Tunbridge Wells, UK: The Freight Transport Association is warning operators to prepare for changes to digital tachograph specifications that come into force next month.
The new rules set minimum quality standards for the paper used to print data from the vehicle unit where this is used as a legal document. The new standard applied from 1 October and means that all digital paper rolls have to meet a number of key criteria, including heat resistance, low temperature resistance and light resistance.
The changes aims to ensure that the prints remain legible and identifiable under normal conditions of storage for at least one year. The ink can fade on poor quality paper if it is exposed to sunlight or grease, for example. Sam Law, general manager of Shopfta, says: “Shopfta has always supplied printer rolls that meet these new requirements and will, of course, continue to do so.
“However, I advise operators to check their supplies to make sure that they all meet the new standards. We also offer discounts for bulk orders which is a help with the legal requirement to ensure that each vehicle carries a sufficient stock of tachograph rolls,’ she says.
