The New DTCO® 4.0 Installed Since January
The VDO DTCO® 4.0 received type approval from the German Federal Motor Vehicle Registration Agency six months before the new EU regulation on the smart tachograph comes into effect, and manufacturers have been installing the latest tachograph ever since. In this way, VDO is ensuring that vehicles registered for the first time after June 14 can be equipped with a smart tachograph in compliance with the law. The early approval means that vehicles that need to go to a body manufacturer prior to first-time registration can also be equipped with the tachograph. In addition to meeting legal requirements, the smart tachograph enables fleets to be managed more efficiently.
New technology delivers planning reliability
In accordance with EU Regulation 165/2014, all trucks registered for the first time must be equipped with a smart tachograph from June 15, 2019. The regulation stipulates that the new devices must be connected to a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and capable of wirelessly transmitting data to allow inspections to be performed while the vehicle is moving (dedicated short-range communication, DSRC). To meet these legal requirements, all manufacturers have had to make substantial modifications to their digital tachographs in a relatively short space of time. Not only do technical challenges stand between development and installation, but the devices also need to meet functional and security requirements – in test processes that can take some time. The issuing of type approval for the DTCO® 4.0 and the new KITAS 4.0 speed sensor by the German Federal Motor Vehicle Registration Agency in December last year finally provides planning reliability for fleets and manufacturers. Manufacturers have already started to install the first smart tachograph DTCO® 4.0. New vehicles that need to go to a body manufacturer before being registered can also be equipped with the new technology.
Key component of digital fleet management
In addition to the huge advantages that satellite positioning and remote roadside checks offer, the DTCO® 4.0 is establishing itself as a pioneering instrument for future-oriented data acquisition. Thanks to its reliable security technology, it can be used as a comprehensive, authenticated source of data for all telematics processes and big data applications in the future. As a key component of digital fleet management, it will help make transport companies even more efficient against a background of ongoing digitalization. The capture of more than 70 datasets is just as useful as the intelligent interface, which allows easy data analysis. This means that the DTCO® 4.0 not only is a necessary and useful companion in vehicles registered from June 15, 2019, but can also be a worthwhile investment for vehicles registered before the new EU regulation comes into effect, particularly for fleets that operate internationally. After all, a lot of time can be saved by enabling control authorities to perform remote checks on moving vehicles.
