When do vehicles over 2.5 tonnes need a tachograph?

From 1 July 2026, vehicles exceeding 2.5 tonnes performing international freight transport in the EU must use a smart tachograph, as required by EU Regulation 2020/1054.

Which vehicles are affected by the 2.5 tonne tachograph rule?

All vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes (vans, light trucks, flatbeds) used for international freight transport in the EU are affected. This includes Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Renault Master, and similar vehicles.

What app can I use to read my tachograph driver card?

TachoData is a mobile app for Android and iOS that reads your driver card via USB card reader, Bluetooth, or front download device. It provides infringement reports based on EU 561/2006, attendance sheets, and deadline tracking.

Do I need a tachograph for my van from July 2026?

Yes, if your van exceeds 2.5 tonnes gross mass and you perform international freight transport in the EU, you will need a smart tachograph installed and a valid driver card from 1 July 2026.

TachoData - Tachograph App for Drivers

TachoData offers a 14-day free trial of its full functionality — including infringement reports under EU 561/2006, attendance sheets, and deadline tracking. The trial is designed to be flexible and fair, so this page explains how it is calculated and what to expect.

When does the 14 days start?

The 14-day trial starts when you first successfully upload a driver card to TachoData. Registering an account, downloading the app, browsing demo reports, or pairing a tachograph device does not consume any trial time — only an actual card upload does.

If your first upload fails (corrupt file, unsupported format, etc.), the trial does not start. The clock only begins when the card is successfully processed.

What is included in the trial?

During the 14-day trial, every paid feature is available without restriction:

Driver card reading via USB reader, Bluetooth, or front-download device
Infringement report based on EU 561/2006 and AETR rules
Monthly attendance sheet
Driving event timeline and 56-day overview
Card and tachograph download deadline reminders
Encrypted email delivery of reports

Why is the trial tied to the driver card?

Each driver in the EU is identified by a unique driver card number. We tie the 14-day trial to this card identifier rather than to your TachoData account, for two reasons:

Fairness for fleets: every driver in your fleet receives their own 14-day trial — a fleet of 10 drivers gets 10 × 14 = 140 driver-days of evaluation, regardless of which user account uploads the cards.
Service integrity: the same card cannot be re-evaluated for free under a different account, which keeps the offer sustainable for everyone.

What happens when the 14 days expire?

After the trial ends for a given card, you keep access to all reports already generated for that card during the trial. New uploads and new report generation for that card require an active subscription.

Other cards (for other drivers) start their own independent 14-day trial when they are first uploaded.

No payment details required

You can use the full 14-day trial without providing any payment information. The trial never auto-converts to a paid subscription. When (and if) you decide to subscribe, you can do so explicitly through the in-app purchase on Google Play or the App Store.

One subscription, one card

An active subscription is linked to the reading and evaluation of a single driver card — the same card identifier for which the trial was started.

If you receive a new driver card with a different identifier — for example, because you moved from one EU member state to another and had to be issued a new national driver card — your subscription can be transferred to the new card, but only at the next monthly billing turnover, after the current billing period closes.