On July 1, 2026, a new era begins for many small and medium-sized enterprises in European road freight. Because from this date, the tachograph requirement also applies to light commercial vehicles with a permissible total mass of over 2.5 tonnes (including trailers or semi-trailers), provided they are used commercially in cross-border goods transport or in cabotage. The obligation to digitally record driving and rest times, previously limited to the classic truck fleet starting at 3.5 tonnes, thus expands to a vehicle segment that had not been covered before.
Tachograph requirement as part of the EU Mobility Package I
The new regulation is part of the so-called EU Mobility Package I, which was adopted at the level of the European Union in 2020. The aim is to improve working conditions for drivers in goods transport, strengthen fair competition within the European logistics sector, and increase safety on the roads. Since August 2023, newly registered trucks have had to be equipped with intelligent tachographs of version 2 (G2V2). In two steps, the vehicles currently deployed in the European market over 3.5 tonnes were subsequently required to upgrade to the new tachograph generation by August 2025. Now comes the final phase of implementation: Light commercial vehicles between
2.5 and 3.5 tonnes in cross-border goods traffic, for example transporters, delivery vans or vans, are also subject to tachograph requirements from summer 2026.Important: It is not the vehicle class itself that decides the obligation, but the commercial purpose and the type of transport. Those who regularly transport goods across national borders or operate domestically within cabotage fall under the new regulation. Exempt are:
- Pure domestically oriented transports without dispatch
- Trips for own business purposes in in-plant traffic, as long as driving is not the main activity
- Non-commercial deployments
What fleet operators should watch out for
With the new requirement, affected companies are for the first time subject to comprehensive documentation and equipment obligations. Light commercial vehicles must be retrofitted by no later than July 1, 2026 with an intelligent tachograph of version 2, for example the “VDO DTCO 4.1a” or higher. Installation may only be carried out by certified specialist workshops, which also calibrate the system initially and provide it with a so-called company lock to ensure data integrity. In parallel, fleet operators must adjust their internal processes: route planning, personnel management and data archiving must in the future take into account the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006 as well as other
rules of the EU Mobility Package I. Companies are obliged to regularly download driver and vehicle data from the tachograph and store them for at least twelve months in a suitable archiving system. The proper instruction/training of drivers is also legally required and the responsibility of the fleet operator.
On the driver side, new obligations also arise. Drivers must, among other things, carry a valid driver card in order to consistently record driving and rest times and to be able to record manual entries when needed. They must present the data during inspections upon request and support their employer with the regular download of tachograph and driver card data. In many companies this is accompanied by additional training – especially where there was previously no point of contact with the tachograph topic.
Suitable hardware and software
The intelligent tachograph of version 2 is a digital system that does much more than simply count driving hours. It automatically detects border crossings using OSNMA-authenticated data from the European satellite navigation system Galileo, enables remote inquiries by control authorities via DSRC radio module, and documents both disruptions and tampering attempts in a legally secure manner. A Bluetooth interface additionally allows mobile control via smartphone or tablet –
for example using the VDO Fleet App.
In addition to the hardware, fleets need the appropriate IT infrastructure to unlock the full potential of a digital fleet management based on reliable tachograph data, also called Trusted Data. With the cloud-based platform VDO Fleet, all tachograph and driver data can be automatically analyzed, stored and exported if needed. This saves time and reduces administrative effort for compliance. The system becomes particularly convenient when used in combination with the VDO Link: The small plug-and-play telematics solution is simply plugged into the front interface of the tachograph and transmits all data in real time – without an additional workshop visit.
For many fleet operators, the organizational effort is initially substantial: devices must be procured, vehicles retrofitted, employees trained. At the same time, penalties threaten for non-compliance – up to €1,500 in Germany, up to €3,328 in Italy. Appointments in certified workshops are also limited, especially shortly before the deadline. Therefore AUMOVIO recommends planning the retrofit well in advance. Those who begin with the technical and organizational preparations in 2025 will avoid bottlenecks and lay the foundation for a smooth transition. The drivers should also be involved and trained early to avoid uncertainties in daily operations.
(Source: Aumovio)
