16/11/05 - Letter from Tachonet UK to Mr L Balkwell (Detailed Conclusions)
Tachonet UK
30 Mill Street,
Bedford,
Beds,
MK40 3HD
16th November 2005
Ref CU9001-2b
FAO Mr. L. Balkwell,
WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Dear Mr Balkwell,
Re: Opinions on a Tachograph Chart Photocopy Image -Detailed Conclusions
1.0 Introduction I write in response to your visit to, and subsequent discussions with, ourselves seeking our opinions as to the meaning of the information recorded on the photocopy of the tachograph chart you provided to us. I reply in general summary terms with the essence of my deductions and beliefs in the paragraphs below; If so required I can respond with a more detailed analysis of investigations and the procedures I have undergone but such a report is not included here as I believe my summary attends to the points required.
We have been greatly assisted in our activities by use of our imaging software to magnify the paper photocopy to very high resolutions in our attempts to investigate if the photocopy had been a fabrication in whole or part. It didn't appear as such after detailed and painstaking search and hence has been used to endorse our findings and provide the enclosed examples to you to help substantiate our views. I refer to the enclosed enlargement copies of your photocopy whereupon I have made markings and annotations by way of references made within this summary document.
I assume that any reader of this document has already become familiar with, or has recently been instructed in, the rudiments of the Tachograph chart markings and at least the concept of the activity mode (indicating driving, working or rest mode periods), the velocity trace on the outer area and the distance trace closer to the centre of the front face of the chart.
We had to accept that the information on the reverse side of your chart was not available and understand it is not material to the tasks in hand.
The main points of summary of my interpretation are :
2.0 Background and laying the scene :
1, The original tachograph chart, hereinafter termed the 'chart', was not available for our inspection and we were requested to work from the 'photocopy'.
2, There was no request nor requirement to analyse the chart with regard to the Drivers Hours legislations for which these charts are normally generated but to provide opinions as to the type of activity it portrayed and the timings of these activities during the evening and night-time hours following the day's normal working day.
3, It was explained to us that the vehicle 'drum' (whose function was to hold the unset 'ready-mixed' concrete) was regularly cleaned of the final residues of cement by a technique of 'inching' it round whilst washing its inner parts with sprayed water and that the 'inching' was achieved by means of operation of the ignition key to momentarily turn the engine and hence the engaged drum. We understand this is not the normal manner that is used in the industry, but was the manner for this vehicle. The normal situation is that engagement is by means of a PTO (Power Take-off) lever. The usual PTO design would not normally therefore leave a tachograph chart tell-tale marking indicating the drum being rotated.
4, The normal presumption to allow us to interpret this chart properly, with this
particular manner used for cleaning, would lead us to ask :
a, that the actual vehicle have a new chart placed in its Tachograph unit
and b, that a re-enactment be done of the 'inching' process
then c, we could confirm the manner of markings that were made.
These actions would be difficult to now arrange. Furthermore these approaches are now open to criticism since the passage of some years of time would lead to query whether an influential change of some form had occurred in the interim. We need to know the pattern of markings which would have occurred at the day in question then use them as indicators. We are concerned with knowing the nature of these type of markings and NOT whether the drum was in fact moving but, for the evening and overnight hours, of learning simply the time that power was present and hence when the vehicle was in use or being operated.
3.0 The Crucial Facts
Before proceeding some items of information need to be understood :-
a, The Tachograph velocity(speed) trace is not generally sensitive enough to register speeds until perhaps about 6 km/hour is reached. In fact most of the velocity trace areas on the chart concerned do not show until about 8 km/hr.
b, We understand that a modest supply of cleaning water is carried on these vehicles just in case a vehicle breakdown causes inability to reach base (and cleaning water) to clean to prevent concrete setting in the drum.
c, Differing tachograph devices place various 'ticks' on their stylus traces to give tell-tale indication of when the tachograph head was opened or closed (and possible interference with the record being made); the tick at 20:00 cannot be used to form an opinion since the chart had been in-situ for perhaps in excess of 48 hrs hence it is unclear which 24hrs the tick applied to.
We are told that the day's work, by the driver concerned, involved normal activity of delivering ready-mixed concrete but that this particular day a roadside repair was called for causing a delay in mid-afternoon and then the subsequent delayed delivery of a concrete load to a client.
This information, and its independent corroboration, is presumed to relate to one or both of the stop-start marking groups on the drive trace (but absence of velocity and distance movement indicates engine or power engaged but no appreciable speed) at circa 15:50 (cleaning whilst awaiting road-callout?) and 18:00(cleaning after delivery?).
BOTH OF THESE STOP-START DRIVE MARKING GROUPS ARE SAMPLES OF HOW THE CLEANING PROCESS APPEAR ON THE TACHOGRAPH CHART ! By identifying similar groups later in the day we can form an opinion about the existence of vehicle activities after 18:30hrs.
4.0 Conclusion
4.1 Three distinct 'stop-start-marking-groups' are present each within their own, say, 15 minute periods; these are
a, at circa 19:40 (possibly the driver cleaning the vehicle on return to depot)
b, at circa 21:01 (where vehicle speed has reached perhaps 18km/hr momentarily and is taken to be a few tens of metres movement perhaps across the yard and at 21:07 returns across the yard) An additional diagram is provided showing that part of the 'over 6km/h drive trace is covered by the ' 1' of the 21 of 21:00hrs printing legend at 21:01
and
c, at circa 00:55 of early the next morning. Unexplained powered vehicle activity where there is no vehicle movement nor speed registered.
4.2 In the period 21:07 through to 00:54 there is no indication of any movement of the vehicle on neither the velocity trace nor in terms of the distance travelled trace; as explained above movements slower than about 6km per hour would not register and neither would small distances (a lew tens of yards) but these distances would have accumulated to be noticeable over the 'four hour' period if there had been significant movement. (I enclose a third item which comprises magnified images covering the velocity and distance trace areas for this four hour period ; my interpretation of these image areas (and therefore in this period of time) is that there is no indication of the distance trace accumulating and hence no engagement of the drum moving under power.
4.3 If the engine had been active but not 'in gear to the drive wheels' then no tell-tale would inform us. Since, as we are instructed, this vehicle could not rotate the ready-mix drum without the engine being engaged (which would have left a 'stop-start-marking-groups' on the drive trace) we conclude there was no indication of use of the vehicle in the period concerned.
I have given here my best interpretation of the image and information given to me. The analysis relies greatly on the stop-start-drive-mode grouping sample in mid-afternoon to support the interpretations later in the evening and overnight.
I hope this opinion is useful to yourself and others and that it helps bring matters to a just and true conclusion.
Yours Sincerely, For Tachonet UK
Peter Berry, B.Sc.Hons. (Mech. Eng.), MSc.(Computer Science), M.I.O.D. Managing Director and Chairman