Digital tachographs

Digital tachographs are crucial to fleet compliance. These devices ensure you can accurately record and report on driver activities. Are you a fleet manager, a driver or someone who's just interested in learning more about these advanced systems? This guide will provide you with a clear understanding of the function­al­ities, regulations and best practices surrounding digital tachographs.

Digital tachographs record data on driving time, speed, distance and driver for HGVs and buses in the UK.

These devices are mandatory for vehicles that fall under the EU drivers' hours rules, which aim to ensure road safety and fair competition in the transport sector.

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A digital tachograph is installed in a vehicle for the purpose of tracking vehicle speed, driver break periods and mileage driven. It starts recording this data the moment a vehicle begins to move.

Digital tachographs record the following types of data:

• Vehicle speed
• Vehicle mileage
• Driving time
• Driver identity

The analogue tachograph first came into use in the 1950s. Since 1 May 2006, all qualifying vehicles manufactured in the EU must have been installed with a first-­gen­er­ation digital tachograph device.

As of June 2019, every new vehicle must be installed with a smart tachograph, a next-­gen­er­ation recording device. From August 2023, any newly registered HGV is required to have the smart tachograph version 2 installed. More recent legislation means that fleets will need to replace analogue tachographs and earlier digital tachographs with smart tachograph version 2. This device is part of the EU’s Mobility Package 1, which includes enforcing cabotage rules and registering border crossings, along with the loading and unloading of trucks.

Like the analogue model before it, a digital tachograph tracks how far, fast and long a driver travels. The objective with smart tachographs is the same as the original analogue version: to protect drivers and make roads safer for everyone.

Digital devices are mandated by European law, making them essential to fleet compliance.

A smart digital tachograph records the:

• driving time
• speed and distance of a vehicle
• driver’s identity and activities

Digital tachographs can also communicate with other devices and systems, such as GPS, dash cams and fleet management software.

With a smart tachograph, fleets can easily comply with drivers’ hours rules while optimising driver performance and fuel efficiency. They provide real-time data, ensuring greater safety and driver wellbeing.

Digital tachographs help fleet operators stay on top of compliance with drivers’ hours rules. Manually downloading analogue tachograph data can take between 20 minutes and two hours per vehicle - and drivers must be physically present in the same location as the reading equipment.

These constraints make it tricky to analyse data regularly and effectively.

With a digital tachograph, fleet managers can download data remotely, shaving hours off their admin­is­trative time. Combining this with a software analysis tool simplifies compliance, since data can be accessed in real time.

While the UK is no longer part of the EU, the rules on drivers’ hours still apply. There are, however, exemptions for digital tachographs.

Wherever a vehicle is driven in the EU, these exemptions relate to vehicle type, purpose of transport and trip start/end points. For example, vehicles used for emergency and rescue operations are exempt. Also exempt are vehicles with a maximum speed of 25 mph.

The European Commission created special UK-specific exemptions for vehicles produced before 1947, propelled by steam and those used by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

See the complete list of tachograph exemptions on the UK government website.

By law, all commercial bus and truck drivers must have tachograph driver cards on hand. These cards record and store the driver data that ensures fleets comply with EU rules on drivers’ hours, including work breaks and resting periods.

There are different kinds of digital tachograph cards, and your professional role may determine which card you use. For example, drivers will use driver cards that record their activities and store their individual IDs. A driver card puts respons­ib­ility on drivers to adhere to rules around working and rest times. Businesses also use company cards, enabling fleet managers to monitor driver hours and break times for fleet compliance. A driver card puts respons­ib­ility on drivers to adhere to rules around working and rest times.

Businesses also use company cards, enabling fleet managers to monitor driver hours and break times for fleet compliance.

It takes a lot to run a transport fleet. The respons­ib­il­ities seem endless: planning jobs and routes, overseeing safety and security, managing drivers, handling compliance, scheduling maintenance, reining in fuel costs and more.

Wouldn’t it be easier to manage it all on a single platform? With Webfleet’s Tachograph Manager, you can remotely download and secure your fleet’s tachograph data. Stay on top of Remaining Driving Time (RDT) and get alerts to help you avoid infringements.