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NederlandsSmart tachograph: the retrofit deadlines and the 56 days of records
Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 changed the tachograph replacement timetable and extended the records drivers must carry on board. Where the obligations stand today.
The second generation of the smart tachograph has moved from being a workshop matter to being a roadside matter. It automatically records border crossings and loading and unloading operations, and talks to enforcement authorities over short range without the vehicle having to stop.
The replacement timetable
Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 set a sequence of deadlines for vehicles used in international transport:
| Vehicle situation | Replacement deadline |
|---|---|
| Analogue or digital tachograph (1st generation) | 31 December 2024 |
| First-generation smart tachograph | 19 August 2025 |
| Goods vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 t in international transport | 1 July 2026 |
Vehicles used in domestic traffic only are not covered by this retrofit obligation — they keep the equipment they have, within the normal two-year calibration cycle.
What changed in the records carried on board
Since 31 December 2024, the driver must produce the records for the current day and the previous 56 days. It used to be 28. In practice, that means an offence committed almost two months ago is still visible at a roadside check.
It covers:
- the driver card;
- the record sheets, if you drive a vehicle with an analogue tachograph;
- manual entries and printouts for periods when the device could not be used.
Borders and loading recorded automatically
The second-generation tachograph records the vehicle’s position at the start of the working day, every three hours of accumulated driving and at the end of the day. It also records every border crossing and loading and unloading operations.
Drivers with older equipment must still key in the country symbol manually on entry — an omission that has become one of the most frequently detected offences, precisely because it is logged in the device.
What to do if the device fails
If the tachograph breaks down, the driver must record all activity periods manually and the vehicle must be repaired as soon as circumstances allow. If returning to the operator’s premises is not possible, the repair must be carried out within one week of the breakdown.
Always keep the printouts and the workshop invoice: they are the proof that the irregularity had a technical cause and was fixed within the deadline.