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Smart Analysis: Free Android Apps for Smartphone

Smart Analysis of Tacho’ data gets smarter. According to “Transport Engineer” the Digital Tacho manufacturer, Stoneridge, have released two free Apps to assist transport operators and commercial drivers to monitor their driving. These apps are available to Android Smartphone users.

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Duo Mobile App can turn your smartphone into a second Duo display, providing a real-time overview of daily, weekly and monthly drive, break and rest times. Automatic countdowns to break or daily rest periods are aimed at helping drivers to plan their journeys ahead, and Stoneridge believes this facility will make fleets and drivers more efficient.

» Source
» GB Tachopak on Twitter / Facebook / Digital Tachograph Smart Analysis

Driver CPC Dates

The CPC deadline for bus and coach drivers with acquired rights is upon us. Drivers have to complete their 35 hours training for their qualification.

Driver CPC requires all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers to complete a minimum of 35 hours periodic training every five years for as long as they wish to continue to drive professionally. If you are a bus or coach driver and held your vocational licence (D, D1, DE, D1E) prior to 10 September 2008 you have acquired rights until 9 September 2013.

If you are a lorry driver and held your vocational licence (C, C1, CE, C1E) prior to 10 September 2009 you have acquired rights until 9 September 2014. To keep your Driver CPC and continue driving professionally beyond this date, you will need to complete 35 hours of periodic training.

» Please REGISTER FOR DRIVER CPC TRAINING here. On completion, drivers will receive a Driver Qualification Card:

This card, along with the drivers digital tachograph card needs to be carried with the driver at all times. Make storage simpler with a double card holder and lanyard available to purchase online or by telephone.

SmartLicence Will Help to Keep You Compliant

GB Tachopak’s Smartanalysis service introduces “Smartlicence”

A comprehensive online tool for managing driving licences and safeguarding your transport company to comply with the regulations.

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SmartLicence helps Operators manage the driving licences of any member of staff driving on behalf of the company. It will help to safeguard compliance with regulations and provides evidence to the authorities that you have effective systems and processes in place to ensure employees are entitled to drive.

SmartLicence is free to use for existing users of Smartanalysis. You only pay for verifying details with DVLA. Tokens can be purchased in advance for the anticipated number of DVLA checks in a year and used when required.

SmartLicence is fully supported and help is available in the SmartLicence User Guide on the Smartanalysis website. Login on their website and look in Help > Support > User Guides.

Possible Speed Limit Change

New Speed Limit 50mph The government are currently in consultation regarding increasing the speed limit on single carriageways for HGV’s over 7.5 tonnes from the current 40mph to 50mph matching the limit for HGV’s between 3.5 tonnes and 7.5 tonnes.
» Read More Here

The consultation closes on 01st February 2013.
Watch this space for updates on the outcome.

Winter Driving. Don’t Get Caught Out!

We are now well into autumn and winter is just around the corner and with the excitement of Christmas comes the dreaded winter weather.

Don’t get caught out when driving in extreme conditions. Please ensure you have the right equipment with you for every eventuality.

RoSPA have produced a ‘Winter Driving Tips’ information sheet with a recommended list of equipment for an emergency kit. This should include your in-cab First Aid Kit.

» GB Tachopak offer a range of First Aid Kits to suit all commercial vehicle requirements.

New Euro “Smart Tachograph” … coming soon?

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : Euro Ministers have reached a political agreement on the new regulation on the tachograph used in road transport. The general idea and new draft legislation, which will replace the 1985 tachograph regulation, is aimed at making fraud more difficult and to reduce the administrative burden by making full use of new technologies and introducing a number of new regulatory measures. As regards the use of technology, the current manual recording of the location of the vehicle will be replaced by automated recording through satellite positioning.

The “smart tachograph” will use new satellite-linked technology. It is hoped it will become mandatory probably in 2017 or 2018.

» Read more on EuroAlert.net

Digital Tachograph – Rules for drivers and operators

The UK.GOV website is a valuable resource for driving commercially in the UK. It that applies to you, you should visit this site frequently to keep yourself up-to-date on new rules and regulations that may affect your jobs or transport businesses.

This page : https://www.gov.uk/tachographs/overview is a good starting point for learning about Digital Tachograph usage and it’s legal rules. It includes PDF download guides and vital information on drivers hours, how to record them, store them and the smart analysis of tacho data.

GB Tachopak will be happy to advise you about reading digital tacho data and it’s smart analysis. We also have various digital devices for storing, reading and downloading Digital Tachograph data.

» UK Tachograph Users Blog

CMR Consignments Note for International Haulage

International Haulage : Road Consignment Notes
(also known as CMR Consignment Notes)

According to the UK Government website:
If you use a provider to transport goods internationally by road, there is a standard contract you should use. This is a road consignment note – known as the CMR consignment note – which confirms that the haulage company has received the goods and has a contract from the supplier to carry them.

On all international journeys – ie other than between the UK and the Republic of Ireland – a haulier must have a CMR note if carrying goods on a commercial basis.

Completing a CMR note

The CMR note can be filled out by the company sending the goods abroad, the haulier or by a freight forwarder, but must contain prescribed information.

You will need three copies of a CMR note, including one:

for the supplier of the goods
for the eventual customer
to accompany the goods while they are being transported

» You can buy pre-printed pads of CMR Consignment Notes from various haulage outlets or buy online with GB Tachopak.

Proposed 90 day period for Tachograph Data Downloads

The Department for Transport planning to consult on tachograph data downloads…

According to “Commercial Motor” magazine website the UK Government want to extend the period allowed for Transport Operators to download Digital Tachograph data from 56 days to 90 days.

These proposed plans to extend the time required between tachograph data downloads is an effort to ease the regulatory burden on UK hauliers and operators and remove barriers for industry growth.

The current regulations state that operators must download tacho’ data from vehicle units at least every 56 days, but the government is proposing to increase this to 90 days.

The idea was proposed in a DfT Logistics Growth Review published last year, but was thought to have been originally suggested in the Red Tape Challenge earlier in 2011.

However, the Freight Transport Association said it wasn’t aware of members raising time limits as a problem.

For more information on storage, download and analysis of digital tachograph data and card readers please check out our free “Guide to Digital Tachographs” or visit or website.

Operators Licence Revoked – Unsafe Loading Practices

Reporting accidents is extremely important in the Transport Industry.

A car crusher / scrap car company recently had its O licence for nine trucks and nine trailers revoked, by the Scottish Traffic Commissioner. (STC) The company directors were disqualified for five years.

» Get Help with Compliance and Driver Regulations

The STC’s decision follows an incident when boxes of acid-filled batteries were shed from one of its trucks on the A96. The scrap car business, had been in trouble with the STC before as it was reported that police had previously stopped one of its timber lorries on the A9 in 2009. There was also a previous warning to directors about maintenance issues in 2007.

» Information about Accident Reports Forms and Kits for Transport Operators