Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 23rd April 2026 Issue no. 1207
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Prepare for Euro van tachograph deadline, advises Logistics UK
From 1st July 2026, operators of light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of more than 2.5 tonnes that undertake international journeys for hire and reward must have smart tachograph 2 (ST2) devices fitted.
With the deadline just over two months away, business group Logistics UK is reminding operators to ensure they are compliant with the new requirements.
Since 19th August 2025, UK heavy goods vehicles exceeding 3.5t on international journeys have had to use second-generation smart tachographs and from the upcoming deadline, light commercial vehicles over 2.5t will need to follow the same requirements. According to Logistics UK, the newer ST2 technology is designed to meet the increased demand for accuracy and reporting under EU Regulations and also has improved fraud protection to prevent tampering.
"To ensure compliance, all operators that conduct international journeys should carry out a review of journeys, vehicles and drivers to check and see if they fall under the regulations,” warns Martin Candish, head of compliance information at Logistics UK. “This also includes operators in Northern Ireland with vehicles over 2.5t entering the Republic of Ireland, as they will also need to have a ST2 installed.
"It is important to check operations now, and delaying any further could mean long waiting times to get devices fitted and risk not being compliant with the potential for fines and disruption."
Logistics UK also stresses the need for drivers to be trained properly on using the tachographs, "Roadside inspections can be stressful for drivers especially where technical irregularities are found," continues Martin. "Fortunately, irregularities and technical errors with the system are not considered to be the fault of the driver, but they can increase disruption and distress. This is why it is essential that drivers receive appropriate training on how to operate the tachograph, understand the current legislation and know what to do if there are technical problems such as security breach error codes. This will mean that drivers can produce all the necessary records correctly at the time of inspection, so it goes as smoothly as possible, and they can return to their journey with minimal inconvenience."
Logistics UK supports its members in reaching the highest standards of compliance by offering comprehensive compliance information and advice through its Member Advice Centre, the Yearbook of Road Transport Law, briefing documents and its Transport Manager events, which are held every Autumn. Its compliance platform, Vision, helps manage compliance and operations through a single, easy-to-use portal and provides a one stop shop for all aspects of compliance including tachograph analysis, licence checks, vehicle inspections, walkaround checks, PCN analysis, audits, training and risk assessment.
Image courtesy of www.webfleet.com
23rd April 2026