‘PIT STOPS’ AFTER THE BORDER

Mobility Package 1 introduces new routines that need to find their way into the everyday work of driving crews. These include a new compulsory pit stop, which since 2 February 2022, drivers have had to make after crossing a border. Comfort upgrade DTCO 4.0e helps to shorten the length of the stop.

The thing about country codes

Under Article 34(7) of Regulation (EU) 165/2014, drivers are obligated to enter the symbol of the country in which they begin or end their daily working hours into the digital tachograph. It’s a routine that is not overly popular with drivers, and one that is often overlooked. This process is also affected by the new EU Mobility Package regulations, which state that drivers must now enter the country code into the tachograph as soon as they cross a border.

Entry at the beginning of the first stop

The regulation has been in effect since 2 February 2022. The standard stipulates that the country code must be entered after crossing the border into a Member State, at the beginning of the first stop in that particular Member State. This first stop is still very vague in its definition. The regulation thus states that this process must be completed at the first possible stopping point at or after the border. Only those travelling by ferry or train need to first enter the country code at the port or station of arrival.
In any event, the regulation has meant that commercial vehicles in international traffic need to take a short, compulsory pit stop soon after crossing the border. The final rule is that the country code may only be entered when the vehicle is stationary. Driving crews have not been especially keen on this new routine. After all, entering the country code can be quite time-consuming – take Spain for example, where in addition to entering ‘E’ for the country, drivers also need to enter the respective region(s).

Back on the road more quickly

Drivers who are already using the DTC0 4.0e comfort upgrade should have things a little easier. The upgrade includes an integrated map for country and region recognition, so the country in question appears on the display by default and can be selected directly. This eliminates the need to spend time scrolling through as many as 29 different country codes to find the right one. And since comfort upgrade 4.0e requires no new hardware, the new version can be installed at the next workshop visit with no major effort required. It’s a minor investment that can significantly improve the experience of drivers.

And not just with this routine – introduction of the new DTCO 4.1 at the latest will also eliminate the irritating pit stop routine. After the upgrade, the device will be able to recognise and store the location of the vehicle at specific time and place points, and thus the border crossing as well, during daily working hours, and at the same time continue to meet stringent security and encryption requirements. Manual entry after crossing the border will then no longer be necessary.