On March 9th, the new issue of the specialized magazine "Der Österreichische Transporteur" was released. We are very pleased to be mentioned for our TachoLOG® software for tachograph data management. Due to legal requirements and the obligation of entrepreneurs to monitor drivers' driving, working, and rest times, various legal obligations arise, which are easy to comply with using TachoLOG®.

Enjoy reading the article!

Avoiding Fines

Software solutions can assist transport operators in meeting legal requirements, including the archiving and analysis of digital tachograph data.

Key legal regulations for monitoring drivers' driving and rest times include Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006 on the harmonization of certain social regulations, Regulation (EU) No. 165/2014 on the use of tachographs in road transport, the EU Mobility Package of 31.07.2020, as well as other national and international laws, from which various requirements for entrepreneurs can be derived, including:

• Regular download of data from the tachograph of all vehicles and driver cards
• Securing the data Analysis of the data according to various criteria
• Instruction of drivers in the correct use of the tachograph
• Instruction of drivers in case of violations
• Archiving data from the vehicle unit and driver card

Consequences

Fines for non-compliance with driving and rest times can be costly for drivers and operators. In extreme cases, operators may even be held liable. This may be the case, for example, if the specified deadlines and routes cannot be met by the driver and the operator threatens consequences for non-compliance with the orders.

Analysis

The issue of driving and rest times is complex and in some areas very confusing. Compliance with driving and rest times is, however, to be checked by law also within the company itself. Among the duties of the entrepreneur are the regular storage, archiving, and reading of driver card and mass storage data. With modern software solutions such as "TachoLog", not only the duties of the entrepreneur can be fulfilled, but also important business data (stand times, mileage, working hours) can be recorded and violations checked. If there is a violation of driving or rest time, entrepreneurs are obliged to instruct the drivers accordingly. These instructions help both entrepreneurs and fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers to get an overview of the violations and learn from mistakes. Through this education, future violations can be reduced or even completely avoided.

Violation Analysis

A special highlight of TachoLog - distributed in Austria by TachoEasy GmbH based in Pöttelsdorf, Burgenland - is the "Violation Analysis", which shows entrepreneurs and fleet managers the violations within the fleet and can be used to instruct drivers. According to TachoEasy, "This way, violations can be noticed before the control authorities, drivers can be instructed, and fines can be avoided." The company has always relied on personal contact and also offers various training courses in the area of entrepreneurial duties.