Drivers' hours · 4 min read · Updated
Tachograph download rules - 28 days for cards, 90 days for vehicle units
Operators must download each driver card at least every 28 days and each vehicle unit at least every 90 days, keep the data for 12 months, and actually analyse it. Cards hold only about 28 days of activity, so leave it longer and the oldest days are overwritten and lost for good.
The legal minimums
Under assimilated Regulation (EC) 561/2006 Article 10 and the Transport Act 1968 (s.97D/97E), an operator must:
- download each driver card at least every 28 calendar days (and before the driver leaves, or if the card is damaged);
- download each vehicle unit at least every 90 calendar days (and before disposal or transfer of the vehicle, after a malfunction, or whenever data loss is foreseeable - the VU only holds about a year);
- keep the data for at least 12 months, available to DVSA on request;
- check the data regularly and take all reasonable steps to ensure drivers comply - downloading without analysing is itself a failure.
Cards hold roughly 28 days of activity, which is why the interval is what it is: leave it longer and the oldest days are overwritten and lost for good.
Locking in the vehicle unit
Insert the company card and "lock in" each VU when you take a vehicle on. Without a lock-in, another company's card can download and lock your data, and you can lose access to the period. Lock out on disposal.
Missing mileage and no-card driving
Two different things that often get confused:
- Unaccounted (no-card) mileage - the VU recorded distance with no driver card inserted. It may be a yard shunt, a workshop test drive, or a driver avoiding the rules. Anything beyond a couple of kilometres needs an explanation recorded against the driver or the day.
- Missing mileage - a gap between the last odometer reading of one download and the first of the next, because data is absent: late downloads, a failed remote download, corrupt files, or another operator's lock. Investigate above ~5 km; cautious operators use 3 km.
Both show up in analysis and both are things a DVSA traffic examiner will ask about.
Records drivers must carry
The current day plus the previous 28 days (56 for EU international work from 2024 rules), including printouts and manual entries for days without a card. A driver who cannot produce them at the roadside can be fined even if the operator holds the data.
Practical routine
- A calendar per driver (28 days from the last download) and per vehicle (90 days) - OperatorCompliance maintains both automatically from the files you upload.
- Upload files as soon as they are downloaded; a reader at the depot or a remote-download unit both work.
- Check the parser's read-out: card holder, card expiry, period covered, signature valid.
- Analysis, debrief, signature, filed - every period, not just when something went wrong.
Tachograph card expiry
Driver cards last five years. Renewal can be applied for up to two months before expiry and takes around 15 working days; a driver whose card has expired cannot drive in scope. OperatorCompliance reads the expiry from every uploaded card file and warns 60 days ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How often must tachograph data be downloaded?
You must download each driver card at least every 28 calendar days, and each vehicle unit at least every 90 calendar days. Download a card before the driver leaves or if it is damaged, and a vehicle unit before disposal or transfer, after a malfunction, or whenever data loss is foreseeable, because the unit only holds about a year of data.
How long must operators keep tachograph records?
Keep the downloaded data for at least 12 months and have it available to DVSA on request. Downloading is not enough on its own: you must also check the data regularly and take all reasonable steps to ensure drivers comply. Downloading without analysing the data is itself a failure the enforcement rules recognise.
What tachograph records must a driver carry?
The driver must be able to produce the current day plus the previous 28 days, or 56 days for EU international work under the 2024 rules, including printouts and manual entries for days without a card. A driver who cannot produce them at the roadside can be fined even if the operator holds the data back at base.
What is the difference between missing mileage and no-card driving?
No-card, or unaccounted, mileage is distance the vehicle unit recorded with no driver card inserted, such as a yard shunt or a driver avoiding the rules. Missing mileage is a gap between the last odometer reading of one download and the first of the next, caused by absent data. Investigate no-card use beyond a couple of kilometres and missing mileage above around 5 km.
Sources
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