Compliance guide

Smart tachograph generation 2: what fleets must fit, and when

The Mobility Package replaced the old tachograph landscape with a phased rollout of the second-generation smart tachograph. Most of the deadlines have now passed, and enforcement is routine — this is the schedule and what each stage actually requires.

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7 min read · Last reviewed 20 August 2026

Key takeaways

  • New vehicles registered from 21 August 2023 must have a second-generation smart tachograph.
  • Vehicles in international transport with analogue or digital tachographs had to be retrofitted by 31 December 2024.
  • First-generation smart tachographs in international transport had to be upgraded by 19 August 2025.
  • Vans over 2.5 tonnes in international transport come into scope from 1 July 2026.
  • Border crossings must be recorded — manually since February 2022, automatically on gen-2 units.

The rollout timeline

DateRequirement
21 Feb 2022Drivers must record the country when crossing a border, at the first possible stop
21 Aug 2023New vehicle registrations require a second-generation smart tachograph
31 Dec 2024Analogue and digital tachographs in international transport must be replaced with gen-2
19 Aug 2025First-generation smart tachographs in international transport must be upgraded to gen-2
1 Jul 2026Vans above 2.5 t in international transport must be fitted with a gen-2 smart tachograph

The deadlines apply to vehicles used in international transport and cabotage. A vehicle that never leaves its country of registration keeps its existing equipment until it is replaced, but the moment it takes one cross-border load it must comply.

What the second generation actually records

  • Automatic position logging at the start of a shift, every three hours of accumulated driving, and at the end of a shift.
  • Automatic border-crossing detection via GNSS, removing the manual country entry on compliant units.
  • Recording of loading and unloading events, which is what makes posting and cabotage checks enforceable.
  • Remote early detection so enforcement officers can flag a suspicious vehicle before stopping it.
  • DSRC communication with roadside readers, and an OSNMA-authenticated position signal that is much harder to spoof.

A practical fleet checklist

  • Inventory every vehicle by tachograph type and registration date, not by age or model.
  • Flag every vehicle that could take an international or cabotage load, including vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes.
  • Book workshop slots early — retrofit capacity is the binding constraint each time a deadline approaches.
  • Reissue driver cards where required and confirm they are readable in gen-2 units.
  • Update your download routine: gen-2 files are larger and contain new record types your analysis tool must understand.
  • Train drivers on the events they still enter manually — ferry and train crossings, out-of-scope driving and other work.

Primary sources

This guide is written for operational planning and is not legal advice. Rules are applied and enforced differently across member states — always verify against the current legal text and your national authority.

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Depot2Door ingests driver and vehicle downloads, analyses infringements automatically and links them to the routes that caused them — so you fix the roster, not just the report.

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Frequently asked questions

Does a domestic-only truck need a second-generation smart tachograph?

Not because of the retrofit deadlines, which target international transport and cabotage. It will need one when first registered new, since gen-2 has been mandatory for new registrations since 21 August 2023.

Do drivers still have to enter the country manually?

On a second-generation smart tachograph, border crossings are detected automatically. On older equipment the manual country entry at the first possible stop after the border remains mandatory.

What happens at a roadside check if a retrofit was missed?

It is treated as using a vehicle without the required recording equipment: fines vary by member state, and the vehicle can be immobilised until the situation is resolved. Enforcement authorities can also see the vehicle is non-compliant remotely.

How often must company card downloads be made?

Driver cards at least every 28 days and vehicle units at least every 90 days. Many operators download weekly so that missing data is caught while a driver can still explain it.

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