In the world of transport, understanding the symbols of the digital tachograph is essential to ensure compliance with regulations and road safety. These pictograms, introduced with digital tachographs, simplify the recording of driver activities, providing valuable information on driving times, rest, and more.
The main symbols of the digital tachograph
Driving time → Indicates any moment when the vehicle is moving, regardless of whether it is on or off (the movement of the wheels is recorded).
Break/rest time → Indicates that the driver is taking a break or resting. The “bed” should be entered in any circumstance that involves rest or a break.
Other work time → The “hammers” indicate all those activities that are part of the job but are not driving, such as assisting with loading and unloading goods, or any other work task that does not involve driving.
Availability → Used if the driver is not driving but is still available to resume activity: an example is during multi-presence driving where those not driving declare, indeed, “availability.”
Other important symbols
Unnecessary control tool → Indicates a context in which tachograph regulations are not valid (e.g.: a private road or inside a construction site). When the “OUT OF SCOPE” function is active, it acts as a PARENTHESES (in which the road code is not applicable) that does NOT modify the activity recorded by the tachograph, but indicates that, in that instance, the recorded activities should be read differently: even if the tachograph records “driving,” other tasks (“hammers”) are considered. The function does NOT deactivate automatically, but must be deactivated manually.
Stop on ferry or train → ONLY in the case of boarding/disembarking on a ferry or train, this function allows for other work tasks to be performed (maximum 2 times and not exceeding 1 hour TOTAL) without affecting the daily rest. Conditions:
- The driver MUST have a reserved room (the bunk in the truck does NOT count).
- The rest MUST be REGULAR (with less than 11 hours of rest the rule does NOT apply).
Conclusion
The symbols of the digital tachograph represent a fundamental visual language for the effective management of driving data and road safety. Knowing and understanding these symbols is essential for drivers, companies, and control authorities to ensure compliance with regulations and promote safe and responsible driving practices.