ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES?

Do you have any questions about our digital tachographs, data management products, software solutions or the cloud services?

Take a look at our list of Frequently Asked Questions. In 90% of cases, you will find the answer to your question is already provided there.

If you do not find the answer you need, you can write to us and we will do our best to answer your question as soon as possible.

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DTCO

Is there an update for digital tachographs that will enable drivers to make manual entries later like they can do with the new tachographs?

For legal and technical reasons, a software update of the older devices that would enable them to accept manual entries in the same way as the current devices is unfortunately not possible.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE A MANUAL ENTRY?

The EU regulation states that all driving times of a driver must be documented without gaps – preferably on the driver’s card. If this is not possible, a driver must carry a confirmation (EU form) from the company covering the last 28 days before he starts the trip.

WHY ARE MY TIMES CALCULATED THE WAY THEY ARE IN THE DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH?

The calculation of the times is done using fixed parameters, which are defined in the EU regulation – irrespective of the digital tachograph’s manufacturer.

DOES EVERY DRIVER HAVE TO ENTER THE CURRENT COUNTRY IN THE DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH’S MENU SYSTEM AT THE START OF HIS DAILY WORKING TIME AND ALSO AT THE END OF THE DAY?

Article 34 (7) of the EU regulation No. 165/2014 stipulates the following: “The driver shall enter in the digital tachograph the symbols of the countries in which the daily working period started and finished.” So yes, it’s necessary to enter the country symbol at the start and end of your daily work period even if the country has not changed and/or the driver card remained in the device overnight. The legal requirements do not suggest any rule according to which a country symbol only has to be entered if the country has changed.

HOW DOES THE TACHOGRAPH HANDLE A DRIVER CARD THAT HAS EXPIRED? WILL THE CARD STILL BE ACCEPTED IN THE TACHOGRAPH? WILL AN ERROR MESSAGE BE DISPLAYED? WILL DATA STILL BE SAVED ON THAT CARD?

A driver card with an expired validity date will no longer be accepted by the tachograph. The “Card invalid” error message will appear in the display and the card will be ejected. This also means that no further data will be saved on the expired card. In this case, the driver or the company must apply for or purchase a new card from the card-issuing body which is responsible.

THE DISPLAY SHOWS THIS MESSAGE: “DOWNLOAD IN DAYS 0”. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THE MESSAGE ONLY APPEARS FOR 2 SECONDS.

This message means that the driver card or mass memory download is due, hence the “0 days” in the display.

An authorised workshop can program the DTCO so that this message appears in the display a few days beforehand.

So you must read out the driver card and/or the mass memory of the digital tachograph.

The driver card must be read out at least every 28 days and the mass memory data at least every 90 days.

I’m a freelancer, and I bought a used 3.5t truck which has a DTCO 1381 tachograph installed. THE DEVICE IS DISPLAYING “VOLTAGE INTERRUPTION”. I ALSO DRIVE TRAILERS OCCASIONALLY FOR MY FREELANCE BUSINESS. WHAT MUST I DO TO USE THE TACHOGRAPH PROPERLY?

You’ll need a company card and a driver card to operate the tachograph properly.

You can apply for these cards either at your local trade office or at vehicle registration and technical inspection authority offices.

The first step is to register the tachograph with the company card.

Make sure you have enough printer paper rolls in the vehicle.

You must also comply with the regular intervals that are prescribed for checking the device, meaning you must visit an authorised tachograph specialist workshop every 2 years.

Tachograph repairs and calibrations may only be carried out by authorised specialist workshops.

You can usually find relevant information in the operating manual, which must always be in the vehicle. If you don’t have this manual, we recommend that you purchase one from our dealers or a specialist workshop.

For reading out the driver cards (every 28 days at the latest) and the mass memory of the digital tachograph (every 90 days at the latest), we recommend our current DLK Pro Downloadkey with the article number A2C59515252. It contains an integrated card reader for reading out driver cards. If you have this key, you don’t need a licence card to unlock the integrated card reader.

However, the key only reads out and archives the data – you can’t display and evaluate any data with it.

Our TIS-Web Data Management online solution is ideal for evaluating driver and vehicle data.

The monthly fees for this depend on the number of vehicles and users recorded and the range of functions used, which can be flexibly selected in various user levels.

All you have to do is transfer the vehicle and driver card data to the TIS-Web platform. The data is then backed up in a professional data centre.

We do not offer access to TIS-Web in our webshop. We recommend that you contact one of our specialist dealers for this.

