Mandatory tachograph replacement in the EU – what does it mean for transport and logistics?

The mandatory replacement of tachographs within the European Union applied to companies carrying out international transport with vehicles above 3.5 tonnes. According to EU regulations, companies are required to replace existing devices with next-generation tachographs within specified deadlines.

In the case of Axell Transport, this obligation was completed last year in full compliance with the applicable regulations. The communicated project concerns the refinancing obtained under the National Recovery Plan (KPO) for this investment.

What are tachographs and what has changed?

Tachographs are devices used to record drivers’ working time, speed and activity. Regulations regarding their use have existed in the European Union for many years and form the basis for monitoring drivers’ working and rest times.

The introduction of second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2) mainly means technological changes and an extension of the scope of recorded and accessible data.

The new solutions include, among others:

• additional security measures making manipulation more difficult,
• the possibility for inspection authorities to remotely read a wider range of data,
• extension of roadside inspection checks to 56 days,
• automatic registration of border crossings without requiring the driver to stop.

It is worth emphasizing that the possibility of remote data reading already existed in the first generation of smart tachographs (G2V1). However, in the case of G2V2 tachographs, the scope of data available to inspection authorities has been expanded.

What data is recorded?

The new tachographs use GNSS data and motion sensor information, which are compared with each other to detect irregularities.

The system records, among others:

• the start and end of the daily working period,
• border crossings,
• vehicle position at specified driving intervals (for example every 3 hours),
• selected operational events, such as loading and unloading, depending on configuration and legal requirements.

If discrepancies between data sources are detected, the system records events that may indicate attempted manipulation.

Scope of the mandatory tachograph replacement in the EU

The mandatory tachograph replacement in the EU was regulatory in nature and applied to vehicles carrying out international transport operations.

The replacement process was carried out within the deadlines resulting from the regulations (including international transport requirements from 2025 onwards) and did not affect day-to-day operational activities.

In practice, this means that:

• driver work organization does not change.

• the obligation concerns only adapting vehicles to regulatory requirements,

• transport planning principles remain unchanged,

Inspections and enforcement of regulations

New tachographs enable more efficient roadside inspections, including the remote reading of selected data by inspection authorities.

An important change is also the broader range of information available during inspections and the possibility of faster verification.

It is worth noting that remote data reading functionality already existed in the previous generation of tachographs. However, in the new devices this functionality has been further developed and now includes a broader range of information used for vehicle pre-selection during inspections.

The role of KPO funding

Financial support from the National Recovery Plan (KPO) enables companies to implement changes more efficiently and reduce investment costs, while also supporting the development of a modern, regulation-compliant transport fleet and improving the safety and transparency of transport operations.

Summary: more than just an obligation

The replacement of tachographs in the EU was a legal obligation implemented in accordance with applicable regulations.

The changes introduced with the new generation of tachographs are mainly technological and support more effective enforcement of existing regulations, without affecting the way transport operations are organized.

The communicated project concerns the refinancing obtained under the KPO program, which supports investments resulting from current regulatory requirements.

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