Simon Pavey
Website Marketing Manager
Tachographs are one of the oldest pieces of modern fleet technology, and have become an essential part of effective fleet management. The first tachograph dates back to 1844 and was used on trains to record irregularities, and the ancestor of modern vehicle tachograph can be dated back to 1923.
These devices have seen a great deal of evolution over the years, and today tachographs are a necessary piece of equipment for most fleets. In this blog, we will take a look at what tachographs are, and address some of the legal expectations for fleets to utilise this technology.
Tachographs are the devices in telematics systems that track driving time, speed and rest periods, primarily for heavy goods vehicles. Fleet managers can then use the data gathered by tachographs to analyse patterns in driver behaviour and efficiency, and monitor performance.
Software and hardware packages like tachographs work as part of wider telematics systems to help manage driver data efficiently and alleviate the administrative requirements of fleet managers.
Tachographs are a legal requirement in the UK and in countries under EU and AETR laws. They serve to ensure that drivers and businesses are abiding by the standards of road safety, such as the legislation on drivers.
Most tachographs utilise smartcards, of which there are four kinds.
While modern digital tachographs utilise a smart ID card and store data pertaining to each driver on their respective cards, analogue tachographs gather data on pieces of paper which would then be handed back to administrators.
With both types of tachograph, drivers can choose between three modes:
All vehicles registered from 2006 onwards are required under EU legislation to use digital tachographs instead of their older analogue counterparts. With digital tachographs offering a more streamlined management of data collection and reducing the risk of lost data with physical paper sheets, the more modern form of tachograph is a more effective tool for fleets today.
As tachographs are used to track driving hours and behaviour, rules and regulations associated with tachographs are mostly aligned with the time drivers can spend on the road and rest requirements rather than regulations relating to the tachographs themselves.
However, commercial vehicles are required to have a tachograph to ensure compliance with regulations on drivers’ hours, unless the vehicle is exempt from EU regulations on drivers’ hours or isn’t covered by them.
As of August 2023, legislation came in that requires newly registered passenger and goods vehicles to have a smart tachograph v2 installed. Smart tachographs offer benefits including enhanced security and efficiency, and an open interface for integration with other fleet solutions.
Tachographs are part of the foundation of fleet services, and they have evolved a lot in the last 100 years. This invaluable tool is a fleet essential and when used in conjunction with a suite of other fleet solutions fleet managers can enjoy comprehensive driver tracking and data management.
At Motia, we are specialists in fleet management solutions. We offer a diverse range of fleet management tools including telematics systems and driver tracking software, dash cameras and more. These devices, apps and software are fully flexible meaning you can build your system around your fleet’s needs.
Our experts are on hand to help you choose the right fleet solutions, so don’t hesitate to get in touch today for a no-obligation chat.
Providing Fleet Solutions to optimise operations, cut costs, and keep your business moving.
