The July 1, 2026 deadline for mandatory tachographs in vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes has come and gone. If your fleet performs international transport or cabotage and you have not yet installed a second-generation smart tachograph (G2V2), your vehicles are now operating outside EU rules, not preparing to.
A Quick Recap of the Rule
From July 1, 2026, vans and light commercial vehicles with a permissible maximum mass over 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes must carry a G2V2 smart tachograph when used for international carriage of goods or cabotage for hire or reward. This brings van drivers under the same driving time, break and rest rules that have long applied to trucks: a 9-hour daily driving limit, mandatory breaks after 4.5 hours, and daily rest periods with only limited exceptions. Domestic-only transport is not affected, and the rule stems from EU Regulation 2020/1054, part of the wider Mobility Package. We covered who exactly falls under the rule in our earlier guide, Mandatory Tachographs for Vans in 2026.
Most Operators Were Not Ready
Industry surveys taken shortly before the deadline showed that a large share of operators were not fully prepared, with many still waiting for tachograph installation or missing driver and company cards. Workshop capacity for installations was already stretched across several EU countries, and many companies underestimated the time needed to get company cards, driver cards, and internal procedures in place.
If your fleet falls into this category, you are not alone, but the exposure is real. Enforcement at border crossings is active, and G2V2 devices are built to detect and log border crossings automatically, which makes non-compliance easier to spot at the roadside.
What Happens If You Are Not Compliant
Penalties vary by country but are consistently steep. Depending on the member state, fines for missing or incorrect tachograph equipment range from a few hundred to several thousand euros, and vehicles can be immobilised on the spot until the correct device is fitted. In several countries, both the driver and the responsible person at the company can be fined separately. For a full country-by-country breakdown, see our guide on tachograph fines.
Immediate Steps to Take This Month
- Audit your fleet by weight. Check the permissible maximum mass on the vehicle registration documents, not the actual load, for every van between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes.
- Book installation now. Workshop slots are limited and prices have risen as the deadline passed. Waiting longer will only increase both the cost and the risk of an on-road fine.
- Get your cards in order. Every driver needs a personal driver card, and the company needs a company card to lock the tachograph data.
- Set up your data download routine. Once the tachograph is installed, EU rules require driver card data to be downloaded at least every 28 days, and data from the tachograph unit itself at least every 90 days. Downloaded files must be kept on record for one to two years, depending on the member state. Our complete tachograph data download guide walks through the process step by step.
Where myTacho Fits In
Installing the tachograph is only the first obligation. The recurring one, downloading data on time from every driver card and every vehicle unit, is the part that quietly causes the most missed deadlines and fines once a fleet is technically compliant.
myTacho lets a fleet manager or office administrator download tachograph and driver card data directly with an Android phone, without a workshop visit and without relying on the driver to remember. One device covers an entire fleet, regardless of how many vans or drivers you add. If your downloaded files also need to become the monthly reports your business is legally required to produce, TAHOPRO takes the DDD files myTacho generates and prepares them automatically.
If your vans have just entered the scope of these rules, now is the time to put the download side of compliance on autopilot, before the first missed deadline turns into the first fine.
Get compliant before your next inspection. Order myTacho today and start downloading tachograph data in minutes, no workshop visit required. Order myTacho →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every van between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes affected by this rule? No. The rule only applies when a van is used for international carriage of goods or cabotage for hire or reward. Vans used exclusively for domestic transport within one country are not affected, regardless of weight.
Are any vehicles exempt even if they cross borders? Yes. Own-account vehicles where driving is not the driver's main activity, and municipal service or special-purpose vehicles, fall outside the scope of this specific rule. Exemptions are assessed case by case, and the burden of proof sits with the operator, so document your situation carefully.
How often do I need to download tachograph data once it is installed? Driver card data must be downloaded at least every 28 days, and data from the vehicle unit itself at least every 90 days. myTacho lets you do both directly from an Android phone, without a workshop visit.