German news website B24 reports that the special equipment has been in use since August. It will be tested for a year before a decision is taken on rolling it out further.
The setup is estimated to cost around €300,000 and has been deployed regularly on the Autobahn in Upper Franconia.
Ralph Müller, chief police inspector of the traffic police in Hof, is quoted as saying around 50 HGVs can be expected per hour while the van is in motion. Müller adds that among other things, the tech onboard the van can see whether a lorry has broken the speed limit or has the wrong tachograph card inserted..
It is said that the van enables “even more targeted and effective controls” irrespective of whether the vehicle is stationary or moving traffic.
In August of this year, Britain became the 5th European country known to be using remote tachograph inspecting technology. In June, Denmark joined Germany, the Netherlands and Poland in deploying the equipment required for roadside checks.