Carriers must be able to demonstrate that drivers comply with European driving and rest time regulations. To this end, the tachograph records, among other things, driving time, other work activities, availability, breaks, and rest periods.
As of July 1, 2026, this requirement no longer applies exclusively to trucks and buses. Light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass exceeding 2,500 kilograms are also subject to European driving and rest time regulations when used for international freight transport or cabotage.
In principle, these vehicles must then be equipped with the second-generation smart tachograph: Smart Tacho 2.
This affects more than just transportation companies. Couriers, delivery services, service organizations, construction companies, and other businesses that transport goods across borders using delivery vans must also assess whether their vehicles and operations fall under the new requirement.
Status of the legislation: July 2026.
European driving and rest periods are established to:
The rules apply to employees and self-employed drivers, as well as to transport for their own account and for the account of third parties, unless a specific exemption applies.
It is the driver’s responsibility to operate the tachograph correctly. The transportation company must organize work in a way that ensures compliance and must retain, review, and, where necessary, follow up on the recorded data.
The European driving and rest time regulations and tachograph requirement generally apply to:
The weight taken into account is the maximum authorized mass of the entire combination. A delivery van may weigh less than 2,500 kilograms on its own, but could still exceed the limit due to a trailer.
The expansion to light commercial vehicles is particularly relevant for vans with a maximum authorized mass of more than 2,500 kilograms up to and including 3,500 kilograms.
The new requirement applies when the vehicle is used for:
As of July 1, 2026, these delivery vans will be subject to the same European driving and rest time regulations as heavier trucks. They must also be equipped with a Smart Tacho 2.
A delivery van weighing between 2,500 and 3,500 kilograms that operates exclusively within the Netherlands is not automatically subject to the tachograph requirement under this new European expansion. The expansion effective July 1, 2026, applies to international freight transport and cabotage.
If the maximum authorized mass of the vehicle or combination exceeds 3,500 kilograms, the standard tachograph requirement may apply.
The exact assessment depends on the vehicle, the combination, the nature of the work, and any exemptions.
There are international and national exemptions. For example, under certain conditions, an exemption may apply to vehicles or combinations weighing up to 7,500 kilograms that a driver uses to transport materials, tools, or machinery necessary for his or her own profession.
Conditions apply, such as:
For vehicles weighing between 2,500 and 3,500 kilograms, there is also an international exemption when goods are transported for the driver’s own account and driving is not the driver’s primary activity. In such cases, the transport may not be carried out on behalf of third parties.
Exemptions also apply to, among others, emergency services, certain agricultural activities, repair and recovery vehicles, and some specific government tasks.
In most cases, you do not need to apply for an exemption in advance. However, during an inspection, you must be able to demonstrate that you meet all the conditions. Therefore, always have your specific situation assessed and keep accurate records.
For drivers subject to Regulation 561/2006, the following limits apply, among others:
A driver may normally drive a maximum of nine hours per day. Twice a week, this may be extended to ten hours.
The maximum driving time is 56 hours per week.
Over two consecutive weeks, a driver may drive a maximum of 90 hours. This limit is cumulative: not only do weeks one and two count together, but so do weeks two and three.
After driving for a maximum of 4.5 hours, the driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes.
This break may be split into:
The order is mandatory. Two breaks of 30 and 15 minutes do not comply with this split-break rule.
Driving time is not the same as working time. Loading and unloading, cleaning, maintenance, administrative tasks, and other activities may also count as working time.
The following rules, among others, apply to working time:
A driver must therefore not only insert the driver card but also select the correct activity. Examples include driving, other tasks, availability, break, or rest.
Selecting the wrong activity can later lead to an incorrect assessment of driving and rest times, as well as errors when the same data is used for time tracking.
The standard daily rest period is at least eleven consecutive hours.
This rest period may:
A normal weekly rest period lasts at least 45 consecutive hours. Under certain conditions, this may be reduced to a minimum of 24 hours. The missed rest must be compensated for later in accordance with European regulations.
A normal or compensated weekly rest period may not be spent in the cab. The employer must provide suitable accommodations with appropriate sleeping and sanitary facilities and cover the associated costs.
In addition, the transportation company must organize work so that a driver can return to his or her place of residence or the company’s usual place of business at least once every four weeks.
Smart Tacho 2 is the second-generation smart tachograph. For new vehicles subject to tachograph requirements, this type has been mandatory since August 21, 2023.
For heavy-duty vehicles engaged in international transport, the European transition periods have now expired. As of August 2025, all heavy-duty vehicles operating in a Member State other than their country of registration must be equipped with Smart Tacho 2.
