News & Events

The OPTAC3 Web Software is now updated to version 4.4.

We added a host of new features and performance improvements:

As of 1 January 2014 the rules for single manned international bus journeys changed. Drivers driving between 22:00 and 06:00 are now required to take a 45 minute break after 3 hours of aggregated driving, instead of the usual 4.5 hours.

We are proud to have been shortlisted for the inaugural Courier Business Awards in the category of Employer of the Year. The Awards were set up to find the best and brightest companies operating in East Central Scotland and we were one of only 3 finalists chosen in the category. The judges visited our Dundee site, where they learnt about some of our employee initiatives, such as our new, modernised canteen area, our Healthy Working Lives Gold award and our employee Innovation Programme.  

In July 2011 the European Commission made a proposal (COM(2011) 451 final) for a complete reform of the Digital Tachograph Regulation. The proposal is under discussion within the European Council and Parliament and the plan is to reach a final agreement on the content of the legislation by the end of 2013, with the implementation expected about 5 years after this.

Designed to limit the number of hours a worker can drive and the minimum rest time required between spells behind the wheel, the Drivers' Hours Regulations is split into three major categories:

1. Daily and fortnightly driving limits
2. Required rest breaks and the amount of rest required on a daily and weekly basis
3. Emergencies and exemptions

Annex 1B, an addition to EEC Regulation No 3821/85 on working hours and tachographs, sets the required specifications for manufacturing digital tachographs. Naturally, Stoneridge's SE5000 meets or exceeds all these specifications and as such has already been granted type approval for use in the EU. Furthermore, the OPTAC range is compatible with all digital tachographs which meet the Annex 1B requirements.

A copy of Annex 1B was added to EEC Council Regulation No 3821/85, (may take a while to load).

The Road Transport Directive is a subset of the Working Time Directive specifically applying to mobile workers involved in transporting goods and who are affected by the Driver's Hours regulations.

The regulations restrict any worker to an average working week of 48 hours either over set or rolling periods. The maximum anyone is able to work in a single week is 60 hours.

The latest amends to the legislation governing the use of tachographs in the European Union came into force in October 2011. The main focus of the amendments now clarifies some of the more important issues facing users in the industry.

Using the latest online training technology our interactive training session will allow you and your colleagues to get the most out of your OPTAC3 system from the comfort of your own office. Find out more or book today.

Stoneridge helps to keep you up to date with tachograph law. As you probably know, every new vehicle that needs a tachograph is now legally required to have a digital unit installed. While this doesn't make any difference to the role of the tachograph and hours your drivers can work, it changes how you need to meet your legal obligations for examining and retaining tachograph data.