Two Orders Could Remain in Force for Six More Years
Russia’s Ministry of Transport has prepared a draft regulation extending two orders governing the installation and operation of vehicle tachographs. The proposal has been published on the country’s federal regulatory draft portal.
The first amendment concerns Transport Ministry Order No. 438 of October 26, 2020. It establishes the procedure for equipping vehicles with tachographs, including installation, configuration, sealing and commissioning.
Under the current version, Order No. 438 is valid until January 1, 2027. The ministry proposes extending it until September 1, 2032.
The second amendment concerns Order No. 440 of October 28, 2020. It is currently scheduled to expire on September 1, 2026. The draft would extend its validity until September 1, 2032.
What Order No. 440 Regulates
Order No. 440 establishes the principal technical requirements for tachographs installed in commercial vehicles. It also defines the categories and types of vehicles that must be fitted with the devices.
The order sets rules for the use, maintenance and inspection of tachographs. Its provisions affect transport operators, drivers, equipment manufacturers and authorised workshops.
Extending the order would preserve the existing regulatory framework after September 1, 2026. The proposal has not yet completed the adoption process, meaning the new expiry dates will apply only after the document is approved and officially published.
No New Obligations Are Planned
The Ministry of Transport describes the amendments as technical. The proposal does not expand the list of vehicles that must carry tachographs and does not introduce additional administrative restrictions.
Carriers would therefore not be required to install extra equipment solely because the two orders are being extended. The draft also leaves the existing rules for operation, maintenance and enforcement unchanged.
The measure concerns companies and individual entrepreneurs operating vehicles subject to mandatory tachograph requirements. It is also relevant to manufacturers and workshops responsible for installing, configuring, inspecting and repairing the equipment.
According to the ministry, the extension should not produce adverse socioeconomic consequences or create an excessive regulatory burden for businesses.
The Industry Needs Regulatory Continuity
If the orders are neither extended nor replaced before their expiry dates, uncertainty could emerge over equipment requirements, the vehicle categories covered and the operation of tachograph workshops.
Extending both documents until September 2032 would preserve the current system without forcing operators to make an urgent transition to a new regulatory framework. Existing equipment could continue to be used, provided that carriers comply with the applicable configuration, inspection and maintenance requirements.
The proposal does not remove operators’ responsibility to monitor tachograph condition, servicing deadlines and the proper use of driver cards.
Reports About Counterfeit Cards Remain Unverified
Russian transport industry publications have reported the appearance of counterfeit or modified AETR tachograph cards that allegedly imitate valid credentials and are recognised by some devices as legitimate. AETR is the European agreement governing the work of vehicle crews engaged in international road transport.
However, the available source material does not contain official statistics confirming that such cards are being used on a mass scale. These reports should therefore be treated as an industry warning about possible manipulation rather than established government data.
The draft extending Orders No. 438 and No. 440 does not introduce specific new measures against counterfeit cards or tachograph tampering. Its stated purpose is limited to maintaining the existing rules until September 1, 2032.
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