From mid-July 2024, regulators in the EU that enforce road transport must have equipment for reading smart tachographs remotely. In anticipation of this, the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) are testing various systems with such capabilities.
Since June 2019, new HGVs have been equipped with smart tachographs that register a driver’s driving and rest times. Existing trucks and buses must have also have smart tachographs fitted by December 2024.
In order to be able to read smart tachographs remotely, so-called Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) equipment is required. This allows inspectors to assess roadside tachograph data without having to stop trucks and other commercial vehicles.
De Smart tachograaf, vanaf 15-6-2019 in nieuwe vrachtauto’s en bussen beschikt over DSRC. We kunnen de tachograaf hiermee uitlezen op afstand. Dit testen we nu. Wat we kunnen zien? Lees https://t.co/YFyu7Xo6T1 #ILT ^jl pic.twitter.com/uKXF0Hqwqv
— Inspecteur Wegvervoer (@ILT_Wegvervoer) May 18, 2021
Using the tech, will inspectors have the means to see whether the registration of driving and rest times are fraudulent. The DSRC device can tell, for example, whether the tachograph registers driving time and whether a driver’s card is active. The advantage of this is that inspectors can select vehicles more specifically for an inspection. This increases the chance of offenders being caught, while inspectors can leave drivers who adhere to the rules alone.
The Dutch Transport inspectorate now has access to three of these systems from different manufacturers. The Inspectorate says it wants to gain experience with the new tech this year and will compare ability of the 3 systems during a trial period.
Photo credit: Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT)