Stoneridge Ready for Smart Tachograph Launch in 2019
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Sep. 18, 2018 — The European Commission is introducing new legislation to reduce fraud through tachograph manipulation, improve the efficiency of the control of the system and reduce the administrative burden on fleets. Stoneridge is ready for this change with the development of its new Smart Tachograph, to ensure drivers will be compliant, productive and working with the latest technology. Today, Stoneridge announced that it is ready for the new legislation for tachographs with its 1C Smart Tachograph, which will be ready in time for the June 2019 effective date.
Mikael Johansson, Director of Tachograph Systems, Product Management at Stoneridge, commented: “We’re excited to be working with our OE customers during the final test phases to ensure that our product exceeds the regulatory requirements and meets the needs of our customers and their customers. To support our customers we will be ready for product introduction in advance of the June 2019 required date. To support fleet and workshop customers, we have updated our website with useful information on how this new legislation will impact them and will continue to provide the products and services required to keep them legal and increase their efficiency. Stoneridge is well positioned to ensure that all our customers have a seamless transition into this new phase of tachograph and data handling.”
Changes for Fleets and Drivers
Although fleets and drivers across Europe will still need to comply with the Drivers’ Hours Legislation and Working Time Directive there will be a host of advanced features in the new tachograph, including a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module which records the vehicle’s location at the start and the end of a journey, together with updates every three hours.
The Smart Tachograph will also use Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) and a secure radio device to communicate remotely with roadside inspection officers, without stopping the vehicle. This will allow certain data on possible infringements to be sent remotely to officers, allowing compliant drivers to continue their journey uninterrupted, saving time and resources.
There will be a continued need to download, store and analyse digital tachograph data and this will include a new set of data; incorporating GNSS data, improvements to ferry mode and recording of new events and faults. For transport operators this will mean ensuring their download tools can receive the new data set.
Regarding driver cards, current cards are planned to be phased out, to be replaced by a new 1C version, which will record the additional information under the new legislation. The new card will work in all tachographs, including current models, whilst the current cards will also work in Smart Tachographs but will only record the driving set that applies to the current 1B legislation. Transport operators with Smart
Tachographs in their fleet will also need to get a new company card.
Workshop preparation
Tachograph Calibration Workshops will also need to prepare for the introduction of the Smart Tachograph. Although they will still need to configure, programme and calibrate the tachograph, they will need to ensure their workshop tools are updated to take account of the new Smart Tachograph features. This will include the correct testing procedure for the GNSS feature, as well as testing the DSRC module.
Once calibrated, Smart Tachographs will require revised plaques which will now hold more information. Stoneridge workshops will be able to use their existing printers and plaques, as well as updated CITO2 workshop software.
Another feature is new seals which will have a unique identification number allocated by the manufacturer. These will be fully traceable from manufacturer to installer. Stoneridge will provide the approved seals and distribute them through their workshop network. Workshops will need to record the use of the seal after calibration. The seal number used at calibration must be recorded on the vehicle calibration plaque. This is all done automatically with Stoneridge’s CITO2 workshop software. Workshop technicians will need to prepare too, by obtaining a new workshop card to work with a Smart Tachograph and completing an approved Annex 1C Tachograph Fitter course.
Any change in legislation can seem daunting, but Stoneridge is ready to help fleets, drivers and workshops through this change, offering a wealth of online training and support information as well as face to face training on the new tachograph features for fleets and drivers and fitter training for workshops.
For more information visit www.SE5000.com.