Remote control
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How do you manage the downloading of tachograph data if your fleet is scattered across the country – or even in Europe? A new generation of remote downloading units makes the job simple and secure
Words: Toby Clark Woodland Logistics is clearly an ambitious company: its website shows off its multimodal operations and specialist services in, for instance, air freight and book distribution (branded as Woodland Media). It also offers real-time shipment tracking and other customer services – so it is not surprising that it is the first commercial fleet to have installed Tachodisc’s new remote tachograph downloading system, known as DigiDL.
The system was initially specified for vehicles on a particular contract, serving five sites across the UK. Woodland Logistics safety and quality officer Lesley Thomson says: “Given the geographical spread of this new contract, which spans from Scotland to London, we asked Tachodisc if there might be a technical solution available that would allow us to better manage and control the process of downloading driver and vehicle data from all these locations – rather than deploying managers all over the country and relying on drivers.” Woodland already used Tachodisc’s analysis software, so it followed the suggestion of the DigiDL remote downloading device. This is a small device concealed in the cab and connected to the tachograph via its rear CAN-Bus interface. It is compatible with any EU digital tachograph that supports CAN-Bus remote download, which in practice means any recent unit.
The DigiDL is connected to the outside world via the GPRS mobile phone network; it transmits data from the driver card and the vehicle unit (VU) at scheduled times directly to Tachodisc’s own servers. The download is authenticated by Woodland’s Company Card, which is also held by Tachodisc – like the data, as Tachodisc puts it, “safely hosted in a protected environment” . Woodland can then access the data using a web interface, and analyse it using Tachodisc’s analysis software.
“It seemed the ideal solution, but it was new to the market,” says Thomson. “Nobody else had even put it on trial in a live commercial situation. However, it was the only retro-fit device available that suited our requirements for truly facilitating remote access without human intervention – so with Tachodisc we set to work arranging trials and live tests.” The DigiDL units are scheduled to automatically download drivers’ cards once a week and the VU once a month. If the vehicle is out of range of the mobile network, the unit keeps looking for a signal until it can send the data. The GPRS unit can also transfer data from anywhere in Europe that supports its internal SIM card.
Time-saver
Thomson says: “During the trials we soon realised that this technology was amazing and would make the process of downloading data from remote locations so easy. Now that is fully set up, it is saving us so much time and it ensures we are complying with legislation.” The system was initially installed in 43 new vehicles bought for the contract, but Woodland Logistics is now retrofitting DigiDLs to all its 59-plate and later vehicles, ▲ VDO’s DLD Wide Range device also transmits tachograph and driver card data to a remote server via the GPRS mobile network as well as fitting it to new vehicles. Some 75 of the firm’s vehicles now have the device.
Karen Crispe, Tachodisc MD, says: “Woodland Logistics is testament to how the DigiDL can transform how data is collected and managed from remote locations. As a result, many more companies are now talking to us about this unique technology and how we can support the installation and integrate it with our analysis software.” The DigiDL hardware itself is made by South Londonbased Tachosys, and is offered by other tachograph analysis firms, but Crispe says: “We were the first to have a commercial sale.” Tachodisc lists the unit on its website at £299 (exc VAT) but in practice offers it only as part of a full package, including data hosting and analysis software.
“We’ve got loads of other operators using it,” adds Crispe. “We have customers who have 100 vehicles, and others who run two vehicles – there’s no standard user whatsoever.
“Woodland Logistics appreciates that we understand the technology – we take a lot of the hassle out of it.” n