VDO Link: First Plug-and-play Solution for Connecting the Digital Tachograph to Cloud-based Services

Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, April 2, 2025. Continental has developed a unique solution that seamlessly connects the digital tachograph to online fleet management services. The plug-and-play solution VDO Link makes it possible to retrieve and process reliable data from digital tachographs such as the VDO DTCO 4.1 or 4.1a in real time and remotely. There is no need to install fixed telematics modules in the vehicle. “Until now, it was particularly difficult for small and medium-sized fleets to fully exploit the potential of their tachograph data and thus digitize their processes,” explains Volkmar Knaup, head of Services Europe in the Commercial & Special Vehicles segment at Continental. “The VDO Link is an easy-to-use and flexible solution for quickly and efficiently installing a telematics infrastructure in the vehicle.” In addition, the VDO Link's open interface concept and the real-time data from the digital tachograph enable many other use cases and thus the further digitalization of freight carriers and transport companies. The VDO Link is the first true plug-and-play solution of its kind and will be available from the beginning of April.

The VDO Link does not require a time-consuming and costly visit to the workshop for installation, as it can simply be plugged into the front interface of the tachograph. The VDO Link is compatible with all digital VDO tachographs from the DTCO 3.0 onwards. After registering on the VDO Fleet website, the collected vehicle, driver, and position data is sent in real time via LTE mobile communications to the Continental Secure Cloud. Small and medium-sized fleets with mixed vehicle fleets, consisting, for example, of different generations of trucks or rental and leasing vehicles, benefit particularly from the plug-and-play concept: with the VDO Link, they can seamlessly and effortlessly automate their processes, simplify compliance tasks, and even achieve productivity gains. This includes, for example, the legally required download of the mass memory, which can also be done remotely and automatically with the help of the VDO Link. But fleet managers can now also make direct use of other VDO Fleet services such as VDO Fleet Maps, the user-friendly track-and-trace solution, and real-time driver availability.

The secure and reliable tachograph data – called Trusted Data by Continental – can also be used as a basis for further applications and digital services for more efficient fleet operations. This is made possible by an open interface concept that also allows external partners to access various tachograph data sets. For example, the data on driving and rest times as well as possible border crossings could be used by billing providers to automatically record working hours. But fleet managers can also use data on the current position, loading space, and weight of the vehicle to accept additional freight commissions and thus increase the utilization of their fleet. Continental is planning to work with development partners, start-ups, and customers to further expand the service landscape for fleets and drivers for these and other new applications and services, thus tapping the full potential of the tachograph.