The mandatory retrofit of the European commercial vehicle fleet with the new second-version smart tachograph is still in full swing. Nevertheless, just two years after its introduction, there is already an update. VDO is now delivering the current version DTCO 4.1a to workshops – ready for OSNMA, the VDO Fleet App and, soon, the VDO Link. But don't worry: For all DTCO 4.1 units that have already been installed, software update will be available to aquire all the functionalities of the DTCO 4.1a.
Following the successful type approval, the updated version of the smart tachograph (V2) VDO DTCO 4.1 is already on its way to dealers and workshops. The DTCO 4.1a meets all the technological and functional requirements of the EU Mobility Package and provides reliable data not only for more efficient controls in international freight transport, but also for many other fleet management applications. Like its predecessor, the DTCO 4.1a is essential for improved documentation of driver postings and cabotage tours. And it comes just in time – shortly before the EU officially launches the service for the certified Galileo authentication OSNMA. This makes it the first industrial application of a secure GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) functionality from a European source.
With the data from the European satellite navigation system Galileo, the vehicle position and border crossings are automatically recognized via an extended GNSS and recorded in the mass memory. In future, this data will be even more secure and reliable thanks to the official authentication of this data via OSNMA (Open Service Navigation Message Authentication). In addition, the position data of the vehicle are recorded at the beginning and end of the daily working hours, after a total driving duration of every three hours, as well as during a loading and unloading process. It is not yet entirely clear when exactly the EU authorities will publish the official service declaration of the OSNMA for the system. However, we expect it virtually any day. And that would then also end the transition phase since the introduction of the DTCO 4.1.
Connectivity and tachograph data enable a wide range of services
In addition to data security, connectivity is also a top priority for the DTCO 4.1a. Via its external DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication) antenna, a DSRC reader can be used to retrieve data from vehicle inspections throughout Europe, virtually in passing, and to carry out targeted checks in suspicious cases. The integrated Bluetooth interface also makes it easy to download and control the tachograph data, for example using a smartphone. The associated VDO Fleet App is available for both iOS and Android. It is linked to the VDO Fleet management platform, so that legally required data downloads and manual entries, for example, can be carried out easily and efficiently. And finally, an ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) interface will enable many other applications in the future that go far beyond legal and regulatory requirements and can make work easier for commercial vehicle fleet operators. One example of this is the integration of tolling services, known as tachograph tolling.
Retrofit with new device or software update
Now is the right time for a retrofit of the new VDO DTCO 4.1a for all existing vehicles. The countdown has begun, because August 19, 2025, the legal deadline for all vehicles over 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight that are currently in international transport and still have a smart tachograph of the first version, such as the DTCO 4.0, on board, is approaching fast. For all vehicles that are already on the road with a second-version smart tachograph, a software update will be available from summer 2025 providing the new functions of the DTCO 4.1a for these devices. You can find VDO partner workshops here.
