Drivers put off by tachos
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• Hauliers who fail to prepare properly for next year's proposed introduction of digital tachographs could end up losing drivers, a training expert warns.
Peter Needham, training manager at Siemens VDO Trading, says drivers may find the complexity of the new equipment extremely offputting, unless they have been correctly trained beforehand.
"I think the learning curve is probably as great as going from a log-sheet to an analogue tachograph," he adds. Siemens, one of the main manufacturers of %Mos, is planning a nationwide series of seminars an the issue in April and May, even though the technology is not due to be introduced until August 2004.
The seminars will give advice on how to minimise the potentially negative impact the change could have on drivers. They will also promote training courses that will be run in conjunction with training specialist Tachograph Analysis Consultants.
The four-day courses cost around £500 and are intended for people who will be responsible far training drivers on how to use the new equipment.
Needham says: "It will probably take about half a day for drivers to understand the operational requirements."