We can offer you our DLK Pro TIS-Compact (article number A2C59515262) as an alternative here. It’s almost like the DLK Pro Download Key, because if you have it, you don’t need a licence card to activate the integrated card reader. However, the difference is that the DLK Pro TIS-Compact is restricted to a fleet of up to 5 vehicles and up to 10 drivers. This key also differs from the normal DLK Pro in that it contains software you can install on your PC or laptop. This means you can store the data locally on your computer and also display and evaluate it. If you decide to use the DLK Pro TIS-Compact, you don’t need additional TIS-Web access.

I’M A TRUCK DRIVER AND MY JOB DESCRIPTION INCLUDES MONITORING THE TECHNICAL STATE OF OUR FLEET.

The buffer batteries in the digital tachographs must be replaced every 2 years as part of the periodic DTCO tests.

This ensures that the digital tachograph is not damaged. The DTCO must continue to safely store the data for 1 year after disconnection from an external supply voltage (e.g. the vehicle battery).

If the buffer batteries are not replaced every 2 years, there is a risk that they will discharge. This means that the data stored in the DTCO will be irrevocably lost and the DTCO will no longer function.

The only thing you can do then is to replace the device.

One special feature of the DTCO 1381 Release 2.1 is the integrated VDO counter, which shows the remaining driving and rest times in real time on the device’s display.

Please note that the VDO counter function of the DTCO Rel. 2.1, which is directly installed by the vehicle manufacturer ex works, must be activated with an additional DTCO VDO Counter Update card.

The VDO counter is already enabled in our “DTCO 1381 Rel. 2.1 active” retrofit devices. If you have this release, you don’t need an update card.

WHAT LEGAL OPTIONS DO I HAVE IF I WANT TO USE A TACHOGRAPH IN AN “OUT OF SCOPE” MODE?

“Out of Scope” mode means that the vehicle is travelling outside the scope of the regulation. This is possible for trips outside EU countries, for example, and may also be possible for trips on non-public roads. However, it may be open to interpretation and it is sometimes evaluated differently from state to state. As the manufacturer of the tachographs, we cannot make any legally binding statements in this case. We highly recommend that you contact your trade supervisory authority.

MY 2008 VEHICLE STILL HAS A TACHOGRAPH WITHOUT THE 1 MINUTE REGULATION. HOW CAN I HAVE THIS CHANGED?

It is of course possible to replace the DTCO in your vehicle with a new device. Depending on the vehicle type, a vehicle-specific version can be used if necessary, or alternatively, you can use a “Universal DTCO”, which is then parameterised accordingly.

In any case, this work must be done by an authorised tachograph specialist workshop.

You can find suitable specialist workshops here.

Download Tools

WHY DOES THE DATA DOWNLOAD TAKE SO LONG?

Since the interface of the digital tachograph is technically defined by EU regulation, the speed of the data download can only be influenced to a limited extent, as this interface does not generally permit fast data transmission.

THE DATA FROM THE DRIVER CARD IS BEING READ OUT CORRECTLY, BUT THE DATA FROM THE TRUCK ISN’T BEING READ OUT. WHY?

Question:
I have no data from the truck during a certain period, but the driver card data is read out correctly. I use the DLK Pro. Why?

Answer:
1) Do you also regularly load the mass memory from your digital tachograph into your archiving software? If not, then it’s possible that only certain sections are taken from the mass memory data for reporting purposes, depending on the archiving software. If only data from the driver card is downloaded, that is insufficient and does not comply with the legal requirements.

2) If only some of the vehicle data is missing (gaps), then this may be due to the following reasons: Because the download key is set to “Since the last download” by default, only the (vehicle) data that has been added since the last download is downloaded. If the (vehicle) download is now interrupted for any reason (accidental removal, etc.) then the download key notes the date of the download but the interruption prevents it from downloading any data – so data will be missing. When data is downloaded again, then only the most recent data is requested (since the last download, even if this was defective). However, the old, missing data will no longer be downloaded.

The solution:
Set DLK Pro to “entire mass memory” (Workplace/Keytools/Start.exe) and repeat the download. When the download has completed, all the data should be available again. You can then set the DLK Pro back to “Since the last download”. It also downloads more quickly with this setting.

WE’RE INTERESTED IN THE DLK PRO DOWNLOAD KEY. IS THERE ANY LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND DRIVERS THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED?

Question:
We’re interested in the DLK Pro Download Key. Is there any limitation on the number of vehicles and drivers that can be downloaded? Eight vehicles and 14 drivers can currently be downloaded. At present, we use an older VDO download stick + card reader to send our data in ddd format to an external company for evaluation and archiving. Can we carry on doing this with the DLK Pro?

