Recording driving data and the role of tachographs in carrying out transportation duties

To feel safe on the road, it is important that the vehicles which you and others on the road drive are in good condition and meet relevant safety standards. But there is another important nuance to commercial transport. When transporting goods and passengers, European Union (EU) legislation requires vehicles to be equipped with a tachograph.

 

What is a tachograph and who is it for?

 

A tachograph is a device designed to record drivers’ activities and driving data. This data is important for both companies and public authorities carrying out monitoring and inspections to ensure compliance with legislation and safety standards.

 

It is a vital tool to ensure that drivers do their job with integrity, as it can provide accurate and verifiable information on driving times, rest periods and other factors crucial for road safety. This is true especially for drivers making long journeys, as the tachograph warns about driving times and the effects of fatigue, which can lead to dangerous situations on the road.

 

The origins of tachographs and the development of data recording

 

Recording driving data has been of great importance in the transportation sector for centuries. Tachographs date back to the mid-19th century, when they were introduced on trains to record speeding and other offences. In the relatively recent past, in 1952, Germany made the use of tachographs compulsory for vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes or more, but since 1986 it has been mandatory throughout the EU.

 

There are different generations of tachographs, from the original analogue disc recorders to the modern digital and smart tachographs. The analogue tachographs used a disc and this was the first phase of tachographs introduced by the EU. Until 2006, they were used as the only way to record drivers’ activities. Then the digital tachographs were introduced, which by sending signals in encrypted form made it much more difficult to interfere with. The introduction of digital tachographs has led to even greater levels of accuracy and safety.

 

Smart tachographs and current requirements

 

The Road Transport Directorate (RTD) informs that the new regulation governing the use of tachographs requires new vehicles first registered after 20 August 2023 to be equipped with the second generation of the second version of the smart tachograph (G2V2) and EU Member States are to provide G2V2 digital tachograph cards after that date.

 

Viktors Zaķis, head of Public Relations at RTD, states: “The roll-out of the new version of the smart tachograph and the issuance of G2V2 cards has already begun. Though, RTD also points out that digital tachograph cards received in previous versions are valid until their expiry date and do not have to be replaced.”

 

He notes that in international transport the replacement of outdated tachographs by the new G2V2 is a compulsory requirement and calls for the replacement of tachographs to be carried out in good time and not postponed to the last minute.

 

“Vehicles equipped with analogue and digital tachographs (first registration of the vehicle or first activation of the tachograph before 14 June 2019) and used for international road transport must have their tachographs replaced by a G2V2 smart tachograph by 31 December 2024. However, vehicles equipped with a smart tachograph (first registration from 15 June 2019 to 20 August 2023) and used for international road transport must have their tachographs replaced with a G2V2 smart tachograph by 19 August 2025”, explains Viktors Zaķis.

 

Changes to laws and regulations

 

Currently, legislation in Latvia and other EU countries requires tachographs to be used in vehicles carrying goods with a maximum permissible laden weight, including trailer or semi-trailer, of more than 3.5 tonnes. However, from 1 July 2026, all drivers carrying out international or cabotage transport operations in vehicles with a maximum permissible weight, including trailer or semi-trailer, exceeding 2.5 tonnes must record their active and rest periods using a tachograph.

 

https://www.atd.lv/lv/jaunumi/atd-uzs%C4%81k-vied%C4%81-tahogr%C4%81fa-jaun%C4%81s-versijas-ievie%C5%A1anu-un-aicina-komersantus-nomai%C5%86u-neatlikt

 

Yet another addition to the Kurbads fleet is the Mercedes-Benz Actros L car carrier

Yet another addition to the Kurbads fleet is the Mercedes-Benz Actros L car carrier, whose sides are decorated with the Latvian Ethnographic Symbol – Cross of Mara.

The Cross of Mara is a symbol of fire and its borderline situations. Mara’s Cross is a sign of Lima and love. Protects from evil spirits. As mentioned in Latvian folk mythology, any thing on which this sign is depicted symbolically is donated to Mara, receiving her blessing, love and protection in return. The author of design on the car carrier is our artist Alfreds Paulausks.

In the initiation ritual, as usual all the men engaged in a “Bear Dance”, charging a powerful wave of energy that was transferred to the vehicle, while women twisted knots on the cross of Mara, wishing the car a flowing course…

The reins of the new car carrier have been handed over to our driver Armands Verbickis.

See you on the road!

#theartofvehiclelogistics

Kurbads are dedicated to personal growth and development of our employees. ECG Academy.

We as a company are dedicated to personal growth and development of our employees. We take great pride in helping our employees advance in their careers. Our logistics specialist, Brencis Pēteris Eglītis, is the fifth colleague from our team to attend the ECG Academy.

The ECG Academy is a comprehensive course spanning approximately 24 days, divided into 5 modules held at different locations across Europe. This setup allows for site visits to manufacturing plants, ports, and logistics facilities in addition to classroom instruction.

The first module emphasizes a ‘green’ initiative and sustainable development, with guest speakers from various sectors of the industry, including representatives from the automobile industry, shipping lines, ports, railway logistics and the road transport. There’s also a detailed analysis of the current state of the road transport industry.

