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Get smart
Page 36
Page 37
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Are operators ready for the arrival of digital tachographs this summer?
Emma Page investigates.
Regulations are now in place to allow companies to fit and operate digital tachographs from August... but only if they want to. It remains to be seen how many operators will be trampled in the rush to noncompulsory compliance.
Compulsory fitment was originally planned for August 2004, but the Department for Transport says it's been delayed "until such time as the market provides a choice of freely available units, vehicle manufacturers can fit them, and truck operators can create training and management regimes suitable to utilise the equipment."
The smart money's on a 5 August 2006 deadline for compulsory fitment to new vehicles; by August 2007 all vehicles put into service for the first time will have to be retrofitted with smart card technology. The DVLA maintains that it will be issuing workshop and control cards from June, back from the original May date so vehicle units can be installed and calibrated. This will allow the enforcement infrastructure to be put in place prior to the issue of driver and company cards.
So far three digital tachograph suppliers have won type approval: Siemens VDO, Stoneridge Electronics and Actia UK. Later this year they're likely to be joined by Grundig and, intriguingly, by a Chinese manufacturer. The UK trio say production is in full swing and after last year's false start they're set to bring their products to market in volume.
"We are ready in both manufacturing and supply," says Stoneridge managing director Mark Jenkins. -The service and calibration network is up and ready and we have a significant number of people booked on training courses throughout Europe."
This should be a relief to larger operators, who will be impatient to take advantage of the benefits of digital technology as soon as possible. Nick Bendel], MD of Siemens VDO, explains: "Since the introduction of the Working Time Directive a lot of fleet managers have been having to do 100% graph analysis, which is expensive with analogue equipment and much cheaper with a digital tachometer."
Making the pegs fit
"It's a finely balanced argument," he adds. "On older vehicles the unit may have to be segregated to avoid interference with other onboard electronics, and of course there's the problem of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, which could involve fitting a new speedo and a new sensor."
Truck manufacturers are approaching fitment with caution. Scania has quoted for supply but does not yet have digitally equipped units on order. "We will probably supply somewhere around 200 before the end of the year," says technical director Clive Burnett. "I think most manufacturers are now ready to supply but there are still some questions regarding an adequate number of trained and approved centres for calibration and sealing."
Siemens VDO says it will have 100 calibration centres up and running by August, and VOSA says it's ready to go. According to a spokesman: "A revised tachograph manual has been agreed and is currently being printed and will be published shortly to come into effect at the beginning of June. We are currently approving test equipment and training with the agreement of the tachograph manufacturers, and anticipate commencing to approve workshops from June onwards."
new ve ices
Ready but cautious
Iveco will he able to lit digital tachographs across its entire product range from June but urges caution. "We have asked dealers to confirm that customers really want the digitach because if drivers do not have driver cards they will not be able to drive the vehicle," says technical director Ken Moore. -We don't anticipate any supply or supplier issues. "Some operators are keen to have it because of the better information available regarding drivers and their history. They will need to wait until they see when DVLA are up and running with driver-card availability In fact," he concludes. many organisations have said they wish to pull forward their order requirements to avoid the digitach." •
CONTACTS CTL GB: www.digital-tachograph.com
FTA and its training partner Stoneridge Electronics: wviwita.co.uk Government information: www.digital-lachograph.gov.uk RHA: www.rha.net Siemens VDO: www.vdo.com VOSA: www.vosa.gov.uk