Tachograph data download: what are the deadlines, and how does remote download work?
In short
The vehicle unit of a digital tachograph must be downloaded at least every 90 days, and driver cards at least every 28 days — the responsibility lies with the vehicle operator. At a roadside check, from 31 December 2024 drivers must be able to present the data for the current day and the previous 56 days (Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054). FleetControl automates the downloads, and the logbook app covers the 56-day presentation obligation, even offline.
Who must use a tachograph?
Under Section 92 (2) of Hungarian KöHÉM Decree 6/1990 (IV. 12.), vehicles of categories M2, M3 and N that fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 and the AETR Agreement must be fitted with recording equipment (tachograph) — with the exemptions for purely domestic operation listed in Section 92 (3) (e.g. transport by a public budgetary body, transport of agricultural products within 100 km, own-account buses with a maximum of 17 persons). Under Article 34 of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, drivers must use their driver card every day they drive a vehicle fitted with a tachograph.
The download deadlines
The vehicle unit data must be downloaded and retained at least every 90 days, and the driver card at least every 28 days. From day 70 for the vehicle unit and from day 24 for the cards, FleetControl automatically attempts a remote download — wherever the vehicle is — and sends an email alert if it does not succeed. The driver card can also be downloaded via the vehicle or with a central download box in the office.
The 56-day rule — and what lies behind it
Under Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, at a roadside check drivers must be able to present the data for the current day and the preceding period: as a result of the amendment by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054, this period increased from 28 to 56 days from 31 December 2024 (for record sheets with analogue tachographs, and for the card and manual records/printouts with digital tachographs alike). This is why the FleetControl logbook app stores 56 days of driver and vehicle data — offline, in 10+ languages, in a form suitable for presentation to the authorities: the driver can prove the required period without a mobile signal, in the inspector's language.
The tachograph as a driver identifier
The number of the inserted driver card is available in a standard format on the vehicle's CAN system — FleetControl also uses it for driver identification: the logbook, driving analysis and every report are automatically linked to the driver, without a separate RFID device.
Legal references
Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, Articles 34 and 36 (consolidated version, EUR-Lex, as of 31.12.2024) · Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 · Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 · Hungarian KöHÉM Decree 6/1990 (IV. 12.), Sections 92–93 (njt.jog.gov.hu)
Frequently asked questions
Are the 90/28-day download and the 56-day presentation the same thing?
No: the 90/28 days are the company's download and retention obligation; the 56 days are the driver's obligation to present data at a roadside check. FleetControl covers both — the first with remote download, the second with the app.
Is it worth it for a small fleet too?
It is critical for international hauliers and multi-site operations — there, manual downloads will inevitably slip sooner or later.
What happens to the downloaded DDD files?
They are stored in the system and can be retrieved. [The current status of the evaluation (driving and rest time analysis) will be added here]