Always on the safe side
The Inspection Key from Continental, produced under the VDO brand, offers authorities a fast and reliable means of checking digital tachographs. But fleet managers and operators will also find it a practical and simple aid to checking their drivers’ driving and rest times.
Villingen, Germany, October 11, 2011. When drivers of trucks or commercial vehicles exceed their authorized driving and rest times, they face cash penalties. But the transport companies may also find themselves in trouble with the law, facing fines and, in the case of repeated infringement, inspections by the authorities. This is why every responsible fleet operator has to keep an eye on drivers’ driving and rest times, so as to be able to act early should problems arise. The VDO Inspection Key offers an easy, practical means of checking driving times and rest periods for an entire fleet of vehicles. The device accurately shows where driving times have been exceeded so that you can take appropriate measures, such as talking with drivers about the problem or holding training courses. This also benefits the driver who is also protected as against penalties. It allows you to spot problems in the driving and rest time statistics so that, in the case of an inspection, the company will be in a position to provide documentary proof that it has fulfilled its supervisory duties. Fleet managers may even find that with the VDO Inspection Key, they have the same monitoring tool as police officers carrying out roadside checks.
The advantage of the Inspection Key is that it is so practical and easy to use. It takes just a few minutes to check a driver’s card. All you have to do is insert the card into the Inspection Key slot and wait for the LED signal to appear. Of course, the retrieved data can also be analyzed on a computer using an evaluation system such as TIS Web.
You can also use the Inspection Key to check the entire memory of the digital tachograph. Simply insert the Inspection Key into the card interface on the front of the tachograph. Inspection will then begin automatically.
Police units can also benefit from the advantages offered by the Inspection Key
Roadside checks can be carried out quickly and efficiently thanks to this simple means of retrieving the data. Truck drivers who have respected legal requirements can carry on their journey without delay once the check is over – and everyone benefits. However, if a driver has already exceeded the authorized driving and rest times, the Inspection Key will reliably display the fact. The reader also displays a warning wherever there is a suspicion that the device has been manipulated or that speed limits have been exceeded. If inspection of the device should show that more data must be retrieved from the digital tachograph, the Inspection Key simply remains in the tachograph front slot after the LED signal. The Inspection Key then automatically runs a pre-configured download and saves it.
The data are checked to European Regulation (EC) 561/2006 standards; this means that fleet managers, drivers and the authorities can be assured that they are acting in compliance with current legislation when checking driving and rest times.
