Obligation to equip vehicles with tachographs for individuals

Are tachographs needed for personal trucks?

To answer the question of whether tachographs are needed for trucks or not, what categories of vehicles should be equipped with them, it is worth relying on Resolution No. 720.

Among the main categories of vehicles are:

Tractors, heavy trucks and other vehicles whose weight ranges from 3.5 to 12 tons. Their purpose must be characterized as commercial transportation.
Different categories of freight transport for intercity transportation.
Buses with more than eight seats.

If you have these categories of trucks at your personal disposal, you will need to install a tachograph, having first decided on how an individual can obtain a driver card for a tachograph.

There are some categories of vehicles that do not require a flight recorder . Here are the most basic of them:

transport involved on an ongoing basis in urban and suburban transportation;
various training, certification and qualification vehicles undergoing road testing;
trolleybuses;
vehicles equipped with AETR type devices that are involved in international transport;
Russian military vehicles and police cars;
cars that have passed the registration process at GOST Tekhnadzor;
vehicles that have been in use for more than 30 years and are not intended for transporting goods.

If you are interested in the question of whether a private person needs a tachograph, it is worth noting that in modern legislation the emphasis is on the type of activity of the car owner.

If the owner is an entrepreneur or legal entity, the installation of this device will be mandatory.

To ensure that the complete absence of an on-board tachograph does not become the basis for issuing a fine, you will need to have special confirmation with you that the car is not used for the purpose of carrying out commercial activities.

Below is an example and answer to the question: is a tachograph needed for the Bychok?

We answer a number of questions in order:

Who operates "Bychok"? Let's say an individual.
What type is the “Bull”? The common name “Bychok” was given to the light-duty trucks ZIL 5301. We look at the maximum permitted weight in the documents. ZIL 5301 is 6,950, which means a car of type N2. According to the law, a tachograph must be installed on vehicles of categories N2, N3, M2 and M3. This requirement is established in Order 36 of the Ministry of Transport. The same order contains a list of exceptions. Once you have determined that the type of vehicle requires a tachograph, you need to check whether it is excluded? Perhaps it is not necessary to install a tachograph on your car. List of exceptions in Appendix No. 2
What is the environmental class of the car? We look at STP or PTS. If the environmental class has not been established, then you need to equip the Bychok tachograph before December 1, 2021. If the EC is from 0...3, then the tachograph must be installed no later than March 1, 2021. If EC 4 and higher, then until June 1, 2021.

When should a private owner install a tachograph?

There are several situations in which a tachograph must be purchased and installed on your cargo vehicle.

Here are the situations in which a positive answer is given to the question of whether it is necessary to install a tachograph on a personal truck:

If a truck and tractor driver is employed in a modern transport company, performing transportation on a personal truck.
If an individual has entered into an agreement to transport various goods along a predetermined route.
If a person works for an organization that transports goods whose size exceeds the car itself or dangerous products and substances.

In all of the above situations, we can say that the vehicle is used for commercial purposes..

It is for this reason that installing a tachograph is a prerequisite for operating the car and for continuing operation.

Advantages of installing tachographs

Requirements for the installation of tachographs are outlined and observed on the basis of Order of the Ministry of Transport No. 36. The need to purchase and install a special flight recorder for certain individuals is prescribed in special order No. 196.

A resolution of such a plan should not be perceived as the authorities’ desire to infringe on the rights of individuals and transport companies involved in the transportation of goods. The purchase and installation of devices should be done because of the benefits they provide.

Here are the most basic positive aspects of using tachographs:

Full transparency of financial reports, which significantly saves companies money. Thanks to the tachograph, it is possible to track fuel consumption and route.
Preventing accidents on the roads. This is based on the fact that time spent behind the wheel automatically affects reaction speed. As you know, if a driver does not take breaks to rest, the risk of getting into an accident increases significantly.

This tracking capability is based on how the device operates. The device starts up simultaneously with turning the ignition key and stops automatically when the car stops.

It is thanks to this that the management of the transport company has the opportunity to find out how carefully all established regulations are followed, how long a person works and whether he rests at the appropriate time.

Why do you need a tachograph in a car?

Initially, the introduction of the tachograph into everyday practice was associated with improving the rest and working conditions of drivers. One of the primary tasks was to minimize the statistics of accidents involving drivers who violate the established rules.

However, this is far from the only purpose of the presented device. With its help, it becomes possible to monitor various important performance indicators.

This on-board device monitors:

traffic violations;
following a set route;
driver's work and rest schedule;
vehicle speed.

It is worth noting that the presence of this device, according to experts, guarantees greater safety for both the driver and passengers. Referring to established rules and regulations, the driver does not have the right to drive a vehicle for more than 4 hours in a row.

Evidence that a tachograph is not needed

If a truck driver is not engaged in commercial activities, he does not need to install a modern on-board recorder and spend the time to calibrate it.

