Some of us unfortunates are victim to the infamous spy in the cab ( sometimes applicable to Landies as well if you tow for work and probably some High Caps) . well I have spent a mind numbing 4 hours learning about the next EU agreed abomination - digital tachos. I'm old enough to have used log books to record my daily toil and handed them in at the end of each week and they went into storage once filled similarly tachograph charts I carry two weeks of charts and hand them in for checking and storing after that period. Now we come to the new thing first you ( or your employer) have to buy a chipped card off of Blair and Co (shysters to the country) for a stunning £38 in addition you need a company card at another £38 your company needs a download memory chip like a usb memory plug at a cool £185 and a computer to read it plus software??? a smart card reader £56- Siemans quote a starter package for the office at £1500 for owner drivers plus £7 for paper rolls to print off the unit. So if you are an owner driver thats coming off your profit margin in addition there is the enforcement aspect. Make a mistake and exceed the speed limit on your motor for 1 minute - thats when you go downhill and your rev limiter is not slowing you below 56mph in a bigun or whatever speed the spanners have set the tacho to in other motors, it records it on the chip and flashes up a display which you need to acknowledge ditto if you exceed your 4:30 accumulated driving hours without a break.So far thats more or less as is , suppose a traffic policemen Vosa or whoever stops you on a check how far back can he delve into your records whcih you are carrying to see if you have made a mistake that you can be prosecuted for? any body guess day , week, month?? year???? nope a year is the minimum time that the tacho will carry data to hang you plus if somebody else is driving that motor in that period and he /she gets stopped and checked that record is still there waiting to bite your arse. One more thing the person reading the tacho at base will have a read out of everything you do during your working day minute to minute as good as if they were standing behind you all daywatching everything you do. Ask me if I think I will be driving trucks in twelve months time? Ask me if I would like all the government to be equally accountable for EVERY minute I an paying their wages????
Derek
I did look to see if the java based drivers demo was available online but it seems you have to pay for that as well see also