More than just a guide to the law
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DAVID LOWE is one of the best respected authors of transport management books. His Transport Manager's Handbook, currently in its 12th edition, is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and clearly written of its kind.
It comes as no surprise then to find that David Lowe's latest book, The Tachograph, is equally impressive. Published by Fleet Planning Ltd, at a price of £11 (£12.50 including post and packing), the 400-page paperback deals with the subject more thoroughly than any other book I have seen. Fleet operators and transport managers will find valuable information in each of the 18 chapters and six appendices.
In typical David Lowe style, the complexities of tachograph legislation are explained in commendably clear language. Chapter 3, for example, which deals with exemptions from tachograph fitment and use will be a very useful source of guidance for those many operators who still have hopeful misconceptions about which vehicles do not have to be fitted with the instruments.
The author does not shirk from expressing his expert opinion on the many "grey" areas of the law, but wisely he repeatedly cautions the reader that "only the courts have the power to make final decisions".
However, The Tachograph is much more than just a guide to the law. Other facets of the subject covered in depth by David Lowe include a detailed description of the instruments themselves; chart filing and storage systems; chart analysis; tachographs in transport planning; and fleet operator experience with tachographs.
It is inevitable that certain sections of this book, such as the first appendix which lists the approved tachograph centres, will quickly become out of date, but that does not prevent The Tachograph from being a reference work that deserves a place on every transport manager's bookshelf. The author's claim that it is "the most comprehensive book yet published on the subject of tachographs," is no wild boast.
T.B.
Fleet Planning Ltd, Church House, Hampton in Arden, Solihull 892 OEX, West Midlands.