This article covers Polish regulations and market practice. The principles apply elsewhere, but check the rules in your country.
One of the basic documents held by people who perform road transport is the individual driver card. It allows working time and the individual activities within it to be recorded effectively using a digital tachograph. The electronic driver card stores important data which, under the regulations, must be downloaded regularly by the haulier. This practice matters for two basic reasons. First and foremost, it helps avoid potential penalties from enforcement authorities such as the ITD. In addition, analysing driver card data gives the transport company valuable information on how a given employee performs their duties and on any infringements, and opens the way to improving the fleet's work and settling drivers' working time correctly.
In the rest of this article we explain in detail what a driver card is, what role it plays in the daily life of transport companies, how to obtain a driver card, how often data should be downloaded from it, and a number of other issues related to this important subject.
The digital driver card: what is it?
What is the simplest definition of a driver card? A driver card is an electronic chip card that identifies the driver of a vehicle fitted with a digital tachograph. It is an individually assigned document that allows the driver's working time, breaks and rest periods to be recorded in accordance with road transport law.
Is a driver card mandatory? And if so, who must have one? It turns out that drivers of vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes or carrying more than 9 people (including the driver) are obliged to hold such a document.
The digital tachograph and the driver card: what are they for?
The tachograph and the driver card play very important roles in road transport. What do they mean from the haulier's perspective?
A tachograph is a device fitted in the vehicle that records data on driving, breaks, rest and the driver's other activities. Its absence in a lorry performing road transport is a serious breach of the rules.
It is also worth asking the key question about the driver card: why is this document used? Once it is inserted in the digital tachograph, the recorded information can be assigned to a specific person. It allows the driver's working time to be controlled reliably and, as a result, helps prevent fatigue and improve road safety. Thanks to the driver card, the driver's duties and how they are performed can be analysed, and the data stored on it makes it possible to record and settle working time. In addition, given the regulations governing driver cards, using the card properly is the key to avoiding penalties from enforcement authorities.
The most important functions of the driver card in a transport company are therefore as follows:
- recording driving time and breaks: the card records when the driver is driving, resting or performing other activities,
- driver identification: it ensures data security and transparency, ruling out any substitution of the person driving the vehicle,
- easier inspections: enforcement authorities can quickly check whether the driver is complying with the working time rules.
What does the procedure for obtaining a driver card look like? Applying for a driver card
The procedure for obtaining a driver card is standardised and handled by the Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW). To apply, you need:
- an ID card or passport,
- a valid driving licence,
- a current photograph in the required format,
- proof of payment of the fee (around PLN 172.20).
The application can be submitted electronically or on paper. The waiting time for the card is usually 7 to 30 working days.
When to replace a driver card or renew it?
Once issued, a driver card is valid for 5 years. As its expiry date approaches, a renewal application must be submitted no earlier than 60 days and no later than 15 working days before the card expires. These deadlines must be observed, because not having a valid card can have serious consequences.
Replacing the driver card with a new one is necessary when it has been damaged. Action should be taken immediately so that transport can continue in line with the rules.
How to use the driver card correctly?
Using the driver card competently is one of the basic skills of anyone performing road transport. Handling it is fairly simple – you just need to follow the rules that apply to this procedure.
How do you insert the driver card into the tachograph so that it is read correctly and the data is recorded properly?
Before the driver card is activated by inserting it and logging in on the recording device, check that it is not damaged or dirty. Next, switch on the tachograph by turning the key in the ignition to the "ignition on" position. Then select the right tachograph slot – slot 1 is for the driver driving the vehicle. When it comes to inserting the card into the tachograph, remember to insert it chip up and with the arrow printed on the card pointing forward. Insert the driver card into the tachograph slowly so as not to damage it. There is another reason why inserting the driver card correctly matters: a tachograph error that prevents data from being recorded correctly, which appears when the card has been inserted into the slot incorrectly.
How do you remove the driver card from the tachograph at the end of the working day? Press the appropriate button on the tachograph and wait for the card to be ejected. Once the ejection is complete, simply take the card out of the recording device and take it with you.
Downloading driver card data – what you should know
Regular downloading and archiving of driver card and tachograph memory data is not only a legal requirement but also an important part of settling working time and analysing driving style. How often should the driver card be downloaded and how can it be done?
- Driver card data should be downloaded at least once every 28 days.
- The driver card can be downloaded traditionally, using specialist equipment, or with innovative remote download systems.
- What data does the driver card identify? Above all, it records detailed information on working time, including the individual activities of the person performing the transport and the rest periods they take.
With modern remote download systems such as Navifleet, you can download data automatically without physically connecting to the tachograph.
No driver card: consequences in the event of an inspection
The regulations provide for penalties for the absence of a driver card in the digital tachograph while performing road transport. They can be imposed on the driver, on the transport manager and on the haulier.
- What is the penalty for the driver for not having a driver card? If they fail to record vehicle speed, their activity or distance travelled on the driver card using the digital tachograph, they face a PLN 2,000 fine. If, on the other hand, they perform road transport without a valid driver card or with a damaged driver card after the period specified in Article 29(5) of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, they may face a fine of PLN 500.
- The transport manager may receive a fine of PLN 500 when the driver performing the transport does not hold a valid driver card.
- The haulier may receive a fine of PLN 2,000 if the driver performing road transport in a vehicle with a digital tachograph does not have their own valid driver card.
Remember that complying with the obligation to hold and use a driver card is not only a matter of obeying the law, but above all of safety and professionalism.
What is a driver card and what should you know about it? Summary
The driver card is an essential document for all professional drivers. It allows working time to be recorded reliably and makes it possible to meet the legal requirements. Understanding what a driver card is, how to obtain one and how to use it is an absolute basic for anyone who operates in the world of road transport every day.
Interested in driver cards and tachographs and want to learn more about them? We encourage you to read the other articles on our blog devoted to them, such as:
- A new era of tachographs: replacement, key deadlines and the most important changes
- How to streamline the settlement of drivers' working time? A guide to remote tachograph data download
- Tachographs in vans – what you need to know about the new rules
- Tachograph – what it is, how it works, what it is for and who must have one
- How to change the time on a tachograph? A practical guide for drivers and payroll staff
- How to insert a card into a tachograph? A practical step-by-step guide
Agata Świerczek
E-marketing Specialist
As a UX/UI design specialist I combine creativity with precise communication. I design intuitive interfaces and engaging digital content, and I write product copy and blog articles that hold attention and support business goals.
