> 3.5 t All goods transport, domestic and international. 
Tachograph: who needs one,
when to download it and how long to keep it.
Goods vehicles over 3.5 t must have a tachograph and, from 1 July 2026, so must those over 2.5 t doing international transport or cabotage. The driver card is downloaded at least every 28 days and the vehicle unit every 90; the company keeps the downloads for at least one year.
Who needs it
Maximum authorised mass of the combination, trailer included. Exceptions in arts. 3 and 13 of Regulation 561/2006.
> 3.5 t All goods transport, domestic and international. 
> 2.5 t International and cabotage, from 1 July 2026, with a second-generation smart tachograph. 
Downloads 28 days At most, between two downloads of the driver card.
Downloads 90 days Between two downloads of the vehicle unit.
Retention 1 year The files, unaltered, from the recording. With a copy for any driver who asks for it.
A card
day
4 h 30 of driving, a 45-minute break, another 4 h 30: the 9 hours of the working day at the limit. This is how the analyser draws each day.
Driving and rest times
- 4 h 30 of continuous driving, then a 45 min break (or 15 + 30)
- 9 h per day, 10 h twice a week
- 56 h per week and 90 h in two consecutive weeks
- 11 h of daily rest (9 h reduced, up to three times)
- Weekly rest before six 24-hour periods
You analyse each download and keep the original with its SHA-256 fingerprint, who uploaded it and its history, next to the service, the consignment note and the DeCA of the trip.
Analyse: free · Keep: Logistics plan
Tachograph, no small print.
The questions a transport company asks most often.
Which vehicles must have a tachograph?
Road goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass, trailer included. From 1 July 2026, also those over 2.5 tonnes doing international transport or cabotage. There are exceptions in articles 3 and 13 of Regulation (EC) 561/2006 (for example, certain own-account transport of 2.5 to 3.5 t when driving is not the main activity).
How often must the tachograph be downloaded?
The driver card at least every 28 days, and the vehicle unit (VU) at least every 90 days, under Regulation (EU) 581/2010. It is also advisable to download when changing vehicle or driver and after a breakdown.
How long are the downloads kept?
The company keeps the downloaded files for at least one year (365 days) from the recording, unaltered, under Order FOM/1190/2005 (Spain), and must give a copy to any driver who asks for it.
What is a .tgd or .ddd file?
It is the download of the driver card or of the vehicle unit. In Spain it is usually called .tgd and in the rest of Europe .ddd: it is the same format, signed by the tachograph.
How do I check driving and rest times?
With Cofactu's free analyser: you upload the .ddd or .tgd from the card and see each day in a 24-hour bar, each week's driving and possible infringements of articles 6, 7 and 8 of Regulation 561/2006. The file is read in the browser and is not uploaded.
What does Cofactu do with the tachograph?
It analyses card downloads and keeps the originals untouched, with their SHA-256 fingerprint, who uploaded them and their history. In addition, on each transport service it records whether it runs with a tachograph according to the vehicle, the mass, the scope and the exceptions. Analysing is free on every plan; keeping originals is part of the Logistics plan.