Digital tachograph download

Digital tachograph readout is legally required

For vehicles and vehicle combinations over 3,500 kg, European driving and rest time regulations require you to use a tachograph. Your tachograph must be linked to a company using a company card. In addition to mandatory tachograph use, you need a driver card and must adhere to driving and rest time regulations. To avoid violations and fines, you must read out your driver card and digital tachograph in a timely and correct manner. Driver card data must be read out every 28 days, and tachograph data every 90 days. 

How can you read out your (digital) tachograph?

The tachograph has 4 modes during your shift: rest (break or daily rest), work (loading and unloading), driving, and availability. Registration is strictly regulated by European Regulations, the Transport Working Hours Decree, and the Working Hours Act. The law mandates strict file security to prevent fraud, which is why you need specialized readout equipment and software to read the tachograph. This also applies to downloading data from your driver card. So, how can you read out your tachograph? We offer various download keys and systems with different functionalities for both. Let’s walk through them:

Reading out the driver card

We supply card readers and readout terminals to read out your driver card(s). You can connect the card reader directly to a computer to save data immediately. The readout terminal can be connected to a network near the company canteen.  

Remote readout

In recent years, we have invested heavily to provide you with the best system for timely, automatic, and remote tachograph readout. Your driver card is also included in this process. This saves a lot of unnecessary effort, frustration, and fines. Using a special SIM card in the tachograph and a mobile network connection, you can trigger a tachograph readout directly from the office. This is also very convenient for companies with drivers who are away from base for extended periods. 

Software systems

We provide tachograph analysis software fully aligned with IL&T calculation rules. Our highly user-friendly and clear web application makes all your tachograph data automatically, instantly, and remotely accessible. Our software analyzes the data and generates tasks to address potential legal violations. In other words, our software performs the IL&T check for you. Depending on the download key you purchase, the connection is established via mobile network, internet, company network, or GPS. Give us a call to see how we can best serve you. 

External data

We offer comprehensive software packages that allow you to store your tachograph and driver card data. Through a mobile network connection, you can view and analyze your data from anywhere. Although you are responsible for storing and being able to present tachograph data, we are happy to take a lot of the effort, time, and worry off your hands.

When it comes to manual readout, it might be asking too much. That is why we are happy to help automate the readout process. Just imagine: never having to read out your tachograph manually again—how great would that be?

Why must you read out your tachograph?

Your (digital) tachograph electronically records driving and rest times, speed, distance traveled, activities, and your identity. This data makes the measuring instrument a valuable source for inspectors, transport companies, and planners. For completeness and reliability, data is stored electronically in two places: on the driver card chip and in the (digital) tachograph memory. During an inspection, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) uses the so-called ILT check. 

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To avoid violations and heavy fines during inspections by enforcement authorities, you must read out your driver card and digital tachograph. Reading out your tachograph is essential for the storage and preservation of your tachograph data. If your data is stored reliably and completely, you will always be prepared for an inspection or cross-check by the ILT. This way, you avoid violations and save a lot of time, effort, frustration, and tachograph fines.

When must you read out your tachograph?

To avoid losing data, you must read out your driver card and tachograph in a timely manner. Read out the driver card at least every 28 calendar days. Please note that your driver card may fill up sooner if there are many changing activities (driving/loading/unloading). Therefore, we recommend doing this once a week or every two weeks just to be safe. By incorporating this into your system, you ensure that no data is ever lost due to overwriting and that there are no gaps in your records. 

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You must download tachograph data at least every 90 days, and it is crucial to stay on schedule. Our downloading equipment and software automate this entire process, ensuring you never receive unnecessary fines again. Store the data for at least one year. If you are paid based on tachograph data, you must keep the records for seven years for tax purposes.

Storing tachograph data

The digital tachograph stores your data on the driver card and within the tachograph itself. A tachograph has a storage capacity of approximately 7 months, depending on usage intensity. When downloading, the computer creates a copy of the data that must be saved. The data is not immediately removed from your card or the tachograph. Keep the information from both digital and analog tachographs for at least one year. During an inspection, the data for every driver must be provided. The authorities issue heavy fines if anything is missing. If you offer your services as a driver based on tachograph data, you must retain your records for at least seven years for the tax authorities.

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Because the tachograph is secured, you can only open and view the data using specialized software. Some programs allow you, as an administrator, to modify files. However, you can never alter legal files within such a system. The system creates a copy of the legal file; only these copies can be edited, as inspectors will also examine the original legal files during an audit. These must therefore always be accessible for you and every other driver.

Working, driving, and rest times

When you are required to use a tachograph as a driver, you must also comply with the prescribed driving and rest times. Would you like to know more about this? We would like to refer you to our article with an overview of working, driving, and rest times.

Digital tachograph user manual‍

Are you curious about how to use the tachograph correctly? We would like to refer you to our article with a tachograph user manual.

Tachograph fines

Would you like to know more about the violations and fines that apply to incorrect use or downloading of the tachograph? We would like to refer you to our article on the most common tachograph fines.