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As a Fleet Manager or Owner, you know how difficult it is to have full control of your fleet and optimize your business. There’s often a lot of administrative work that needs to be done and at the same time we have the high fuel costs, which creates financial hurdles.
Would you like to create more control, reduce unnecessary paperwork and optimize driving routes? Then it’s a good idea to start collecting as much data from your vehicles as possible. Data such as driving and rest times, in order to then be able to draw conclusions and adjust, thus optimizing the operation of the fleet. To succeed, there is one product that we recommend that all transport companies use: A tachograph.
What does a tachograph consist of?
A tachograph is a physical device that is placed inside your vehicles to record and store data about the routes and the driver’s behavior. It usually consists of a central unit that collects data from the vehicle, a memory to store information, and a card reader for the driver’s smart card.
What is the advantage of tachographs?
The benefits of using tachographs in your fleet are many! No matter what types of vehicles or machines you have.
Easier to comply with the law
Tachographs help companies comply with national and international regulations on driving times, rest periods, and working hours, reducing the risk of fines and other negative consequences.
When there’s an inspection into your business, the data from your tachograph can be used as proof that you are complying with laws and regulations, which can protect against potential legal problems.
Increased safety in traffic
By monitoring and regulating drivers’ driving and rest times, tachographs help prevent fatigue-related accidents. Tachographs can also track speed and collect data on driver behavior, which can be used to train new drivers and build safer driving habits.
More efficient operations
By analyzing tachograph data, you can optimize routes, schedules and drivers’ working hours, allowing you to make optimal use of your resources and reduce your operating costs. You can also plan the maintenance of the vehicles in time and thus avoid unexpected breakdowns.
Increased transparency and control
With a tachograph, you get full control of your vehicle fleet. You can monitor and control each vehicle’s activity in real-time and gain a better insight and control over operations. It will also be easier to see if a driver is behaving in an undesirable way, such as exceeding legal driving times or speeding.
Download and collect all data automatically
Our team at GSFleet can help you download and collect all your tachograph data automatically, regardless of the car brand and which tachograph manufacturer you have used in your vehicles.
- The driver’s current status is shown in a clear format
- You get all the data in one place
- Tachograph delivers an easy-to-understand presentation of the data
- The data is always ready for analysis by selected partners
Read more about GSFleet’s solution
Different types of tachographs
There are three different types of tachographs:
Analogue tachograph that records driving and rest times mechanically on a chart sheet. This version may only be present in vehicles put into service before 1 May 2006.
Digital tachograph that records driving and rest times digitally in a vehicle unit and on a driver card. This version may only be present in vehicles entered into service between 1 May 2006 and 14 June 2019.
Smart tachograph version 1, an updated version of the digital tachograph. Here, too, driving and rest times are recorded digitally in a vehicle unit and on a driver card. In addition, the smart tachograph can save positioning at regular intervals. This version is mandatory in vehicles registered for the first time from June 15, 2019.
Requirements for tachographs
The law states that tachographs must be on vehicles in heavy commercial traffic that drive within the EU and record driving and rest times.
If you have any questions about tachographs, you can always contact our expert team. We are more than happy to answer all your questions and make sure you feel confident in what you are investing in.
