At SB TRANSPORT your transportation expert of good in Lyon, we are
committed to respect the new regulations in terms of tachography.
These rules, which will enter into force from July 1st 2026 require that each
carrier be equipped with a tachograph, an essential tool for recording the
number of hours of driving on a vehicle, both in France and abroad.
Chronotachograph and driving time : what applies (or not) to light
vehicles
For a long time considered more flexible than heavy vehicles, light vehicles
(LV) used in road freight transport are evolving today
in an increasingly monitored regulatory framework. Tachograph, time of
driving, rest time: what are really the obligations applicable to
LV, and in which cases do the rules of heavy transport apply ?
As a general rule, the Tachograph is mandatory for vehicles over 3,5
tonnes used for professional road transport. It allows to record :
- Driving time,
- Rest periods,
- The periods of work and availability
- Speed and distance travelled.
Light vehicles (< 3,5 t) have long been exempted from this obligation, those
who contributed to their success in express transport and urban logistics.
However since the entry into force of the European mobility package the
situation has evolved for certain light vehicles.
Indeed, the LV of 2,5 tonnes carrying out the international transport of goods
are now submitted :
- to the Tachograph obligation,
- To the European rules on driving times and rest periods,
- At roadside checks similar to those of heavy vehicles.
This measure aims to fight against unfair competition and the circumvention of
the regulation through the massive use of vans.
GOOD TO KNOW:
To prepare for the implementation of this regulation, more and more
foreign carriers use French companies like ours for subcontracting their
activity. This allows them to reduce the driving time of their drivers in order to
lighten them and help them not to exceed the driving time authorized per day.
Thanks to this, their deliveries are carried out on time and safely and
they do not exceed the limit of driving time allowed per driver.