Answer:
The DLK Pro Downloadkey has no limitation in terms of drivers and vehicles, it’s only the amount of memory that’s limited. You can use the “new” Downloadkey in the same way as the older one, but a card reader is already integrated into the newer version. Only the DLK Pro TIS Compact is limited – but only in the evaluation function (5 vehicles, 10 drivers), not with the download itself. If you want to send the driver’s card or vehicle data automatically, we recommend our Remote Download Device DLD. The DLD system gets the data into the office 100% automatically, so you won’t have to chase after your drivers or vehicles for information if you use this system.

CAN I RETRIEVE MISSING DATA?

Question:
I have several trucks. In the case of one vehicle, it’s vital that I get all the tachograph data. The truck has been with me since September 2014, but the UN card was apparently not inserted until February 2016. Right now I can only read the data from today to February 2016. Is there any way to get the “missing” data (September 2014 - February 2016)?

Answer:
If your company card was inserted into the digital tachograph for the first time in February 2016, the data should also be downloadable before the company lock was set in February 2016 (free data). However, from the information you’ve given us, we believe that another company must have already been registered before that – so you can’t download this data with your company card. An authorised workshop can download all the data using its workshop card, but it’s only allowed to release the free data (without a company lock) and the data protected with your company lock to you.

I’M LOOKING FOR A SYSTEM THAT CAN REMOTELY READ OUT VEHICLE AND DRIVER DATA.

This is where our DLD Short Range II and DLD Wide Range II products excel. You’ll need a DLD basic kit for each vehicle. When the vehicle is in a defined area on the fleet site, its data is transmitted to the office PC with the DLD Short Range II via a wireless local area network (WLAN) controlled by the TIS-Web RTM web application.

The DLD Wide Range II on the other hand, transmits tachograph and driver card data to a VDO server on a mobile network (using GPRS), so the data can be read out and transmitted at any time, e.g. from a motorway rest area.

Both of these solutions perform downloads automatically in line with the defined company requirements, which are set in the Remote Manager (RTM). The company card remains in the office and this, plus encrypted data transmission, ensures greater security.

You’ll need the hardware of the basic kit and it will also have to be installed & configured. You’ll also need to have the necessary remote manager (RTM Web Application) installed and you’ll have to be shown how to operate everything smoothly by our dealers.

I NEED A QUOTE FOR A PROGRAM AND THE ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT THAT CAN READ OUT AND MANAGE TRUCK DRIVER CARDS AND THE RELEVANT VEHICLE DATA. PLUS ONLINE DATA PROCESSING.

Question:
I need a quote for a program and the associated equipment that can read out and manage truck driver cards and the relevant vehicle data. If possible, I’d like to manage and store the data on one of your servers so I can work with it online.

Answer:
For reading out driver cards (every 28 days at the latest) and the mass memory of the digital tachograph (every 90 days at the latest), we recommend our current DLK Pro Downloadkey with the article number A2C59515252. It contains an integrated card reader to read out driver cards. If you have this key, you don’t need a licence card to unlock the integrated card reader.

However, the key only reads out and archives the data – you can’t display and evaluate any data with it.

Our TIS-Web Data Management online solution is ideal for evaluating driver and vehicle data.

The monthly fees for this depend on the number of vehicles and users recorded and the range of functions used, which can be flexibly selected in various user levels. All you have to do is transfer the vehicle and driver card data to the TIS-Web platform. The data is then backed up in a professional data centre.

I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DLK PRO.

The (blue-black) DLK Pro Downloadkey with the article number A2C59515252 is only a solution for reading out and archiving data. You can’t display and evaluate any data with it. Our TIS-Web Data Management online solution is ideal for evaluating driver and vehicle data. The monthly fees for this depend on the number of vehicles and users recorded and the range of functions used, which can be flexibly selected in various user levels. All you have to do is transfer the vehicle and driver card data to the TIS-Web platform. The data is then backed up in a professional data centre. We do not offer access to TIS-Web in our webshop. In your case, we recommend that you contact one of our specialist dealers.

We can offer you our DLKPro TIS-Compact (article number A2C59515262) as an alternative here. It’s almost like the DLK Pro Downloadkey, because if you have it, you don’t need a licence card to activate the integrated card reader. This product is restricted to a fleet of up to 5 vehicles and up to 10 drivers. This key also differs from the normal DLK Pro in that it contains software you can install on your PC or laptop. This means you can store the data locally on your computer and also display and evaluate it. If you decide to use the DLKPro TIS-Compact, you don’t need additional TIS-Web access. You can also purchase the DLK Pro TIS-Compact from our webshop (www.vdo-shop.de) or from one of our dealers.

WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE DLD WIDE RANGE. OUR QUESTION IS: WHICH COMPANIES SELL IT? WHAT KIND OF COSTS ARE INVOLVED FOR THE PURCHASING COMPANY?

