- Client
- KOLOS DOO
- Based in
- Bačka Topola, Serbia
- Business
- Domestic and international road freight
- Fleet
- Over 20 trucks
- Solution
- Remote tachograph download, Tacho Live, alerts and working time records
KOLOS DOO from Bačka Topola runs a fleet of over 20 trucks. For a fleet this size, regularly downloading and storing tachograph and driver card data is significant administrative work, especially when vehicles spend long periods on the road. This is what it looks like when the system takes that work over.
The time saving is our estimate for a fleet of this size; how we arrived at it is explained below.
The challenge
A classic DDD download means physical access to the vehicle or the driver card, connecting the right device, downloading the data and archiving it by hand.
With more than 20 trucks that adds up to a large number of individual downloads over the year, plus keeping track of when each tachograph and each driver card was last read. The deadlines are set by law: 28 days for driver cards and 90 days for the vehicle unit.
Vehicles on international routes are a particular challenge. A truck is not necessarily at base at the exact moment a download is due, so the manual approach takes extra organisation and involves both drivers and the office.
The PratiMe solution
KOLOS vehicles now have automatic remote DDD downloads for both the tachographs and the driver cards.
Download intervals are set in advance, and after that the system runs the downloads on its own. Drivers do not connect a separate device, bring their card to the office or come to base just for a download.
Downloaded DDD files are stored automatically in the PratiMe system, and the person in charge has an overview of the whole fleet in one place.
The central panel shows the latest downloads, the status of tachographs and driver cards, deadlines and other key information, including whether each tachograph is correctly locked with the company card.
Before and after
The same tasks, before and after the system was introduced.
| Task | Manual | With PratiMe |
|---|---|---|
| Downloading DDD files | Physical access to the vehicle or card, a download device, one read at a time | Automatic, on a pre-set interval |
| Vehicles on international routes | Downloads planned for when the truck returns to base | Downloads work while the truck is on the road |
| Storing the data | Every file archived by hand | Automatic archive in the PratiMe system |
| Tracking deadlines | A record of when each tachograph and card was last read | A central panel with deadlines and statuses for the whole fleet |
| A driver's question on the road | Wait for the truck to return to base | Manual download at once, from the office |
| Working time records | Data gathered from several sources and compiled by hand | A PDF report arrives by e-mail automatically |
Automatic when routine, manual when needed
Automation does not mean waiting for the next scheduled download. If a specific question comes up, the tachograph or driver card DDD file can be downloaded manually at any time.
This is especially useful when a driver on the road has a question about their working time. For example, if they are not sure they recorded an activity or a rest correctly, the office can start a download straight away and check the data, without waiting for the truck to come back.
Tacho Live: data while the truck is still on the road
Besides DDD files, PratiMe also shows current tachograph data through Tacho Live. The dispatcher can see each driver's current activity, driving time, rest and remaining time, on a computer or in the PratiMe mobile app.
The tachograph system is no longer just an archive checked after the fact; it becomes an operational tool that helps while the transport is still under way.
The system can alert the person in charge
Instead of the dispatcher constantly checking every driver, automatic alerts can be set up.
For example, the system can send an alarm when a driver reaches 10 hours of driving or another pre-set threshold. That does not necessarily mean a rule was broken, because daily driving time can be extended in certain circumstances, but the person in charge knows the situation should be checked.
Control moves from reactive to preventive: nobody has to wait for the driver or the office to notice the problem first.
Automatic working time records
The solution does not stop at downloading DDD files. The collected data can be used to keep drivers' working time records, and prepared PDF reports can be sent automatically, on a schedule, to the e-mail address of the person in charge.
That removes even more manual administration. Instead of gathering data from several sources and compiling the records afterwards, the company gets a structured document ready to review and use.
Estimated time saved
With a fleet of over 20 trucks the number of individual downloads over a year is significant. On top of the download itself there is the time to get to the vehicle or the driver, download the file, store it properly, check deadlines and prepare the records.
For a fleet this size we estimate that automating the process can save roughly 10 to 15 working hours a month, or about 120 to 180 hours a year.
The actual saving depends on the number of drivers, how often trucks run international routes and how the company organised its tachograph administration before.
The result
For KOLOS DOO, automated tachograph records mean that more than 20 trucks no longer have to be chased one by one for routine downloads.
DDD files are downloaded and archived automatically, while manual downloads and Tacho Live are there when an immediate check is needed. The office can receive working time records automatically, and the system itself can alert the person in charge when a situation needs attention.
The result is less administration, less of the drivers' time spent on work that is not their job, faster answers to questions and more control over the whole fleet's tachograph records.
Running a similar fleet?
Tell us how many vehicles you have and how you download tachograph data today. We will propose how the system can do it for you, with a free 15-day trial.
