The tachograph is an essential device for road safety 🚦. Its main function is to record driving times, rest periods, and other activities of professional drivers, especially in the transport of goods and passengers 🚌🚚.
📌 Who must use a tachograph?
- 🚛 Vehicles for the transport of goods with a MAM (maximum authorized mass) over 3,500 kg (including trailer).
- 🚌 Vehicles for the transport of passengers with more than 9 seats, including the driver.
📜 Governed by Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.
🚫 Common exemptions
- Vehicles that do not exceed 40 km/h.
- Military, fire service, or civil protection vehicles.
- Transport carried out exclusively within closed premises (airports, stations...)
- Non-commercial use in historic vehicles or humanitarian aid.
- Local postal services, milk collection, agricultural transport within 50 or 100 km 📦🐄.
⚙️ Types of tachographs
- Mechanical (obsolete): uses a chart disc.
- Electronic: also uses a chart disc.
- Digital: the most modern, works with smart cards 💳.
💾 Tachograph cards
| 🎫 Card type | Color | User | Main function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | ⚪ White | Individual driver | Records their daily activity |
| Company | 🟡 Yellow | Haulage operator | Downloads and manages tachograph data |
| Workshop/Test center | 🔴 Red | Workshops and manufacturers | Installation and calibration |
| Control | 🔵 Blue | Authorities | Checks data and inspects |
📈 Driving and rest times
⏱️ Maximum permitted driving
- 🕓 Uninterrupted driving: maximum 4 h 30 min → minimum 45-minute break.
- 📆 Daily driving: maximum 9 h (twice per week it may be 10 h).
- 🗓️ Weekly: maximum 56 hours.
- 🕐 Fortnightly: maximum 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.
🛌 Rest periods
- Regular daily rest: at least 11 consecutive hours (may be split into 3 h + 9 h).
- Reduced daily rest: at least 9 hours (up to 3 times per week).
- Regular weekly rest: at least 45 consecutive hours.
- Reduced weekly rest: at least 24 hours (to be compensated within 3 weeks).
🔄 Data download and retention
- 📤 Download driver data every 31 days.
- 📥 Download vehicle data every 3 months.
- 🗂️ Keep the data for at least 1 year.
📉 Penalties
🟡 Minor
- Sheets stained but legible.
- Lack of some non-essential data.
🟠 Serious
- Failure to have the device inspected.
- Partial lack of data or use of non-approved sheets.
- Moderate excess driving times.
🔴 Very serious
- Tampering with the tachograph or its components.
- Forgery or misuse of cards.
- Exceeding maximum times by more than 50%.
📚 Glossary
- Driving time: when the vehicle is moving.
- Work: other mandatory driver activities.
- Availability: waiting without driving (e.g., ferry, border queue).
- Rest: break with no tasks performed.
⚠️ Correct use of the tachograph not only avoids penalties, it also protects everyone’s safety on the road 🛣️.
Take the test
