1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204 
Make the most of your tacho
Page 107
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
IF tachographs are inevitable — and they are — sit back and make the best use of them. How? David Lowe has thought of that and would like to sell you his Fleet Check Tachograph Chart Analysis Register. Every two-page spread takes one week of entries — under 35 columns.
This does not represent such an onerous task as it might at first sound because these columns include many taking just a moment to fill in: for example, day/date: serial number; finish time; loads weight; and so on.
Then column 20 is loading time (identify loadings and note times) and column 23 is average loading time, obtained by dividing column 20 by column 18 (number of loads). Other simple calculations will give you such information as delivery time as percentage of total duty time; non-productive time; and average speed. Driving techniques are recorded as Good (G), Average (A) or Poor (P) — thus allowing you to judge training needs at a glance. So you will need a simple pocket calculator, just for multiplication, division and percentages.
Also you must obtain a chart analysis disc, which is a plastic disc calibrated with a 24-hour time scale in two and three minute gradations. It also has a hairline cursor with which the time recordings on the chart are measured against the time scale on the disc.
You may also like to get an optical analyser from tachograph manufacturers or through tachograph centres approved by the Department of Transport. This device provides a degree' of magnification and a light to illuminate the chart.
These three pieces of equipment won't cost more than about £100, says David Lowe. J.F.D. David Lowe's Fleet Check Tachograph Analysis Register is published by Kogan Page, 120 Pentonville Road, London Ni 9JN. Price £6 (discounts on quantity).