The Importance of Data Continuity
In 2026, the recording of activities must be uninterrupted. Forgetting to perform a manual entry when inserting the card after a period of rest or other work is considered a very serious infringement. With the new DSRC remote inspection system, agents can detect gaps in your records without needing to stop the vehicle.
*Note: This guide is valid for VDO DTCO (up to 4.1) and Stoneridge SE5000 tachographs.*
Chapter 1: Why are manual entries mandatory?
Regulation (EU) No. 165/2014 and the Mobility Package updates require the tachograph to record all driver activities 24 hours a day. If the card is out of the device (for example, during daily rest at home or over the weekend), the tachograph does not know what you have done during that time.
Upon inserting the card, the device asks: "Add manual entries?". If you select "NO", you are declaring that this time does not exist, creating a "time jump" or period of unknown activity, punishable by fines exceeding €1,000.
1.1. The end of the Attestation of Activities
It is crucial to remember that in 2026, the use of activity certificates (the old "rest papers") is practically residual. Regulations prioritize that any activity be manually recorded directly onto the driver card through the tachograph.
Chapter 2: VDO DTCO Process (Step-by-Step)
VDO tachographs are the most common. Follow this exact procedure to record a daily rest:
2.1. Insertion and Welcome
Insert your card into slot 1. The tachograph will display your name and the date/time of the last extraction.
2.2. Manual Entry Confirmation
The message will appear: Add manual entry?. Select YES using the OK button.
2.3. Setting the Rest Period
The tachograph will show the extraction date and the current date. For a normal rest, the "bed" (rest)
symbol will appear by default.
1. Confirm the end of the previous shift.
2. Confirm that you have been at rest until the current moment.
3. Press OK until you reach the "Confirm entries" question.
Chapter 3: Stoneridge SE5000 Process
The Stoneridge model uses a "rest until now" system that simplifies the process:
3.1. Activity Selection
After inserting the card, select "YES" to add entries. The device will ask: Rest until now?.
3.2. Country Validation
If you have been resting, select "YES". Then, confirm the starting country for the current shift (e.g., UK or Spain) and press OK to finish.
Common Errors vs. Correct Practice
| Common Error | Consequence | Correct Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Pressing "NO" due to haste | Infringement for missing records | Take 30 seconds to select "YES" |
| Not closing the end country | Error in shift calculation | Always mark start and end countries |
| Removing the card without reason | Suspicion of manipulation | Only extract for rest or vehicle change |
Chapter 4: Other Work and Availability
You aren't always resting when the card is out. What if you've been loading the truck or working in the warehouse?
4.1. Recording "Other Work" (Hammers)
If you performed other tasks before driving, you must change the "bed" symbol to the "hammers" symbol during the manual entry. You must manually adjust the start time of the driving so the previous time counts as work and not as rest.
If you're not sure when a period counts as "other work", "availability" or rest, the full breakdown is in the activity selector guide.
When you have to do it, and the order the unit expects
A manual entry is not box-ticking: it is what fills the gap between pulling the card out and putting it back in. Leave that gap blank and it does not read as «rest» to an examiner. It reads as unaccounted time, and that is what gets penalised.
When it is compulsory
Article 34(3) of Regulation (EU) 165/2014 is explicit: where a driver is away from the vehicle and therefore unable to use the tachograph, those activities must be entered manually and after the fact. That means everything that happens with the card out — the night in the hotel, the day you rode as second man, the morning in the workshop, the shift in the warehouse. Not just long rests.
The country symbol, at the start and at the end
This is the detail that generates the most fines and costs the least effort. You must enter the symbol of the country where you begin your daily working period and the one where you end it. On top of that, a Member State may require drivers operating within its territory to add more detailed geographic information than the country alone. If you run international, this is not optional and cannot be patched later — it goes in at the time.
The sequence the tachograph expects
When you insert the card, the unit asks whether you want to add activities. That is the critical moment: say no and it will not ask again, and filling that gap afterwards becomes far harder. The correct flow is to accept, confirm the time of the last withdrawal, work through the blocks — rest, other work, availability — up to the present time, and confirm. Take the minute it needs with the vehicle stationary; rushing it is how half of all wrong entries happen.
What happens if you skip them
Missing manual entries are an offence, and the seriousness scales with the size of the hole. Where there are long stretches with no information at all, it moves into the most serious band. The examiner's logic is simple: if there is no record of what you were doing, there is no way to confirm that you rested. And when it cannot be confirmed, the doubt does not fall in your favour.
The attestation of activities, for what the card cannot cover
Some gaps cannot be documented properly by a manual entry: annual leave, sick leave, long absences, or time spent driving a vehicle outside the scope. That is what the attestation of activities is for — a form signed by the operator confirming what you were doing on those days. It does not replace day-to-day manual entries, but it is what saves you when a whole month with no records is queried at the roadside.
Chapter 5: 2026 Sanctions Scale
The lack of manual annotations is classified as a serious or very serious infringement depending on the data deficiency:
- Failure to record periods: Up to €1,001 fine.
- Not entering the country symbol: €301 fine.
- Deliberate manipulation or omission: Up to €4,001 and potential loss of honorability.
You'll find the complete amounts by offence in the 2026 transport sanctions scale.
Frequently Asked Questions on Manual Entries
Technical Conclusion: Discipline Saves Money
Performing manual entries correctly is the difference between a smooth shift and a sanction that ruins the month's profit. With the arrival of the Smart Tachograph V2, monitoring is stricter than ever. If you are a fleet manager, ensure your drivers master this process by using analysis tools like TachoTools to oversee data quality.