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

Downloading files from the web portal

Every row of the file list has an orange Download button on the right side. Clicking it immediately triggers your browser to save the original .ddd file with its original filename.

What you get

The downloaded file is a standard .ddd (Driver Data Download) binary file in the format defined by the tachograph regulations. Every tachograph-analysis software (TachoData's own mobile app, third-party tools, fleet management systems) can read this format.

What you can do with it

Authority inspection — if a control authority requests driver data for a specific date, download and hand it over.
External analysis — send the file by email to a fleet consultant or another company for independent review.
Archiving — keep a backup copy on your own company server.
Import to other software — load it into a different fleet-management tool or third-party AETR analyser.

How long do we keep the files?

TachoData keeps your uploaded .ddd files as long as your account exists. There is no automatic deletion. The only way they disappear is if you yourself trigger the Permanent account deletion flow.

Bulk download?

The current version of the portal supports one-by-one downloads. If you regularly need to download many files at once, or have a bulk-export requirement, please let us know by email — we will extend the system to accommodate your use case.

The downloaded file is cryptographically signed by the tachograph — it carries the same authoritative weight as if you had downloaded it directly from the tachograph yourself.