Tachograph downloads: deadlines, roadside checks and storage
Driver cards must be downloaded at least every 28 days and vehicle units every 90. What else applies at a roadside check, and how long you have to keep the files.
Download deadlines
Regulation (EU) 581/2010 sets the longest gap allowed between two downloads:
- driver card: at most 28 days,
- vehicle unit: at most 90 days.
Data must be downloaded so that nothing is lost. First-generation cards are built for at least 28 days of activity; once the memory is full, the oldest days are overwritten. A late download is therefore not only a missed deadline, it can also mean lost data.
The recitals of the regulation explain that only days with recorded activity count towards the period. In practice it is safer to count calendar days. Downloading more often costs nothing, while being late means a fine.
What the driver must show at a check
Since 31 December 2024, at a roadside check the driver must produce records for the current day and the previous 56 days, up from 28. This is set by Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 165/2014, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054.
Second-generation driver cards hold enough data for the whole period. With older cards the first days may be missing, so the driver has to prove them another way, for example with printouts. In its 2026 questions and answers, the European Commission also mentions that the operator may send already downloaded data to the inspector. Check what the enforcement authority accepts in the country you drive in.
How long to keep the files
The operator must keep downloaded card and vehicle data for at least 12 months after recording and make it available to inspectors on request (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Article 10). National rules may require longer. Keep the original DDD files with their digital signature, not just printouts or reports, because only the original is proof.
Second-generation smart tachograph
Vehicles in international transport had to replace analogue and older digital tachographs by the end of 2024, and first-generation smart tachographs by August 2025. The second-generation smart tachograph records border crossings by itself, and the driver also enters loading and unloading on it.
Since 1 July 2026 this also applies to light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes in international transport or cabotage. Driving and rest time rules apply to them as well. Own-account transport is exempt where driving is not the driver’s main activity.
Where it most often goes wrong
- The driver is away for weeks. The card reaches the office too late. The fix is remote download, which needs no visit to the vehicle.
- The vehicle is parked, in the workshop or sold. The tachograph download is forgotten because the vehicle is no longer active. Download the data before selling the vehicle or returning it from a lease.
- A download fails and nobody notices. The deadline passes although you thought everything was done.
- The files are scattered across computers, USB sticks and emails. When the inspector asks for them, you search for days.
- Regulation (EU) 581/2010
- Regulation (EU) 165/2014
- Regulation (EU) 2020/1054
- Regulation (EC) No 561/2006
This article is a general summary of EU rules on the date of publication and is not legal advice. For a specific case, check the rules in force with the competent authority.
Read next
The Mobility Package: what a haulier has to keep track of
Driver and vehicle return, weekly rest, cabotage, posting of drivers and border crossings. The rules in one place, and what you need on record when an inspection comes.
TripsHow to bill waiting time at loading and unloading
Hours at the ramp are the cost hauliers most often give away. How to agree on it, what to record and how to put together a claim the customer will find hard to refuse.
We'll show you on your own vehicles
Tell us how many vehicles you have and what you need. We'll reply with a proposal and a demo date.