New tachographs

Second-generation tachographs to be mandatory in August 2023? Yes, but without OSNMA service.

In connection with the implementation of subsequent provisions of the Mobility Package, from August 21, 2023, the obligation to install second-generation smart tachographs in the cabins of newly registered trucks will come into force.

Second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2) will become mandatory equipment for all vehicles used by carriers and professional drivers in international transport in two years’ time. The introduction of these advanced devices is intended to improve road safety, increase control over drivers’ working time and reduce abuse of driving and rest time regulations.

Advantages and possibilities of G2V2 tachographs

The second generation tachographs are modern devices that offer advanced functions to facilitate the work of drivers and their accounting, as well as better protection against counterfeiting. One of the key differences between the second generation smart tachographs and the first generation smart tachographs used since 2019 is the ability to automatically record border crossings. This will result in the comfort of work for drivers who will no longer be forced to look for a place at the border in order to mark the entry of the country, and will also improve the work of entrepreneurs who are responsible for accounting of drivers’ work. In addition, G2V2 tachographs will have the function of recording loading and unloading together with the position and type of transport in a tachograph’s memory, which will allow checking the compliance of records with transport documents. Equipping the second generation tachograph with a bluetooth interface will allow for efficient communication of the device with external applications. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, including obtaining information on the driver’s current activities, as well as remote entry of records, for example, using a telephone. Another key advantage of the second generation tachographs will be the possibility of extended remote checks by inspections, which will have access to information on driving time violations, including the maximum driving time (continuous, daily, weekly). In addition, the period of data storage in tachographs will be extended from 28 to 56 days, which is associated with the introduction of new cards with larger memory. An important innovation will also be the authorization of the GNSS signal, which will allow inspectors to reconstruct the route of the vehicle even more accurately using the appropriate tools.

Delays in work on OSNMA technology

The second generation G2V2 smart tachographs are to have the function of recording the vehicle position using the GNSS signal, which should be authenticated by the OSNMA service, which is an additional protection of the satellite signal against interference and fraud. The problem is that work on the OSNMA location signal authentication technology from the Galileo system, which was to be provided by the European Space Agency, is still ongoing and is expected to be completed in December 2023. However, the European Commission has presented a plan that allows you to deal with the delay in the implementation of OSNMA technology without having to change the date of introducing the obligation to install second generation tachographs in newly registered vehicles.

“Transitional” tachographs

Recently, the European Commission published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/980, which introduces the necessary changes to EU Regulation 2016/799 on the requirements and operation of tachographs. The passages referring to location authentication have been removed, and a provision has been added to distinguish between transitional tachographs and proper G2V2 tachographs. The so-called “transitional” tachographs are nothing more than second-generation G2V2 smart tachographs, equipped with all the required functions, but without vehicle location authentication. This does not change the fact that their GNSS position will be recorded correctly and reliably for control purposes. Such tachographs are to be installed in trucks until the OSNMA service is available on the market. Then the “transitional” tachographs will be able to be updated, e.g. on the occasion of periodic calibrations or other service inspections. Specialists predict that the OSNMA technology will be available in May 2024, unless work on it is extended further. This solution enables tachograph manufacturers to obtain permission to use new devices. In May this year, the latest DTCO 4.1 tachograph received such approval.

New tachographs – costs for carriers

Second generation smart tachographs use satellite location technology and a bluetooth interface to communicate with transport systems. For this reason, it is not enough to simply update the tachographs used so far, it will be necessary to physically replace them, together with the need to replace the motion sensor with a new one. Carriers must do this at their own expense, which already costs several thousand zlotys, and prices will certainly increase. It should also be remembered that by the end of 2024, it is mandatory to replace older-type analog or digital tachographs in vehicles performing international transport. Unfortunately, these are not the only costs that transport companies will have to bear. Further costs will be associated with the need to adapt systems and devices for downloading data from tachographs, as well as training for employees, drivers and management. Entrepreneurs face an important challenge in the form of a good planning of the replacement of tachographs in their vehicles, which is not only a costly but also time-consuming process. When buying new vehicles in 2023, it is worth considering the generation of the tachograph. In the case of vehicles with a first generation smart tachograph, it will have to be registered before August 21, which does not change the fact that in two years it will still need to be replaced with a G2V2 smart tachograph.