Tachograph Symbols Explained: A Quick Reference

Every digital tachograph speaks the same picture language, and misreading it is one of the cheapest ways to collect an infringement. The tachograph symbols themselves are simple; knowing which one to be on at any given moment is where drivers get caught. Here is a plain-English reference to the symbols and how to use them properly.

The four mode symbols

• Driving (steering wheel). Recorded automatically whenever the vehicle moves. You never select it manually on a moving vehicle; the tacho does it for you.
• Other work (crossed hammers). Any work that is not driving: loading, unloading, strapping, paperwork, the daily walkaround check, refuelling. Select it the moment the wheels stop and the work starts.
• Availability (square with a diagonal line). Periods of availability, or POA: time you are free to be called on but not working, such as waiting at an RDC where you were told the wait length in advance, or sitting alongside a second driver on a crew.
• Rest and breaks (the bed). Breaks and daily or weekly rest, when you are free to do as you please. This is the symbol that must be showing for your 45-minute break to count.

The symbols drivers mix up

The classic confusion is POA versus break versus other work at a delivery. The honest test: if you are tipping, checking or moving anything, it is other work; if you are genuinely free but on call for the bay, POA; if you are free full stop, break. Recording a working wait as break invalidates the break and creates an infringement when the download is analysed, so when in doubt, other work is the safe habit. The rules behind the modes are set out in our guides to drivers’ hours and tachograph rules.

Display and printout symbols worth knowing

• Card with an arrow indicates card insertion or withdrawal events; two card slots mean slot 1 for the driver and slot 2 for a crew mate.
• The ferry or boat symbol marks a ferry or train crossing, which lets regular daily rest be interrupted under specific conditions.
• OUT means out of scope, used when the vehicle is driven outside the EU or GB rules, for example on certain exempt work. Using it to hide driving is a serious offence.
• An exclamation mark flags events and faults: overspeed, driving without a card, interruptions of power. Analysts see these, so never ignore them.
• The question mark on printouts marks unknown activity, typically periods where the card was out. These gaps are exactly what manual entries exist to fill.

Manual entries: the symbol work that keeps you clean

When you insert your card, the unit asks what you were doing since the last withdrawal. Answer it honestly using the mode symbols: rest for the night at home, other work for the hour of yard duty before pulling keys. Skipped manual entries leave unexplained gaps that look like hidden driving, and they are among the most common findings at a DVSA roadside check.

Bringing it together

Steering wheel, hammers, slashed square, bed: four symbols, one honest story. Select the right mode at the right moment, make your manual entries, and the printout will defend you rather than convict you. For more working guides for professional drivers, from hours to health, browse Insights from Life Internet Services, home of TrucksLife and TrailersLife.

Frequently asked questions

What does the crossed hammers symbol mean on a tachograph?

Other work: any duty that is not driving, such as loading, checks, paperwork or refuelling. It counts towards working time but not driving time, and it is the correct mode for most activity at collections and deliveries.

What is the difference between POA and a break on the tacho?

A period of availability is time you are on call but genuinely free of work, with the expected duration known in advance, and it does not count as a break. A break, shown by the bed symbol, is time entirely at your disposal, and only that satisfies the 45-minute break requirement.

What does OUT mean on a tachograph?

Out of scope: the recording applies to driving outside the drivers’ hours rules, such as certain exempt operations or off-road movements. It must only be used where the exemption genuinely applies, because misusing it to mask in-scope driving is treated as a serious offence.