The new van tachograph rules apply to everyone operating affected vehicles internationally, so there’s no getting around them. That doesn’t mean adapting has been easy, but most businesses have adjusted surprisingly quickly, even if the first few weeks were a little chaotic.
We’ve seen particular challenges with our Formula One customers. For these teams, every minute counts, especially in the build-up to a race. To help them adapt, we’ve looked closely at their transport flows and developed different ways to reduce transit times while remaining compliant.
Depending on the shipment, that might mean:
- Using vehicles below 2.5 tonnes where appropriate
- Arranging driver swaps so a daily rest period doesn’t delay the journey
- Using two-driver crews to extend the vehicle’s daily operating time
- Adding motorsport customers to our authorised consignor arrangements to help avoid unnecessary customs stops and delays
There isn’t one solution that works for every journey.
Achieving the fastest possible transit time now means finding the right combination of vehicle, driver, route and customs arrangements. That’s why we’re looking at almost every international shipment individually to work out the best approach.
Since the rules came into force, we’ve had plenty of conversations with customers about what they mean in practice. Here are some of the key questions and challenges we’ve been discussing.
What type of vehicle do the new rules apply to?
This is probably the question we’re being asked most frequently. The new rules apply to commercial vehicles, or vehicle-and-trailer combinations, with a maximum authorised mass above 2.5 tonnes when used for international transport or cabotage.
Naturally, this means many customers are asking us about the availability of vehicles below 2.5 tonnes and whether these could be used instead. Sometimes they can. But vehicle size is only one part of the journey, so we also need to consider the load, route, customs requirements and delivery deadline.
When does the driver need a break and what’s the impact?
Under the rules, drivers generally need to take a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving. Daily driving time is normally limited to nine hours, and drivers must also take the required daily rest period.
The biggest impact for customers is longer transit times and, in particular, less flexibility. We could have a driver only a couple of hours away from the delivery point who has reached their permitted hours and needs to stop.
That can be difficult to understand when, geographically, the vehicle looks so close to its destination. But once those hours have been reached, the driver has to stop.
Where is time most commonly lost?
Loading and waiting are two of the biggest areas.
What customers sometimes don’t realise is that a delay before the vehicle really gets moving can have consequences later in the journey.
If a driver is waiting at a warehouse, loading bay or customs point, that time can affect the working time available to complete the journey. A delay of an hour or two at the beginning can therefore be the difference between reaching the destination that day and having to stop.
That’s why loading times have become much more important to the overall planning.
Which journeys have changed the most?
All affected international movements using vehicles above 2.5 tonnes have had to adapt.
Journeys involving customs stops can be particularly challenging because the waiting time can be unpredictable. We have to consider that possibility when planning the driver’s working day and the overall delivery time.
What costs are businesses not factoring in?
One of the consequences of the rules is that drivers may complete fewer international journeys each week. Someone previously completing three or four trips may now only manage two or three. That reduces vehicle and driver availability, which inevitably affects price.
There are other costs too. Weekly rest requirements can mean additional accommodation and travel costs, while monitoring and managing driver hours requires more operational resource.
Businesses also need to think about the cost of delays. Time spent waiting to load, unload or clear customs can all affect the overall journey.
What happens if customs overruns?
This is where planning becomes particularly important.
If customs takes significantly longer than expected, the driver may reach their permitted hours before completing the journey and have to take the required rest period. That could turn a delay of a couple of hours at customs into a much longer delay to the final delivery.
We can’t control how long every customs process will take, but we can plan routes with that risk in mind and make sure everything we can control is ready beforehand.
What have been the knock-on effects of the rules?
Longer delivery times are the most obvious impact, but businesses do have options.
For some shipments, the most sensible choice will be to accept a slightly longer transit time and keep the transport cost reasonable.
For others, speed is critical. In those cases we can look at alternatives, from different vehicles and driver arrangements through to airfreight for larger or particularly urgent consignments. It comes back to looking at each shipment individually.
What should businesses be doing differently now?
My biggest piece of advice is simple: plan earlier. If you know there could be a part shortage or an urgent requirement, give your logistics team as much notice as possible.
Loading also needs to be as efficient as possible, and having all the correct documentation ready can reduce the risk of unnecessary customs delays.
It’s also worth looking at whether authorised consignor arrangements or customs procedures such as Regime 42 could make a particular movement more efficient.
We’ve developed our Journey Time Calculator to help us plan deliveries more accurately under the new rules. We’ve also made a tool available to our drivers so they can estimate transit times, plan mandatory rest periods and manage journeys with greater precision.
The rules themselves aren’t going to change from one shipment to the next. What we can change is how we plan around them.
The earlier we understand the load, route, deadline and customs requirements, the more options we have available.
If you’re unsure how the rules will affect an upcoming international shipment, Contact our team now.