A routine roadside inspection on the A 4 motorway in Thuringia turned into Germany’s costliest tachograph case of the year after transport inspectors discovered an elaborate switch that allowed a driver to falsify mandatory rest periods while the truck was still moving.
The Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) and motorway police dismantled the nearly new vehicle during the 18 November check and found a concealed wiring harness linked to the digital tachograph. Activating the toggle forced the unit to record ‘0 km/h’, disabling adaptive-cruise, ABS and ESP safety systems and letting the 34-year-old Turkish driver exceed legal driving-time limits undetected.
![German inspectors impose €30,000 fine after uncovering tachograph tampering]()
Because the same haulage company had been caught with an identical manipulation in July, BALM imposed a €30,000 security deposit on the spot and ordered the truck off the road until all illegal parts were removed. Officials said the case illustrates a growing trend: sophisticated electronic interference that masks fatigue while undermining vehicle safety.
For mobility managers the message is clear. German enforcement agencies are intensifying roadside technology checks as part of wider Schengen-area efforts to improve road-freight safety and labour standards. Companies that send drivers across Germany’s borders should expect more in-depth hardware inspections and factor potential delays—and hefty on-the-spot fines—into their logistics planning.
Employers should also audit subcontractors, as liability in Germany can extend up the transport chain. The BALM has already warned that a forthcoming EU smart-tachograph upgrade (phase III, due mid-2026) will make tampering even harder and fines even steeper.
The Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) and motorway police dismantled the nearly new vehicle during the 18 November check and found a concealed wiring harness linked to the digital tachograph. Activating the toggle forced the unit to record ‘0 km/h’, disabling adaptive-cruise, ABS and ESP safety systems and letting the 34-year-old Turkish driver exceed legal driving-time limits undetected.
Because the same haulage company had been caught with an identical manipulation in July, BALM imposed a €30,000 security deposit on the spot and ordered the truck off the road until all illegal parts were removed. Officials said the case illustrates a growing trend: sophisticated electronic interference that masks fatigue while undermining vehicle safety.
For mobility managers the message is clear. German enforcement agencies are intensifying roadside technology checks as part of wider Schengen-area efforts to improve road-freight safety and labour standards. Companies that send drivers across Germany’s borders should expect more in-depth hardware inspections and factor potential delays—and hefty on-the-spot fines—into their logistics planning.
Employers should also audit subcontractors, as liability in Germany can extend up the transport chain. The BALM has already warned that a forthcoming EU smart-tachograph upgrade (phase III, due mid-2026) will make tampering even harder and fines even steeper.
