Whether it’s through running our own trucks, supporting our CTS Analysis customers, or responding to calls from operators with questions, we’ve seen all manner of different tachograph mistakes. Our unique, day-to-day perspective allows us to learn from real-world errors and share practical knowledge with our customers.
Here are five common tachograph mistakes that we see, and what you can do to fix them before they become a problem at the roadside or in an audit.
- Incorrect manual entries
When a driver removes their tachograph card, they must manually record their activities the next time the card is inserted. This tells the tachograph (and any enforcement officer) what the driver was doing while away from the vehicle.
Often this is just rest, but it could also be other work or a period of availability (POA). It’s very important to make sure the activity is recorded correctly, because these entries contribute directly to working out whether enough breaks and rest have been taken.
What the symbols mean:
- Steering wheel: Driving
- Crossed hammers: Other work (including walk-around checks, loading, paperwork)
- Bed: Rest or breaks
- Square with diagonal line: Period of availability (POA)
Bear in mind the time zone you’re working in when recording entries, and don’t leave gaps of time unaccounted for. Blank or obviously unrealistic periods (for example, “other work” for 20 hours straight) are a red flag in any inspection.
Using the right mode at the right time, and double-checking before you confirm, can save you from unnecessary infringements down the line.
- Thinking that downloading a card is enough to be compliant
Downloading the data is just the first step. Do you know what to do with the data once you have it? Under UK rules, operators must download, analyse, and act on tachograph data – not just store it.
Download windows to remember:
- Driver cards: at least every 28 days
- Vehicle units: at least every 56–90 days depending on whether you follow GB or EU intervals (many operators use 56 days as a safe standard)
When you have the downloaded data, you should:
- Review the infringements for each driver in detail, not just glance at a summary.
- Identify and investigate repeated issues such as not taking enough breaks, taking breaks that are too short, or exceeding driving time.
- Record corrective action – discussions with drivers, further training, warnings issued, changes to rotas or scheduling.
- Have a documented procedure for dealing with tachograph infringements. An example of this would be a points system where drivers gain points for infringements and different actions are taken when they hit certain thresholds. This demonstrates that you’re actively trying to improve compliance and that repeated infringements are taken seriously.
You must also make sure to document any action that is taken, such as recording drivers’ signatures on training paperwork, keeping copies of training certificates, and retaining analysis records for at least 12 months (many operators keep 24 months as a working standard).
- Interrupting break and rest periods
Whether it’s a short move during a 45‑minute break, or putting your card in a couple of minutes early after a weekly rest, these are both infringements that are easy to think “don’t matter”. However, the tachograph doesn’t recognise “it’s only one minute”. If you’re back early from a break or rest, that break or rest may not count.
Common ways breaks and rests get accidentally interrupted:
- Moving the vehicle even a short distance to reposition or let someone through during a break.
- Incorrect manual entries
- Leaving the card in overnight and having the vehicle moved slightly by someone else.
- Incorrectly using the ferry/train exemption
An easy tip is to take your breaks for a couple of minutes longer than needed. Make your 45‑minute break 47 minutes. Build a small buffer into daily and weekly rests as well, so a one‑minute slip doesn’t accidently turn an 11‑hour rest into a reduced rest.
Remember: to count as rest or a break, you must be free from all duties and able to dispose of your time as you wish. Any work, however small, interrupts that period.
- Missing driver card downloads
It’s easy to delay downloading driver cards due to sickness, holiday, or an ever‑growing workload. However, missing driver card downloads leaves gaps in your compliance records and may make it difficult to demonstrate effective compliance during an audit.
If a card isn’t downloaded regularly, the data risks being overwritten and lost. That means:
- You may miss critical information on driver infringements.
- You can’t fully investigate patterns or debrief drivers accurately.
- At an audit, you can’t produce the complete records DVSA expects to see.
If a download is delayed, record the reason and the corrective action taken to prevent it happening again.
- Too many reduced daily rests in a week
You can reduce your regular daily rest from 11 hours down to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests. Any further daily rest must be a regular daily rest of at least 11 hours, or a qualifying split daily rest totalling at least 12 hours.
Where things go wrong is when drivers (and managers) lose track of how many reduced rests have been used. Add in rests that are one minute short, or rests that don’t fit within the 24‑hour period after starting work, and it’s very easy to unintentionally exceed the limit.
To avoid this:
- Keep a simple weekly tally of reduced daily rests per driver.
- Build rotas that assume 11‑hour rests as standard, and only plan 9‑hour rests where absolutely necessary.
- Remind drivers that aiming for slightly more than 11 hours is safer than aiming for exactly 11.
If you’d like help reviewing your current tachograph data, setting up a robust download and analysis routine, or training your drivers and transport managers, get in touch. With CTS Analysis, we’re here to help you turn data into clearer, safer, and more compliant operations.
Find out more on 01945 880155 or training@ctservicesltd.co.uk
