The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the whole economy around the world and transportation is one of the backbones of keeping the supplies delivered in these turbulent times. Be it medical equipment and supplies, or regular food deliveries, it’s important that the goods are delivered on time. Due to this unusual situation, several countries have imposed changes to the work and resting time rules as a response to the situation. In this article, we’ll take a look at the changes countries make, their legal implications and offer some suggestions on how the drivers can make sure they’re not violating the rules.

Driving time, breaks and rest period times are strictly regulated for commercial drivers within the European Union to protect drivers themselves as well as other road users. This regulation (EC 561/2006) is implemented via regular tachograph checks and is part of the reason why fatalities of lorry drivers have dropped by 34%, heavy goods drivers by 47% and bus and coach drivers by 53% from 2008 to 2018 within the EU according to European Road Safety Observatory. 

Technology is constantly developing and offering ways to make our lives easier and safer. This is also the reason for the recent change in tachograph legislation and introduction to the new generation of tachographs – smart tachographs. But what and how exactly will the new devices change in the way drivers and companies operate? Keep reading and you’ll find out!

Today, more and more companies understand the benefits of having a telematics system to manage their fleets. Moreover, they look for additional solutions to integrate with their systems and make business processes even easier to oversee. Tachogram is here to offer tachograph data analysis using three types of integrations – REST API, FTP file upload and e-mail integration.

As the new year is approaching, we thought it would be great to look at the industry trends that are expected to dominate the market in 2019. From smart tachographs to international legislation and business processes – the next 12 months will be very exciting for both the drivers and companies with big fleets.

Starting to use a new product may get a bit stressful. There are so many new features to master and, consequently, as many questions on how to do it properly. Whenever you have anything to ask about Tachogram, our Support team is there for you. Now, our Customer Support Team Manager Uldis has gathered the answers to the five most frequently asked questions about Tachogram to help you find what you’re looking for even faster!

Last Thursday, on September 27, a part of our team attended the annual Telematics Conference CEEurope in Warsaw, Poland. This year the conference was focusing on the topic of telematics industry collaborations, and we were lucky to be among the event partners and host an interactive session on the issue of co-opetition possibilities in telematics.

One of the best Tachogram features is that it doesn’t require an expensive card reader to keep track of and analyse your driver card data. A simple smart card reader that’s connected to your Android smartphone will be just enough to enjoy all the Tachogram app has to offer – from remaining driving time calculation to notifications about any infringements made according to international legislation. However, not all card readers are supported by the app, therefore we’ve created a list of 7 most popular vendors whose card readers can currently be used with Tachogram app.

Understanding Tachogram charts and being able to read and use the data it provides helps to effectively plan and execute your daily duties. However, there is some data that requires a more detailed explanation. One of such is compensations – an important topic that is only briefly explained in the international regulations, but very important for the drivers to prevent the risk of violating the law.

Using a digital tachograph is an integral part of the drivers work. It provides a lot of information to both the drivers and their managers and it’s crucial to understand all the data you’re getting from it. Whether you have been using Tachogram for a while now or are about to start, a simple explanation on what data can you see and what do all the charts in the system mean, may help you to better plan your work and avoid violating the EC regulations.