Tachograph Manual Entries: How to Deal With Missing or Incorrect Records
Missing activity cannot be repaired by guesswork. This scenario guide explains when manual tachograph records are required and how to retain corrections.
A blank period on a tachograph record does not necessarily mean rest. It may hide other work, leave, a card or unit fault, or activity carried out away from the vehicle. The solution is not to choose the most convenient mode after the event; it is to establish the facts and create the manual record allowed or required by the rules.
The whole daily working period must be represented
Drivers need records covering driving, other work, availability, breaks and rest across the relevant working period. Digital and smart tachographs allow activity away from the vehicle to be entered manually. Analogue records require written entries on the record sheet or appropriate printout paper.
The office should train drivers on the fitted equipment and check gaps promptly. Device menus differ, so use manufacturer or approved training instructions for button-by-button operation.
When GOV.UK says a manual record is required
Current tachograph guidance identifies four main situations:
| Situation | Record route |
|---|---|
| Activity away from vehicle cannot be recorded by tachograph | Manual input, analogue sheet or printout as appropriate |
| Tachograph or driver card malfunctions | Analogue sheet or printout paper |
| Rules breached because of an unforeseen event | Record reasons on printout or reverse of print roll by the suitable stopping place |
| Incorrect mode recorded and needs correction | Amend on printout or reverse of print roll with reason as soon as possible |
Manual records must be kept and produced in the same way as other tachograph records.
Scenario 1: work before inserting the card
A driver starts at 05:30 with yard work, vehicle checks or loading and inserts the card at 06:15. The missing 45 minutes is other work, not rest. The driver should use the manual-input facility to represent it accurately.
If the omission is noticed after the device will accept the input, follow current GOV.UK guidance on a printout or manual record, including identifying information, times, activity, reason and signature. Do not tell the driver to “add extra at the end”; that changes the timeline.
Scenario 2: wrong mode selected
The driver performs loading while break mode remains selected. The digital record should not be overwritten or ignored. GOV.UK says a correction can be recorded on a printout or reverse of print roll, including the reason, as soon as possible.
A useful correction identifies date, vehicle, driver, incorrect period, correct activity and explanation. The office retains the original data and the signed correction together.
Repeated wrong modes need investigation. The cause could be driver knowledge, a confusing handover, equipment use or a working practice that expects manual repair later.
Scenario 3: card or tachograph malfunction
The driver must keep a manual record when the card or equipment malfunctions. Printouts should be completed with the required identification and signature, and the fault reported to the operator.
The operator then needs to control repair, replacement-card steps where applicable and the period during which the driver may continue under current rules. Do not use this general guide to decide a device-specific continuation period; consult current official guidance immediately.
Keep fault reports, workshop evidence, printouts and replacement-card correspondence with the driver records.
Scenario 4: card removed or activity away from vehicle
Work at a warehouse, another depot or another vehicle may occur while the card is not recording. The driver should input the actual activity when able. If analogue sheets already captured all activity, GOV.UK notes there is no requirement to duplicate it on the driver card.
Mixed analogue, digital and manual records must still form one coherent timeline. The analysis process should recognise all formats.
Scenario 5: unforeseen event
Drivers’ hours rules contain limited provisions for departures needed to reach a suitable stopping place in exceptional circumstances. The driver must record the reason at the latest on reaching that place, using a printout or reverse of the print roll as directed.
This is not a general traffic-delay exemption and should not be planned. The operator should review the event, necessity, safety and record with competent advice.
What a good printout annotation contains
- driver name and card or licence identifier as required;
- vehicle registration;
- date and exact start/end time;
- activity category;
- what the machine recorded, where relevant;
- why the manual record or correction is needed;
- driver signature;
- related fault, job or incident reference.
Use permanent, legible entries. Keep both sides where the explanation is on the reverse. A photograph can aid workflow, but retain the legally appropriate original or reproducible record as required.
Office quality assurance
The operator’s review should:
- identify gaps, overlapping records and unaccounted mileage;
- ask the driver for facts before suggesting a mode;
- compare jobs, rosters and vehicle data;
- retain source data and manual evidence;
- analyse the corrected whole period;
- investigate any resulting infringement;
- monitor repeated manual-entry errors.
The office must not write an explanation on behalf of the driver or backfill rest because no job appears in the diary. Absence of evidence is an exception to resolve.
Training without normalising corrections
Drivers need practice entering a start-of-duty period, switching vehicles, dealing with faults and printing a record. Supervisors should know when a printout is required and how to store it.
Manual records are a lawful way to complete or correct defined situations. They should not become the routine substitute for inserting a card, choosing modes correctly or repairing faulty equipment.
Digital systems can attach the explanation to the analysis case. They cannot turn a false entry into an accurate record.
Common mistakes
- Treating every card-out gap as rest.
- Editing a summary while discarding raw data.
- Adding time to the wrong point in the day.
- Failing to sign or identify a printout.
- Keeping only a photograph with the reverse missing.
- Duplicating activity already captured on an analogue sheet.
- Accepting repeated “forgot mode” explanations without coaching.
- Confusing a manual correction with permission for an underlying breach.
Frequently asked questions
Can a digital tachograph record activity away from the vehicle? Yes. Digital and smart tachographs provide manual input. Use approved instructions for the fitted model.
Can an incorrect mode be changed in the raw file? Do not alter raw tachograph data. Record the correction and reason on the appropriate printout/manual evidence and keep both.
Is a manual entry required if an analogue chart already records the activity? GOV.UK says there is no requirement to duplicate it on a driver card where all activity is already captured on the analogue record.
Does an explanation cancel an infringement? Not automatically. It may establish the facts or support a lawful exception, but the operator must analyse the complete record.
Who should review recurring mistakes? The transport manager or another competent person should identify cause, provide targeted training and verify improvement.
Sources & further reading
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