)
David .Evans, Leighton Buzzard shop steward, said more incompany training was needed. Drivers should be able to talk about things with managers. As it was, the driver had to find out things for himself. At the present time Redland drivers and management looked at tacho charts jointly, but when legislation was enforced the Ministry would not be concerned with labour relations, only with the law. He was afraid that drivers would be " done " when that happened.
Endorsing the chart
It was stressed several times during the seminar that a police or enforcement officer checking a tachograph chart should be asked to endorse the chart. In particular cases, drivers too should do so to explain an occurrence. This prompted driver N. Gayler to ask if the chart was big enough to endorse delays when carrying five drops "and you're stuck up the pipe "—a reference to the Dartford tunnel.
Bob Kay said the trade unions objected to anything likely to infringe on the driver's way •of life— even the transport manager's car waiting round the corner I His people objected to the speed up of work and individual applications of this.
So any legistlation such as that derived from the Common Market which would cut down hours of work was seen as a threat to incomes. His union objected through its trade group to tachos as well as to the Common Market. While driving hours were defined in the EEC, working hours on top were legal, while clear breaks were mandatory here.
Fiddling
He feared that when the 280mile rule was enforced drivers would 'have to do other work to maintain earnings. He could see no chance that drivers would readily accept the introduction of tachographs. When a driver learned that he must switch from "Hammer and sickle "a reference to the crossed hammers symbol — to " Bed " to get the tacho to record properly, he would say : "That's worth a shilling an hour to me." He expected there would be plenty of "lower-deck lawyers" w h o would soon become expert at fiddling tachographs, and he reminded everyone of earlier experience with red-hot pins and hot shovels to distort the wax impressions on earlier recorders.
Bob Kay said that many drivers felt tachographs smacked of "Big Brother." "Put an eye on each side of the instrument and it could almost speak to you!'" While it was true that there were good relations between management and drivers at Redland and the company rightly sought to get value for the present high level of wages — and tachographs could help here— other operators were not necessarily backed by mutual trust. The introduction of tachos backed by law would therefore put a weapon in • the hands of unscrupulous operators.
In a discussion on the benefits of tachos in improved driving standards and lower maintenance costs, Mr H. C. Davies, Redland Tiles' fleet engineer, said harsh speed changes and fierce braking could be detected from charts, Drivers who abused their expensive tools could be identified. Bob Kay stressed that he had never heard an employer complain of a driver "bashing " his vehicle if he was doing a good day's work — whatever the effect on the lorry. High-speed driving on motorways would show up, but that could not be construed as excessively fast driving.
Foreman driver Fred Havercamp, of Moorhouse Works, said he had 25 vehicles equipped with tachos. He felt it was much more difficult to assess driving ability from charts than some people believed, though the interpretation of routine information was easy enough. Bob Kay thought that just as drivers of lorries with defective speedo cables were told "Go out on the job and we'll get it fixed as soon as possible" so vehicles with defective tachos would be expected to work.
Crossing London
Mr D. Evans, Leighton Buzzard shop steward, raised the familiar problem of a driver having to cross London when his time was almost up. The true times could be " adjusted " in commonsense style on a log sheet but not on a tachograph ; and there might be no suitable place to stop for refreshment after 51 hours.
In the closing stages of the seminar some Redland Tiles management attitudes to tachos were evinced. Mr J. B. Dudley, personnel and training manager, thought the tachograph reflected an excellent principle of work measurement. There was no suggestion that every driver's performance would be closely monitored every day. Mr Greenwood agreed : "This is the crucial point. We want to pinpoint the exceptional matter needing to be investigated."
The reliability of the instrument was clearly seen to be important. Mrs Joan Stockton and her depot shop steward, Mr L. Rowland, stressed that tachograph repairs or replacements had taken as long as three months.
From the answers to other questions it is evident that design technicalities and specifications of the 1975 SG 20 tachograph demonstrated at the seminar are far removed from those of earlier specifications. One interesting thought is that research is currently well advanced into a solid-state memory device which will enable a driver to punch in information such as: customer contacted; duration on customer's premises; loading and unloading information: and other details of direct advantage to company invoicing procedures.
It must be stressed that this device will not take the place of tachographs under legal requirements, but it will provide additional information of extreme value,