According to a recent press release by UNTRR, only 10,000 of the approximately 60,000 Romanian vehicles dedicated to intra-community transport have been fitted with the required smart tachograph version 2. An additional 17,000 have been equipped with the earlier version 1, but with just three months remaining until the deadline, tens of thousands of vehicles remain non-compliant. This shortfall threatens to sideline a significant portion of Romania’s transport fleet from the EU market, jeopardizing the country’s role as a top player in European logistics.
The deadline, established under the EU’s Mobility Package 1 and enshrined in Regulation 1054/2020, mandates that all lorries involved in international haulage be equipped with second-generation smart tachographs by the end of 2024. Non-compliance could result in severe penalties, including hefty fines, vehicle immobilisation, and costly retrofitting delays at authorised workshops. Germany treats such violations as severe, while in France, non-compliant operators face fines of up to €30,000 and potentially a year in prison, according to UNTRR.
Economic consequences for Romania
Romania’s road transport industry plays a vital role in the national economy, generating €7.81 billion in 2023, surpassing even the country’s IT service exports (€7.772 billion). Additionally, the sector boasts a positive export-import balance of €6.226 billion, outperforming even Romania’s IT services. Losing access to the EU market would deal a severe blow to the country’s economic stability. Romania currently ranks third in the EU for cross-trade international road transport and cabotage operations, underscoring its importance to the European logistics chain.
“Without an extension, Romanian carriers risk losing access to the EU market, which would have severe consequences for both the industry and the economy,” said UNTRR’s general secretary, Radu Dinescu.
UNTRR calls for a 2-year extension
Faced with the risk of significant economic disruption, UNTRR has urged Romanian and European authorities to extend the retrofitting deadline by two years. Aligning the schedule with routine vehicle inspections would reduce costs for hauliers and ease the strain on retrofitting resources. A shortage of tachograph components has contributed to delays in countries like Romania and Sweden, where the government has already extended its deadline to August 2025.
The Romanian haulier organisation refers to a recent survey by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), which showed that only 6.42% of European fleets have been fitted with the new tachographs, illustrating the widespread nature of the problem.
According to UNTRR, Eastern European countries are facing particular difficulties, as cross-border transport operations are critical to their economy. In contrast, many Western European operators primarily conduct domestic transport, making them less affected by the new regulations.
Technological and logistical challenges
The second-generation smart tachographs are designed to record driving and rest times, border crossings, and load data, using GPS systems for real-time inspections. However, these devices have faced criticism for inconsistencies, such as failing to record mandatory country codes and inaccurately documenting GPS coordinates. This leads to potential non-compliance with EU regulations.
Retrofitting the tachographs is further complicated by bottlenecks in supply and installation. In Romania, only two manufacturers dominate the market, and each has just one representative in the country. This limited competition has driven up costs, as hauliers face extra charges when purchasing devices from other EU countries. UNTRR has called on the European Commission to address these challenges, urging for the allocation of EU funds to cover retrofitting costs. Currently, Spain is the only member state offering financial support, through a de minimis program, but other nations like Romania and Poland have requested similar support.
Problems with recent smart tachographs
Across Europe, the transition to second-generation smart tachographs is encountering various challenges. These devices, designed to automatically record vehicle locations and border crossings using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), have suffered from connectivity problems. Fenadismer, the Spanish hauliers’ union, has reported that tachographs are frequently failing to identify vehicles’ geographical locations, undermining one of their key functions. This malfunction is linked to GNSS connectivity issues, leading to inaccurate recording of vehicle positions and failure to register border crossings—a crucial requirement under the EU’s Mobility Package regulations.
European authorities, alerted by the CORTE and ROADPOL organisations, have advised member states not to penalise hauliers for these malfunction-related violations during roadside inspections. Tachograph users have been advised to take manual records of border crossings until the issues are resolved.
Delayed implementation of OSNMA technology
Another significant challenge facing the smart tachographs is the delayed implementation of OSNMA (Open Service Navigation Message Authentication), a technology intended to improve the security and accuracy of GNSS signals used by the tachographs. Initially scheduled for early 2024, the rollout of OSNMA has been postponed until October 2024 at the earliest. This delay impacts the effectiveness of the tachographs, as GNSS signals are crucial for accurately tracking vehicle locations, especially in cross-border transport.
The European Commission has stipulated that all tachographs installed after October 2024 must be OSNMA-enabled. However, vehicles equipped with transitional tachographs will not be required to upgrade them when the new technology becomes available. These devices can technically be upgraded, but many currently installed tachographs cannot accommodate the more advanced antennas needed for OSNMA.
Workshop bottlenecks and potential delays
As the December 31, 2024, deadline for retrofitting vehicles approaches, industry insiders warn of potential workshop bottlenecks. CORTE and manufacturers like Stoneridge Electronics have urged hauliers to retrofit their fleets as early as possible, as workshops are filling up quickly. Hauliers that delay could face significant operational disruptions and may struggle to replace their tachographs on time.
Failure to meet the deadline for vehicles currently equipped with analogue or pre-2019 digital tachographs—or the August 19, 2025, deadline for vehicles with first-generation smart tachographs—could result in substantial fines and immobilisation of vehicles. This situation is especially critical for hauliers engaged in international transport, where non-compliant vehicles may be prohibited from crossing borders.
These logistical challenges underscore the importance of proactive planning. Back in July, the European Commission urged member states and industry associations to raise awareness of the approaching deadlines and ensure that hauliers take immediate steps to retrofit their fleets.