Guidelines for efficient driving in road freight transport

If your company carries out international transport, you have until 2024 to install the so-called second generation tachograph in your entire fleet. We explain how it differs and what data it controls.

The second generation smart tachograph is expected to be the key tool in the implementation of the Mobility Package, equalizing and improving the working conditions of professional drivers in all EU countries.

The regulation sets out how the most controversial proposals in the Mobility package, such as:

• Make daily rest periods more flexible.
• Control the return of drivers to their place of origin
• Control cabotage limitations on international routes
• Crossing borders within the EU, etc.

Second generation smart tachograph functionality
With this legislation in hand, let's take a look at the features that manufacturers must develop for this advanced version:

• Geolocation: it must be permanent and secure, in order to guarantee that there is no manipulation of the data collected. To this end, a new security feature, OSNMA, will be included.
• Workday Tracking: The start and end location of the workday, confirmed by the driver, will be stored.
• Secure storage and transmission: The device must have secure and unalterable local and remote storage. In addition, secure data transmission must be guaranteed.
• New data: The tachograph must store new information, such as tonnages, loading and unloading operations, driver movements between countries, etc.
• Extended archiving period: it will have to keep the recording for 56 days, compared to the 28 days currently required.
• DSRC system: this short-range communication system, via an antenna, allows control authorities to consult data from the moving vehicle.
• New driver, workshop and inspection agent cards.

All these developments imply significant changes for the second generation smart tachograph, which will also affect fleet management systems.