TruckandTrackSpring2020

Truck and Track Spring 2020 www.truckandtrack.com 22 TACHOGRAPH ANALYSIS Tachograph data can provide a great overview of drivers and vehicles when used correctly by Transport Managers in their reporting. The obligation to save digital tachograph driver and vehicle data applies equally to all companies, whether they are small, medium or large transport companies. That seems clear enough however the experts from the technology company Continental point out that it’s up to each individual business to decide just how it’s going to fulfill this obligation. The various product offerings from simple download keys to hardware for automatic downloading, raise many questions for those concerned and hardly anyone has the time or inclination to create a detailed analysis and weigh up the pros and cons in the stressful everyday life of a transport company. This creates frustration and means that companies fail to use their potential to improve their efficiency. “Neither of these scenarios has to happen,” says Diego Santos-Burgoa, who advises many customers in his position as Head of Aftermarket Sales in Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Fleet Services business segment. The company has already sold more than 500,000 of its VDO download keys, 200,000 of which are of the latest generation. “We usually find the right choice for a specific fleet by asking four simple questions during a conversation,” adds Santos-Burgoa. The experts have summarized these questions and explained which tool is best suited – and when. A quick orientation is also provided by the associated infographic. 1. Howmuch can be budgeted? For fleets with small budgets, download keys are the right choice. However, if a fleet requires a higher quantity of download keys and have many vehicles to download, it pays to consider a different option. For example, an upload terminal can transfer some of the data from the tachograph to the archive automatically. A VDO SmartTerminal can be set up in the company’s premises and drivers can manually transfer their tachograph data to it. From here the data is fed by Wi-Fi into the company network. “The important thing is to keep the total costs in mind,” says Santos-Burgoa. 2. Can tachograph data be downloadedmanually or should it be sent automatically? At present, many transport companies have an employee who goes to the depot when many vehicles are present and walks from vehicle to vehicle with the download key, reading out the data manually. Sometimes even the owner performs this task. Companies that want to cut back on this activity and save time should invest in automatic solutions. An upload terminal like the VDO SmartTerminal relieves this work because drivers submit the data themselves. With automatic wireless downloading via SIM card, companies can cross this job off their to do lists. Downloading is performed automatically at preset times. There is more time to deal with important matters e.g. the evaluation of their tachograph data by means of automatically generated reports. 3. Will the solution ensure compliance with legal requirements? There’s no reason to worry. By downloading their data and backing it up, transport companies fulfill their legal obligations. Backup copies can be saved on a hard disc, a server or an SD memory card that can be inserted into a download key. However, when vehicles do not return to a depot regularly, an automatic solution like DLD Wide Range II with remote data transmission is almost imperative. Otherwise there is a risk of not meeting deadlines. By law, driver card data must be read and archived at intervals of no more than 28 days. For vehicle data the maximum interval is 90 days. 4. What about evaluation of tachograph data? Many companies are not yet making full use of the information Tachograph data – how fleets can find the ideal download tool fromContinental