Tachographs accompany professional drivers almost every second of their work. There are exceptions, however, when drivers can forget about it for a while – it’s a rest at home, holidays or … driving. Exactly! The tachograph may not record the driver’s working time in some situations.
OUT mode in the tachograph is a procedure related to the scope of application of Regulations of the European Parliament and Council No. 561/2006, No. 165/2014 and the AETR agreement (from the French „Accord Européen sur les Transports Routiers”). It means the situation of exclusion of a given journey from the provisions concerning road transport of goods or people. During this time, the vehicle (and the driver) are not subject to the obligation to register their activity in the tachograph. Thus, the driver is not obliged to comply with the restrictions on driving time and rest period resulting directly from Regulation No. 561/2006.
Situations when the OUT mode can be switched in the tachograph
Due to the fact that some companies, and thus vehicles, perform specific and non-standard transports, the legislators decided to exclude them from the regulations.
We often hear that drivers are going on an „out.” This may happen when, for example, municipal waste transport is involved. However, it should be remembered that if the same driver receives an order from the dispatcher to collect waste from the company (eg packaging of purchased goods, office waste), such a journey is no longer subject to exclusion. Therefore, the work of such a driver must be fully documented by the tachograph.
This is important because companies that want to take care of municipal waste and decide to dismantle the tachograph must remember that in the future they cannot perform other operations that require the presence of a recording device.
In addition, the exclusion can also be used during the transport of agricultural produce on the farm, as well as during service journeys and during vehicle maintenance. The OUT mode can also be switched on during the journey, which is unsuitable for transporting goods, eg when it is moving with the tractor itself.
Regulation 561/2006 also excludes road assistance (up to 100 km from the base) and transport of persons on a regular route up to 50 km.
Journey to truck service
It should also be remembered that in connection with additional regulations, entrepreneurs are very often confused as to whether a given journey is a trip in OUT mode or not.
In various situations, there are different limitations to the applicability of this provision – one of them is the aforementioned transport of waste. Most often it is the distance from the company’s base (50-100 km). However, some exemptions are not subject to a distance limit, eg a completely new vehicle, unsuitable for the carriage of goods.
Exclusion from the regulations is most often used in the situation of repairs, maintenance or during travels over construction sites, non-public areas. At the same, access to the service for inspection or maintenance is excluded from the regulations on working time only if it is not part of the normal route of this vehicle with loading or loading. If the driver visits the service „on the way”, the „out: mode will not be recognized.
What about empty runs?
The empty runs are the most controversial when it comes to exclusion from the regulations. Often, entrepreneurs and drivers ask if the return journey without loading can be carried out in the OUT mode. The answer is no.
As a rule, vehicles adapted to such transport are subject to regulation for the transport of goods or people. Regardless if they are loaded or not.
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