Who is required to use a tachograph?
The tachograph records how long a driver drives, works, and rests, as well as the vehicle's speed and distance traveled. The European regulations on driving and rest times and the tachograph apply to:
Not sure if your delivery vans are subject to the new regulation? In our FAQ on tachographs for delivery vans weighing 2.5 metric tons or more, you can find out when the requirement applies and what exceptions there are.
Your Tachograph Requirements at a Glance
The responsibility does not lie solely with the driver. As an employer, you are responsible for reading, storing, and following up on the data. These are the obligations that apply to most transportation companies:
| What | Term | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Read the driver's card | At least once every 28 days | Employer |
| Reading Data from the Vehicle Unit (Tachograph) | At least every 90 days | Employer |
| Data Retention | At least 12 months, and available during an inspection | Employer |
| Periodic inspection (calibration) of the tachograph | At least every 2 years, and after repairs | Employer, through a certified workshop |
| Business Card | When putting a vehicle into or out of service, and to download data | Employer |
| Showing Information During a Roadside Stop | Today and the previous 56 days | Driver |
| Comply with driving and rest periods | Daily and every (two) weeks | Driver and Employer Together |
Why the Business Card Matters
The company card allows you to lock your company's data on the tachograph so that the next user cannot view it. You also need it to download data from the vehicle unit, even when doing so remotely.
Your schedule: weekly, monthly, quarterly, and every two years
If you turn the deadlines into a fixed schedule, you won't have to rethink things every time a deadline comes around. Here's what that rhythm looks like:
Every week: Check driving and rest times
See which drivers are close to a limit or have committed a violation, and adjust the schedule for the following week.
Every month: Read driver cards
With a fixed monthly schedule, you’ll stay well within the 28-day limit, even if a driver is on leave or sick.
Every quarter: Read vehicle data
You must download the vehicle unit data at least every 90 days, as well as when you sell or decommission a vehicle.
Always: Keep a 12-month archive
Store the downloaded files in a central, secure location so that you can present them immediately during an audit at your company.
Every two years: periodic inspection
Schedule the calibration of each tachograph at an authorized service center, and record the expiration date for each vehicle.
Driving and Rest Times: What the Analysis Should Show
Downloading the data is only half the job. Only when you review it can you see whether your drivers are complying with the rules. A thorough analysis should show at least the following for each driver:
- daily driving time (generally a maximum of 9 hours, 10 hours twice a week);
- weekly driving time (maximum of 56 hours) and driving time over a two-week period (maximum of 90 hours);
- the 45-minute break after driving for 4.5 hours;
- daily and weekly rest periods;
- the violations, including the date and severity.
With the Tachogram add-on, the software interprets the data for you. You’ll receive a graphical overview of each driver’s activities by day or by week, using colors that are also readable by people with color blindness. Violations are flagged, and a risk score for each driver shows where you should focus your corrective actions first. In addition, there are standard reports, such as working hours per driver or per country, the status of downloads, and travel allowances. You can export all the data.
You can read all about driving and rest periods—including the rules, exceptions, and compensatory rest—in our article on driving and rest periods. To find out what the symbols on your tachograph mean, see the overview of tachograph symbols.
Manual or remote reading?
You can download the data yourself using a data reader, or have the tachograph read remotely via the tracker in the vehicle. The main difference lies in the time it takes and the risk of missing a deadline.
| Manual reading | Remote Reading | |
|---|---|---|
| How | Using a tachograph reader or a card reader at the office | Automatically via the tracker, according to a schedule you set yourself |
| Need a vehicle at home | Yes, or the driver will have to come by himself | No, the vehicle must only be driven or have its engine running |
| Risk of Missing a Deadline | Greater, especially among drivers who spend a lot of time on the road | Klein: If a download fails, you'll receive a notification |
| Save | Organize it yourself, with your own backup | Featured on the platform, stored for 12 months |
| Analysis | Separate software required | Directly on the same platform |
With AllConnects, FLEET.TRUCK remotely reads the tachograph: the driver card every 28 days and the vehicle unit every 90 days, or more frequently if you set it that way. The DDD files are stored on the secure platform for 12 months.
Want to outsource your tachograph record-keeping?
See how remote tachograph management works, or request a demo using your own vehicles as examples.
Book a demoTachograph Management as Part of Your Fleet Management
Tachograph data rarely stands alone. If you have the data on the same platform as the rest of your fleet, you can see at a glance where a vehicle is, which driver is behind the wheel, and how much driving time they’ve already used up. This makes tachograph management part of daily planning rather than a monthly task.
Specifically, that means:
- One platform: live tracking, trips, driving behavior, and tachograph data are all integrated into FLEET.connect.
- Driving time in your schedule: With Tachogram, you can see how much driving time a driver has already used, so you can take that into account when planning.
- Integrations: You can use an API to send the hours worked to your scheduling system, payroll system, or accounting system.
- Mobile: With the Android and iOS apps, you can keep track of it even when you're not in the office.
To see which modules are available and how FLEET.START and FLEET.PRO differ, visit the page about fleet management software.
Are you okay? A quick checklist
Inspections and Fines
Tachograph data is checked both on the road and at the company’s premises. When stopped on the road, the driver must be able to present the data for the current day and the 56 preceding days. During an inspection at your company, the inspectors will request the downloaded data from the past few months.
The employer is also liable
Violations of driving and rest time regulations or a missing download can result in a fine for both the driver and the company. In the case of serious or repeated violations, a vehicle may even be taken off the road. Therefore, keeping accurate records is your best protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you need to download data from a tachograph?
You must download data from the driver card at least every 28 days and from the vehicle unit at least every 90 days. Many transportation companies download data from both more frequently—for example, monthly—so they never run up against the deadline.
Who is responsible for reading the data: the driver or the employer?
The employer. The transportation company must ensure that driver cards and vehicle units are downloaded on time and that the data is retained. The driver must use his card correctly and be able to present the data during an inspection.
How many days must a driver be able to show during an inspection?
During a roadside inspection, the driver must be able to provide the records for the current day and the 56 preceding days.
What happens if you miss the due date?
A missed download is a violation for which the company may be fined. In addition, you run the risk of losing data, because the driver card only stores data for a limited period of time.
What is Tachogram?
Tachogram is a paid add-on for AllConnects' FLEET.TRUCK module. It analyzes tachograph data and displays each driver's driving and rest times, violations, and a risk score, along with standard reports such as working hours by country and travel allowances.
Do you need a company card for tachograph management?
Yes. The company card allows you to lock your company's data on the tachograph and gives you access to read data from the vehicle unit, even remotely.
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Hilde Lavrijssen Marketing Manager at AllConnects. Writes about fleet and asset management, workplace regulations, and what data can and cannot mean for a Belgian vehicle fleet.