What is the Digital Tachograph Regulation?

The Digital Tachograph Regulation is a legal regulation that makes it compulsory to digitally monitor the driving and resting times of commercial vehicle drivers. The aim is to increase driver safety, reduce the risk of accidents and ensure fair competition.

Under this regulation, authorized vehicles must use a digital tachograph device. The device records the driver's driving time, breaks, speed and vehicle movement information. The data can be made available for inspection via card and memory.

As of January 1, 2020, digital tachograph has become mandatory for some newly registered vehicle groups in Turkey. Companies that do not comply may face administrative sanctions.

Top 5 Most Frequently Penalized Violations

Failure to comply with the rules in commercial transportation results not only in criminal sanctions but also in operational disruptions. In particular, violations regarding driving and rest periods put both companies and drivers in a difficult situation. Thanks to digital tachograph data, these violations are detected more clearly and inspections are carried out more strictly.

Below are the 5 most common violations. These items help to prevent mistakes by raising awareness.

Exceeding Working Time (9 hours per day rule)

According to the regulations, a driver's total daily driving time can be a maximum of 9 hours. This can be increased to 10 hours at most twice a week. However, exceeding this limit is punishable by a fine.

Exceeding the 9-hour daily limit not only jeopardizes driver safety, but also results in a fine for the company for violating the rules. Fatigue-related accidents are one of the most serious consequences of this violation.

Data Loss/Manipulation

Deletion, corruption or deliberate alteration of digital tachograph data is considered a serious violation. This results in high fines for the driver and the company.

Data loss usually occurs because the card is not downloaded on time or because of technical malfunctions of the device. Manipulation is often done to hide legal deadlines. It can be easily detected by the competent authorities.

Card Not Read (Driver Card Forget)

If the vehicle is driven without a driver card inserted, the system does not record driving data. This leads to missing data and is contrary to regulations. Incomplete records that cannot be explained during an inspection will result in a fine.

Forgetting a card may seem like a simple mistake, but the legal repercussions are quite serious. Driving that does not match the driver's information puts the responsibility on both the company and the driver.

Lack of Periodic Control

Digital tachograph devices must be periodically checked by authorized services every two years. If this control is not performed, the accuracy of the device cannot be guaranteed and legal obligations are not fulfilled.

Undocumented or expired tachographs face penalties in inspections. Data security is also at risk. This deficiency also negatively affects the reputation of companies.

Failure to Comply with Record Retention Period (365 Days Obligation)

Digital tachograph data must be stored in full for at least 365 days according to the legislation. During this period, all driving, resting and vehicle movement information must be accessible.

Serious fines are imposed if records are lost, incomplete or cannot be presented during an inspection. In addition, the company will be unable to provide proof of past driving.

5 Ways to Facilitate Legal Compliance

Legal compliance in commercial transportation is critical not only to avoid problems with audits, but also to ensure operational safety. The following five methods can help you easily comply with legal requirements and avoid penalties.

1. Regular Download of Tachograph Data

The data on driver and vehicle cards must be downloaded from the system at regular intervals. If this is done automatically, the risk of human error is eliminated. It is a legal obligation to keep complete retrospective records.

2. Compliance with Periodic Control Dates

Tachograph devices must be checked by authorized services every 2 years. If these dates are tracked digitally, the risk of forgetting is eliminated. Devices whose conformity is not documented will cause fines.

3. Keeping Driver Trainings Up-to-Date

Drivers must be regularly informed about tachograph use, driving times and rest rules. Trained drivers make fewer mistakes and protect the company from legal risks.

4. Use of Digital Archiving System

All tachograph data must be stored in secure digital systems. Quick access to the information sought provides a great advantage in inspections. Paper or manual methods increase the risk of data loss.

5. Automatic Alert Setup with Tracking Systems

With vehicle tracking systems, automatic warnings can be defined for critical points such as card duration, control date and data download time. This makes it easier to comply with the legal calendar.

In the past, a logistics company went a year without any fines, thanks to warning systems alone. Working with the right system generates trust, not risk.

Contribution to Operational Planning

Digital tachograph data provides significant advantages not only in legal inspections but also in the management of daily operations. Drivers' remaining driving time and rest needs can be monitored instantly. In this way, dispatch and task planning can be made more accurately and efficiently. By ensuring that the appropriate driver sets off at the appropriate time, waiting times are reduced and deliveries are made on time. This means savings in terms of labor and time.

Tachowise Advantage in Compliance with Digital Tachograph Regulation

Using a reliable digital tachograph solution is critical to fulfill legal obligations and increase operational efficiency. Developed by Mobiliz Tachowise automatically downloads all data from driver and vehicle cards, archives it securely and provides detailed reports. Thus, full compliance with the legislation is ensured and no time is lost during inspections.

Mobiliz Digital Tachograph Process Management Highlights of Tachowise:

• Remote Data Download: Driver and vehicle card data is automatically transferred to the center without going to the location of the vehicles.
• Secure Digital Archiving: Data is stored in cloud-based systems, making it accessible for 365 days.
• Reporting and Analysis: Driving, rest, speed and violation reports are easily retrieved.
• Card Hotel Service: Driver cards are securely stored in Mobiliz's Card Hotel system. In this way, data can be downloaded remotely without the need to physically keep a card in the vehicle. Managing all cards from a single center provides great convenience and cost advantage to companies.
• Alerts and Notifications: Automatic alerts can be defined for data download times, card expiry dates and device checks.

Tachowise not only complies with the digital tachograph regulation, but also enables companies to base their logistics planning on reliable data. This increases driver safety and reduces operational costs.