Smart Tachograph Version 2

All vehicles > 3.5t that still use an analog or digital tachograph of the 1st generation (e.g. DTCO 1.x - 3.x) and are used across borders must be equipped with an intelligent tachograph version 2 (e.g. DTCO 4.1).

    EU MOBILITY PACKAGE I - How to comply with the law and avoid violations

    Fairness and safety

    We’ll now explain what’s behind Mobility Package I and what it means for you. We’ll show you what you need to look out for in the future and how to remain legally compliant with the DTCO 4.0 and its successor, the DTCO 4.1.

    All the important information in one leaflet

    Download the Leaflet on the EU Mobility Package I

    NEWS

    Current legislative changes

    Be on the road in compliance with the law.

    It is mandatory to enter the country symbol after crossing a border since 02.02.2022. Drivers must make the entry on the tachograph at the first available stop (EU 165/2014). Find out how to do this without losing time in our video.

    Since 21.02.2022, companies are obliged to return vehicles that have been used in international freight transport to an operating site in Germany no later than eight weeks after leaving Germany. (EC 1072/2009) This also applies to vehicles rented abroad and used by the company's branch in Germany.

    Also, since 21.02.2022, cabotage operations are prohibited for four days after the end of authorised cabotage transport operations in an EU member state. The period starts from the day following the last cabotage journey. (EC 1071/2009)

    Companies operating in international freight transport will not need a community license for vehicles weighing more than 2.5 tonnes until 21.05.2022. However, since 21.02.2022, you can already submit corresponding applications to the authorities under national law. (EU 1072/2009) For purely domestic transports, a license is required only from a total mass of 3.5 tonnes. 

    Maintrans: MP I & DTCO 4.1

    PLAN YOUR RETROFIT NOW!

    There are 3.5 million registered trucks in Germany alone. If they all wait until shortly before the deadline to retrofit to DTCO 4.1, the queue in front of the workshop door will be inevitable. Then, the waiting time for some vehicles will be too long – and they will have to stand still from January 1, 2025. Anyone driving in cross-border transport logistics without the second version of the smart tachograph will face severe penalties and fines, e.g. 1,500 euros in Germany. And thanks to the DSRC-RP technology in the tachograph, authorities can now also carry out remote scans and detect infringements virtually as they drive past. 

    We therefore strongly recommend early retrofitting, as there are currently sufficient slots and equipment available in commercial vehicle workshops. The switch to DTCO 4.1 is particularly time and cost efficient if you combine it with the mandatory inspection in accordance with § 57b StVZO already scheduled. Avoid long downtimes and work stoppages or, in the worst case, high penalties and contact a VDO partner workshop now for a prompt retrofit appointment! 

    More information on retrofitting tachographs

    COMPULSORY RETROFITTING: WHICH TACHOGRAPH AND FROM WHEN?
    AROUND THE TACHOGRAPH

    All information on the new cabotage regulations, the associated facilitations for driving personnel and the professional access requirements are available in our whitepaper on EU Mobility Package I:



    Go to Whitepaper

    COMPULSORY RETROFITTING: WHICH TACHOGRAPH AND FROM WHEN?

    Timeline EU Mobility Package I: Details on the Compulsory Retrofitting

    All information regarding legal deadlines are subject to change without notice.

     

    Overview: All the important deadlines

    When do the vehicles of your fleet have to be upgraded to the VDO DTCO 4.1?

    The deadlines in chronological order:

    New vehicles (first registrations) of > 3.5 t* must be equipped with a version 2 smart tachograph (e.g. DTCO 4.1).

     

    * Vehicles under the definitions to which the new regulations apply.

    All vehicles > 3.5 t* that still use a 1st-generation analogue or digital tachograph (e.g. DTCO 1.x-3.x) and travel across borders must be equipped with a version 2 smart tachograph (e.g. DTCO 4.1).

     

    * Vehicles under the definitions to which the new regulations apply.

    All vehicles > 3.5 t* that travel across borders must be equipped with a version 2 smart tachograph (e.g. DTCO 4.1) by 20 August 2025. This means that even the vehicles equipped with a 1st-generation version of the smart tachograph (e.g. DTCO 4.0) must also be retrofitted.

     

    * Vehicles under the definitions to which the new regulations apply.

    All vehicles > 2.5 t* in international freight transport must be equipped with the advanced smart tachograph (DTCO 4.1).

     

    * Vehicles under the definitions to which the new regulations apply.

    ** These deadlines depend on the respective entry into force of the EU regulations or the duration of the legislative process.

    Front view of the VDO DTCO 4.1 with printout in progress. A European flag with a barrier symbol shows that this device meets all the requirements of the EU Mobility Package I.

    THE DTCO 4.1 The new generation of smart tachographs

    The new DTCO 4.1 detects and stores a vehicle’s border crossings. The device also logs the position and time during loading and unloading and records this information together with driver and vehicle data for at least as long as the new regulation requires it. The new tacho version provides reliable data even more securely for more efficient traffic and trade monitoring.

    Unlike its predecessor, the DTCO 4.1 uses the European Galileo signal (OS-NMA), one of the first industrial applications to do so. OS-NMA stands for Open Service Navigation Message Authentication. It is a technique that adds cryptographic protection to navigation messages to provide the best possible protection against cyber attacks.

    More on the VDO DTCO 4.1
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    Side view of a computer with the map view of the VDO software Tachograph Management.

    VDO Fleet WILL SUPPORT YOU WITH THE MOBILITY PACKAGE

    VDO Fleet Services provide competent support for fleet companies and fleet management providers during the introduction of the  European Mobility Package I. The cloud solution also ensures security when current and future regulations are being implemented and adhered to.
    This is why Continental’s VDO brand is focusing on the best possible solutions for tomorrow and is already developing more services that will make it easier for fleet managers to monitor and comply with the new rules within the EU Mobility Package I. 

     

     

    More on VDO Tachograph Management
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    The driver of a fleet inserts a download key into the slot of his tachograph. The driver's door is open so that you can look into the truck from street level.

    EXTENDED TACHOGRAPH DUTY Also > 2.5-tonne vehicles in the future

    From 1 July 2026, the tachograph requirement will also apply to vehicles used in international commercial transport, the maximum permissible mass of which exceeds 2.5 tonnes, including trailers or semi-trailers.

    Artisans with vehicles or vehicle combinations with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes who transport their equipment or deliver their products within a radius of 100 km from their business location will be exempt from this regulation. Vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used for non-commercial freight transportation are also exempt. Driving must not be the main occupation of the person who is driving the vehicle.

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    FURTHER INFORMATION

    You will find more information in English at:

     

    And in German: 

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