Starting July 1, 2026, this requirement also applies to light commercial vehicles weighing more than 2,500 kilograms that are subject to tachograph requirements and are used in international freight transport.
Smart Tacho 2 records, among other things:
The tachograph also features DSRC technology. This allows enforcement authorities to remotely receive certain technical data and more effectively determine which vehicles to inspect on the road.
A Smart Tacho 2 helps record activities, but it does not automatically make your organization compliant.
To ensure compliance, the processes surrounding the tachograph must also be properly organized:
When this is done manually, it takes a lot of time. Vehicles and drivers must be available for downloads, and the administration must monitor for missing data itself.
Rietveld’s EasyTacho automates the retrieval and management of tachograph and driver card data.
The digital tachograph and driver card are read remotely. As a result, a vehicle does not need to return to the branch specifically for this purpose, and the driver does not need to manually present his card for a download.
EasyTacho supports, among other things:
EasyTacho can read the driver card according to a fixed cycle and automatically download the mass memory. This prevents legal download deadlines from being exceeded unnoticed.
With EasyTacho Live, the scheduler can see how much driving time a driver still has available and when a break or rest period is needed.
This helps plan trips more realistically and make timely adjustments. For example, a planner can see sooner that a driver will no longer be able to reach a destination within the remaining driving time.
This offers practical benefits:
EasyTacho does not assume the responsibility of the driver or the carrier. However, it does provide faster access to available data, allowing for timely action.
EasyTacho focuses on tachograph management and compliance with driving and rest periods. EasyTrack adds real-time insight into vehicles, trips, locations, stops, and deployment.
Combining both solutions provides a more complete picture:
This combination helps planners, fleet managers, and administrative staff work from a single, reliable data stream.
Tachograph data isn’t just relevant for monitoring driving and rest times. The recorded activities can also be used as the basis for calculating estimated hours and payroll.
Among other things, the driver records the following via the tachograph:
EasyHours can process this data in accordance with the company’s policies and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) rules. Examples include:
In this way, data that is already legally required to be recorded is also put to practical use in payroll administration.
The quality of the results depends on accurate data entry by the driver and the proper configuration of the collective bargaining agreement and company policies.
Selman Transporten, based in Bemmel, has a fleet of 25 trucks, 35 drivers, and 10 office staff. The company has been a pioneer in transportation automation since 1993.
Together with Rietveld, Selman developed a solution in which the smart tachograph forms the basis for time tracking. A Qan-All vehicle server provides access to the necessary vehicle, trip, and location data. EasyHours then processes this data into a preliminary payroll calculation.
The solution is based on a clear principle: the driver is not an administrator.
The driver records his activities via the tachograph, as required by law. The data is then processed automatically. This eliminates the need for duplicate entries, and—depending on the chosen configuration—the preliminary payroll calculation can even be performed without a traditional onboard computer.
Among other things, this provides Selman with:
The solution was jointly developed, tested, and refined over the course of about a year. In doing so, Selman demonstrates that innovation doesn’t always mean adding more systems. Sometimes the best solution comes from using available data more intelligently.
Each solution has its own specific function:
Automates the retrieval, archiving, and analysis of tachograph and driver card data. Provides insight into driving and rest times and supports compliance.
Provides real-time insight into locations, trips, routes, stops, and vehicle usage. Supports scheduling, administration, and fleet management.
Processes hours and activities into a preliminary payroll calculation based on configured collective bargaining agreements and company policies.
By intelligently connecting these data sources and applications, a single, cohesive process is created: from activity in the vehicle to scheduling, monitoring, and payroll processing.
The combination you need depends on your vehicles, tachographs, drivers, existing systems, and administrative processes.
Especially with the expansion to light commercial vehicles, it’s wise to reassess your fleet.
Check the following for each vehicle or combination:
Pay special attention to delivery vans that normally operate in the Netherlands but occasionally make an international trip. A single cross-border trip can mean that a vehicle weighing more than 2,500 kilograms suddenly falls under the European requirement.
Driving and rest time regulations require more than just a functioning device in the vehicle. Reliable compliance is achieved when recording, downloads, monitoring, scheduling, and payroll processing are seamlessly integrated.
With EasyTacho, EasyTrack, and EasyHours, Rietveld helps connect these processes. That means less manual work, faster insights, and greater certainty for drivers, dispatchers, and administrative staff.
Not sure if your trucks, vans, or vehicle combinations are subject to the new regulations? Or would you like to automatically use tachograph data for scheduling and payroll processing?
Have our specialists assess your vehicles, tachographs, and processes, and get advice on EasyTacho, EasyTrack, and EasyHours.
Together, we’ll strengthen your fleet, employees, and organization with reliable data and smart automation.