Technically speaking, remote tachograph checks have been possible since mid-2019, when EU regulations were changed for introduction of 2nd-generation smart tachographs.
However, in practice, the use of this method requires the appropriate equipment to be designed and manufactured, and then procured by the relevant authorities. As result, many inspection authorities have not been able to conduct remote checks until recently.
This week, the first inspections using DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) equipment took place in Denmark. According to lastbilmagasinet.dk, officers from the Danish Tungvognscenter Nord (Denmark’s Northern Road Transport Department), remotely controlled the tachographs of passing trucks while parked on the hard shoulder.
Denmark is nonetheless not the only EU country conducting such checks.
In Poland, such inspections have been taking place since November 2021. Last summer, the also German police began testing equipment equipped with DSRC technology. They were quickly followed by the Dutch ILT road transport inspectorate.
Moreover, as recently as last month, a software provider for the transport industry and German services boasted that its PSK II solution, following its latest update, also allows for the remote monitoring of tachographs . The tool has been used by the German police, customs and border services for many years.