The market has been waiting for this for a long time, but now it is finally here: a unique plug-and-play telematics solution that seamlessly connects the digital tachograph to cloud-based fleet management services. Simply plug in the VDO Link and remotely retrieve and process reliable data from the DTCO (from 3.0) in real time. This means that small, medium-sized, and very heterogeneous fleets now also have the opportunity to digitalize more of their day-to-day fleet operations.
The VDO Link is the first genuine, easy-to-use and flexible plug-and-play solution of its kind and will be available from the beginning of April. Plug-and-play means that no time-consuming and costly visit to the workshop is necessary for installation. Simply plug it into the tachograph's front interface and you're done. This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized fleets that consist of different truck generations or rental and leasing vehicles. Until now, it has been difficult for them to fully exploit the potential of their tachograph data.
VDO Link is compatible with all VDO digital tachographs from the DTCO 3.0 onwards. After registering on the VDO Fleet website, the collected vehicle, driver, and location data is sent in real time via LTE mobile communications to the VDO Secure Cloud. With the VDO Link, fleets can seamlessly and effortlessly automate their processes, simplify compliance tasks, and thus increase their efficiency. This includes, for example, the legally required downloads of the mass memory and driver cards, which can also be automated and carried out remotely via the VDO Link. Other services that are available immediately include VDO Fleet Maps, our user-friendly track-and-trace solution, and real-time driver availability (remaining driving time per day/week).
Even more services through open tachograph interfaces
Trusted data – in other words, the secure and reliable tachograph data – is the basis for many other applications and digital services designed to make day-to-day fleet operations more efficient. The open interface concept also allows external partners, such as billing providers, to use the data on driving and rest times, as well as border crossings, for the automatic recording of working hours. And with information on the current position of the vehicle, fleet managers can accept additional freight orders and thus increase the capacity utilization of their fleet. In the coming years, the service landscape for fleets and drivers around the smart tachograph (V2) will grow to include further new applications and services, the digitalization of freight forwarders and transport companies will be driven forward, and the full potential of the tachograph will be unleashed.
