Official symbols with practical driver actions
Recognise the main activity modes, check the display before moving and preserve a clear correction when a record is wrong.
A driver-focused guide to the official activity pictograms, correct mode selection and the record to make when the display does not match the work.
The official Appendix 3 artwork is reproduced from EUR-Lex. No manufacturer icon has been redrawn or copied without confirmed reuse permission.
This guide is free to read. The toolkit is tailored to your operation and supplied with editable working documents.
Put card use, manual entries, analysis and infringement follow-up into a controlled process.
The main tachograph activity symbols identify driving, other work, availability and break or rest. Recognising the symbol is only the first step. The selected mode must match what you were actually doing.
Do not assume the unit has selected the right mode when the vehicle stops. Digital and smart tachographs can be configured to default to different modes. Check the display and use the mode button correctly.
| Mode | Use it for | Driver check |
|---|---|---|
| Driving | Driving time. Most tachographs record this automatically when the vehicle moves. | Make sure your own card is in the correct slot and ready before moving the vehicle. |
| Other work | Work other than in-scope driving, including work for the same or another employer. | Use it for active duties such as vehicle checks, loading or paperwork. Do not record active work as availability. |
| Availability | Waiting time whose likely duration is known in advance. | It is not a break or rest. If you are working, use other work. |
| Break or rest | Breaks, daily or weekly rest, annual leave and sick leave. | Do not carry out driving or other work. Breaks must be used exclusively for recuperation; during rest, you must be able to dispose freely of your time. |
Correct the record as soon as possible. Current GOV.UK guidance says that for a digital or smart tachograph you should make and sign a printout for the relevant period, with a note explaining the error and the reason. Give the record to the person responsible under your company procedure.
Do not hide, discard or rewrite an original record. Keep the correction with the printout or download so the sequence can be understood later.
Read the complete display, not only the icon. Note the vehicle, time and wording. Follow the approved instructions for the make and model fitted, and contact the transport office if the meaning or safe next step is unclear.
Manufacturer displays and messages can vary. This guide uses only official Appendix 3 artwork. It does not copy manufacturer icons where reuse permission has not been confirmed.
No. The default depends on the preferences entered at calibration. The driver must check the display and use the mode button so the record matches the activity.
Correct the record as soon as possible. For a digital or smart tachograph, current GOV.UK guidance says the driver should make and sign a printout for the relevant period and note the error and reason.
No. Availability is waiting time whose likely duration is known in advance. It is not break or rest, and active work must be recorded as other work.
Current GOV.UK guidance states that vehicle-unit data must be downloaded every 90 days and driver-card data every 28 days, then analysed for compliance.
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