You’ll need a DLD basic kit for each vehicle. The DLD Wide Range II transmits data securely over a mobile phone network (GPRS) to a VDO server, which you can access via a protected Internet connection. The download takes place automatically in line with the defined company requirements, which are set in the Remote Manager (RTM). The company card remains in the office and this, plus encrypted data transmission, ensures greater security.

In this case, we recommend that you contact one of our specialist dealers, who will be happy to provide you with a detailed offer.

You’ll need the hardware of the relevant basic kit and it will also have to be installed & configured. You’ll also need to have the necessary remote manager (RTM Web Application) installed and you’ll have to be shown how to operate everything smoothly by our dealers.

WE’RE ACTIVE IN THE EVENTS SECTOR AND ARE ORGANISING A ROADSHOW WITH A SHOW TRUCK.

Question:
We are active in the event sector and are organising a roadshow with a show truck. The vehicle is a Dodge RAM and it’s to be equipped with a digital tachograph. Since the vehicle will be out of our reach for months, we’d like to arrange for a download of the driver data via remote download. Is this possible with this vehicle and what equipment is needed? We would also be interested in the price.

Answer:
In your case, our DLD Wide Range II solution is ideal for the remote readout of tachograph and driver card data.

You’ll need a DLD basic kit for the vehicle. The DLD Wide Range II transmits data securely over a mobile phone network (GPRS) to a VDO server, which you can access via a protected Internet connection.

The download takes place automatically in line with the defined company requirements, which are set in the Remote Manager (RTM). The company card remains in the office and this, plus encrypted data transmission, ensures greater security.

We recommend that you contact one of our specialist dealers, who will be happy to provide you with a detailed offer.

You’ll need the hardware of the relevant basic kit and it will have to be installed & configured. You’ll also need to have the necessary remote manager (RTM Web Application) installed and you’ll have to be shown how to operate everything smoothly by our dealers. Our dealers can also check which digital tachograph would match your vehicle and your requirements perfectly.

HOW CAN I VIEW THE DATA THAT’S STORED ON THE DOWNLOAD KEY? CAN I DO THIS WITHOUT TIS-WEB?

The DLK Pro Downloadkey is only a solution for reading out and archiving data. You can’t display and evaluate any data with it. Our TIS-Web Data Management online solution is ideal for evaluating driver and vehicle data. The monthly fees for this depend on the number of vehicles and users recorded and the range of functions used, which can be flexibly selected in various user levels. All you have to do is transfer the vehicle and driver card data to the TIS-Web platform. The data is then backed up in a professional data centre.

We do not offer access to TIS-Web in our webshop. We recommend that you contact one of our specialist dealers for this.

We can offer you our DLKPro TIS-Compact (article number A2C59515262) as an alternative here. It’s almost like the DLK Pro Downloadkey, because if you have it, you don’t need a licence card to activate the integrated card reader. However, the difference is that the DLK Pro TIS-Compact is restricted to a fleet of up to 5 vehicles and up to 10 drivers.

This key also differs from the normal DLK Pro in that it contains software you can install on your PC or laptop. This means you can store the data locally on your computer and also display and evaluate it. If you decide to use the DLKPro TIS-Compact, you don’t need additional TIS-Web access.

You can also purchase the DLK Pro TIS-Compact from our webshop (www.vdo-shop.de) or from one of our dealers.

”No authorisation” displayed on the DLK Pro Download Key?

Question:
I have the VDO Download Key DLK Pro to read out the tachograph data. When I plug the DLK into the tachograph in the truck, it takes about 15 minutes, then it lights up green. So far, so good. But when I insert the driver’s card in the DLK, I get a “No Authorization” message. I also can’t view driver activity on my PC. I can see that something has taken place on this date, but nothing more. Do I need additional software for this and is it mandatory? Is this readout process correct and sufficient?

Answer:
You obviously have a download key that hasn’t been unlocked yet. It was not automatically included from the outset, but was activated via an additional activation card. The current versions already have this included. From March on, there will probably be an update in which the DLK Pro card readers that have not yet been activated will be activated free of charge. However, it’s mandatory to read out the driver card as well. Depending on the archiving software, this can also be downloaded using an additional card reader (external USB). Alternatively, the download key can also download the driver card while downloading the mass memory (here the driver card must also be inserted in the digital tachograph and the driver card download must be enabled in the DLK settings). In all cases, the data is archived and evaluated using archiving software (e.g. TIS-Web). Simply downloading the data does not comply with legal requirements.

I’m a freelancer, and I bought a used 3.5t truck which has a DTCO 1381 tachograph installed. The device is displaying “Voltage Interruption”. I also drive trailers occasionally for my freelance business. What must I do to use the tachograph properly?