{"id":40057,"date":"2026-06-05T09:13:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T07:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.groupfleet.com\/?p=40057"},"modified":"2026-06-05T15:16:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T13:16:21","slug":"mandatory-tachographs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.groupfleet.com\/en\/mandatory-tachographs\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandatory tachographs from July 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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29 May 2026<\/span><\/h2>\n

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W<\/span>hat van operators need to know<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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From 1 July 2026, light commercial vehicles with a maximum permissible mass of more than 2.5 and up to and including 3.5 tonnes \u2013 including trailers or semi-trailers \u2013 used in cross-border commercial freight logistics or cabotage transport must be fitted with a second-generation smart tachograph.<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This means that drivers are also bound by the corresponding regulations concerning driving times and rest periods. A second-generation tachograph (Gen2V2, e.g. DTCO 4.1) records, amongst other things, journey times, border crossings, positioning data and rest periods, i.e. information that has not been collected previously. Simply retrofitting the hardware is not sufficient: companies are legally obliged to regularly download the tachograph and driver data and archive it in accordance with the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Important: this regulation does not apply to domestic traffic within the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany. Exceptions may also apply for own-account and craft businesses if driving is not the main activity. The exceptions arise in particular from Article 3 and Article 13 of the associated Regulation (EC) No. 561\/2006. Companies should however check thoroughly in each individual case whether an exception does actually apply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The consequences of non-compliance<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The new regulation is part of the EU\u2019s Mobility Package I, brought in by the EU in 2020. It aims to improve working conditions in the transport sector, increase road safety and create the conditions for fairer competition within European freight transport.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The new requirements are mandatory and based on binding EU law. Crossing a border without the prescribed smart tachograph risks major fines or \u2013 in some EU member states \u2013 even vehicles being immediately taken out of service in extreme cases. The legal basis for this is EU Regulation No. 165\/2014 on tacographs in road transport, the scope of which has been expanded by Mobility Package I.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Of particular relevance: In the worst case, liability can affect not only drivers, but also senior management or fleet managers.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Guest column<\/span><\/span>:<\/em><\/span>
\nAndreas Waldhorn, Rechtsanwalt (Lawyer), Fachanwalt f\u00fcr Arbeitsrecht (Lawyer specialising in employment law), Fachanwalt f\u00fcr Handels- und Gesellschaftsrecht (Lawyer specialising in commercial and company law)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Waldhorn & Partner Rechtsanw\u00e4lte mbB<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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All information applies to Germany.
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Note: This information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Companies should clarify their individual requirements with a solicitor or their employers\u2019 liability insurance association.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Stand: 29.05.2026<\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a9 Volkwagen AG<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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From 1 July 2026, light commercial vehicles with a maximum permissible mass of more than 2.5 and up to and including 3.5 tonnes \u2013 including trailers or semi-trailers \u2013 used in cross-border commercial freight logistics or cabotage transport must be fitted with a second-generation smart tachograph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":40060,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backgroundknowledge","category-flottenmanagement-en","newsletter-fleetnews-02-26-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMandatory tachographs from July 2026 Fleet Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Private Nutzung des Dienstwagens f\u00fcr Urlaubsfahrten. 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