If a person is detained by a traffic police officer, simply saying that the driver is not engaged in commercial transportation will not be enough; special evidence will need to be provided, especially if the truck is transporting various construction materials.

So, if a driver has purchased putty, primer and paint and is going to a summer cottage to carry out certain work there, and if a traffic police officer stops him, he will need to provide the following evidence:

if the car transports construction or repair materials intended for private construction and finishing work, you will need to provide a sales receipt for the products purchased for the work;
if the vehicle was transferred for temporary use, you will need to provide an agreement for the free use of the car, documents for the transportation of goods and a power of attorney to drive the truck.

It is important to remember that the requirements regarding driving a cargo vehicle with or without a tachograph are established at the legislative level.

You should not try to look for various loopholes in the regulations, but carefully study the main documents and do not break any rules.

If commercial transportation is organized, if the driver works for a company that is engaged in such activities, it is necessary to install a tachograph, otherwise you will have to pay a fine.

Is it necessary to install a tachograph on a dump truck?

At the very beginning of the article, a specific answer to this question should be given.
Installation of a tachograph on a dump truck is not required for personal purposes; for commercial activities it is required. It is also not required for cars in the possession of executive authorities. If the dump truck is owned by an organization and certain tasks are performed according to a specific schedule on public roads, its absence is punishable by law.

For a more specific understanding, you can consider the list of all vehicles that are subject to installation of such a device:

Trucks of any specification used for the transportation of dangerous goods weighing from 3.5 to 12 tons or more.
Buses with more than eight seats.
All trucks weighing from 3.5 to 12 tons.
Trucks for intercity transportation.

Complete list of documents required to issue a card

You can find out more details from Order of the Ministry of Transport No. 36

Vehicles that are not subject to installation of a tachograph:

Transport for private use, not owned by individual entrepreneurs and legal entities. This includes dump trucks.
Equipment that is already equipped with devices for monitoring work and rest time that meet the requirements of the European Union.
Transport for special purposes.

The last point includes all vehicles for performing production and social tasks: construction, street cleaning, ambulance, military equipment and government transport.

When to install a tachograph on a dump truck

As already mentioned, there is no need to install such a device on a truck for personal purposes. However, there are cases where the presence of a tachograph can have a beneficial effect on work.

Advantages of using a tachograph for both private and commercial purposes:

Provides an opportunity to carry out activities for the transportation of goods and passengers within the entire territory of the Russian Federation and the countries of the European Union.
Provides additional security for vehicle movement on the road. Any speeding or overtime will be recorded, which will not allow the driver to deviate from the established conditions.
The return on transport is increasing. The tachograph eliminates unauthorized trips and deviations from the route, which allows you to control mileage and working time on the road.
Allows you to calculate the most effective route.
Optimizes the driver's rest and work.

Prices for tachograph cards can be found here!

To summarize, we can say the following. A tachograph is a necessity specifically for commercial activities (highway and commercial transportation on public roads); being the owner of a dump truck and operating it only for your own needs, you should not think about purchasing it. However, no one forbids installing a tachograph on a dump truck personally at will.

Currently, in the Russian Federation there is a system of fines for the absence of tachographs on the following vehicles:

Cars and special vehicles used for commercial transportation of passengers and transportation of dangerous goods (GLONASS system is required).
Transport categories M2, M3, N2 and N3. The design of any car in one of these categories must provide for the possibility of installing a locking device.

Constantly check for new changes in legislation, because everything can change tomorrow.

How to install a tachograph on a dump truck

You cannot install such a device yourself. Not because it is difficult, but because it is prohibited.

Place an order using a tachograph card.

Only organizations that have permission from the Federal Budgetary Institution “Rosavtotrans” have the right to install a tachograph. Each service provides the device with its own individual seal, which guarantees that the driver will not try to falsify readings or tamper with the internal structure of the device.

Do you still have questions?

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Fine for not having a tachograph

Modern legislation provides for the following penalties for operating a truck for commercial purposes without a tachograph installed.

Here are the basic rules regarding what fine a private owner can be fined for a tachograph:

For private drivers – from 1000 to 3000 rubles.
For officials - from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.

The penalties for the absence of a monitoring device are quite serious.

Answering the question whether a private owner needs a tachograph, it can be noted that the installation of tachographs is mandatory, with rare exceptions listed above.

Summing up

At the moment, the Ministry of Transport and Transportation is already preparing a new federal law, the main provisions of which regulate the activities of legal entities and individuals who are engaged in transportation, as well as private owners of a cargo vehicle.

Drivers approach this situation differently, but the main purpose of the law on devices can have a beneficial effect on the overall transport situation.

Devices of this type effectively control the speed of movement, optimize work and rest time, calculate wages and optimize the route.

Car enthusiasts are strongly recommended to take care of the availability of this device . The question of whether a tachograph is required for a truck when carrying out commercial activities is positive.