“The initial meeting of this year’s ECG Academy course in Copenhagen was highly informative. The primary focus of the program is innovation within the field of Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL). Given the broad scope of the industry, encompassing road, railway, and maritime transport, the pace of development and adaptation processes tends to be gradual. Consequently, the first three days of lectures focused on an in-depth exploration of various sub-sectors of FVL transport, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as their application within the FVL field. The course also introduces innovation management, designed to develop skills that facilitate the creation and implementation of innovative ideas, ultimately making FVL processes more efficient, faster, transparent, and environmentally friendly.

As part of the training, participants visited the car terminal in the Copenhagen/Malmö port (on the Malmö side), which stands as the largest car transport terminal in Scandinavia. The terminal is jointly managed by Toyota’s Scandinavian/Baltic branch and Axess Logistics, covering a total area of 800,000 square meters and capable of accommodating up to 40,000 car units. The sheer scale of operations in such an expansive area was truly impressive and provided a unique experience.

The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Bremen, Germany, at the beginning of December,” says Brencis Pēteris Eglītis.

For more information about the ECG Academy, please visit: https://www.ecgassociation.eu/activities/education/ecg-academy/

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Kurbads team-building in Austria on Film

In the early morning of October 5th, we all gathered at Riga Airport to embark on new adventures. The purpose of this team-building event was to exchange experiences, acquire new knowledge and spend quality time with colleagues outside of our daily routines.

Our journey began with a flight to Germany, from where we continued our trip to Austria to visit our cooperative partner’s factory in Salzburg. Kässbohrer is a company specializing in the production of truck trailers. During our visit, we had the opportunity to witness the entire trailer production process. The warm welcome by Victor, the head of the sales and service team, made our visit to the Kässbohrer factory memorable. He graciously guided us through the factory and the trailer production process along with the colleagues. Following with a delightful lunch, we later on explored the city center of Salzburg.

After a brief respite, we strolled through the streets of Salzburg, which is renowned as the capital of classicism. Salzburg, often considered one of the most beautiful cities in not only Austria, but all of Europe, boasts a rich cultural heritage, being the birthplace of Mozart. Art and culture permeate every corner of this enchanting city. We also had the opportunity to visit the ‘Hohensalzburg’ fortress, one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Europe, offering a panoramic view of the city. With a satisfying sense of fatigue, we dined on the traditional Austrian dishes, with a special mention of the famous Austrian schnitzel!

On the second day, we returned to Germany, Munich – renowned as the capital of the automotive industry. There, we visited the BMW museum, which showcases many historical cars and vision models of the future. A particular highlight was Elvis Presley’s BMW 507, which had languished in a dusty American barn for years before being meticulously restored and displayed in the museum.

Following our museum visit, we gathered for lunch, sharing our vivid impressions of the experiences we had gained. Soon, it was time to return to the airport and catch our flight back to our beloved homeland Latvia.

The Summit of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics was organised in Riga

14 September 2023 was a very important day for us and another milestone in the history of Kurbads. It was a special day as this year, for the first time, we were invited to organise the ECG (Association of European Vehicle Logistics) Eastern Europe Regional Summit, one of the most influential industry events across Europe.

The ECG summits are very important events for the vehicle logistics industry, bringing together industry leaders from all over Europe to share their experiences. The aim of these summits is to bring together industry professionals to exchange views and learn about the latest developments in the vehicle logistics sector in the European Union (EU).

Until now, ECG meetings have been organised in one of the large and influential EU Member States. But this year was a unique opportunity here in Latvia to learn from the association’s representatives and the chairman of the Board about the current market trends in the industry, to get acquainted with the ECG’s future strategic development plans and to get an insight into the overall picture of the European vehicle logistics industry.

It was a great honour and an even greater responsibility for us to organise such an important event. We are very honoured that the baton of organising the summit has been passed to us this year, so that we can fly our flag and mark Latvia as an important logistics hub on the vast European highway map.

Many thanks to everyone who helped organise the meeting. Thank you to the participants and all visitors for your kind words. It was you who helped to make it such a special and important event in our company’s history.

See you on the road and at other summits!

Kurbads “Colonel Oskars Kalpaks” car carrier arrived at the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks High School

Our #111 “Colonel Oskars Kalpaks” car carrier arrived today in Kandava at the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks High School to congratulate the students with the beginning of the new school year.

We had the honor to participate in the solemn ceremony and share the joy!

 

How the Ford Mustang became a real muscle car

A seven-litre engine in a small convertible made an already successful Ford product even more desirable.

A cursory glance at the accompanying images would lead a non-expert to believe they are looking at the first or ‘original’ Ford Mustang, so prevalent in posters, cinema and on souvenir mugs. In fact however, we are dealing with the first serious facelift in the history of Ford’s legendary muscle car. When comparing the 1965 and 1967 Mustangs, the main thing that catches the eye are the different fog lights, which became a must-have feature on the GT version. But even the most keen observer might miss the fact that the 1967 model is larger than its predecessor, and not just for reasons of comfort. It was this year’s Ford Mustang that became the first to feature the so-called big-block V8 engine with a displacement unrivalled to this day – 7 litres. Large-displacement engines were of course also found in later Mustang models, but in 1967 it was a giant leap from the small-block 4.7-litre engines introduced in the first generation. So it was only in 1967 that the Ford Mustang really became a true muscle car.

Chasing the origins of the engine

The largest standard Mustang engine was a 6.4-litre, or 390 cubic-inch, V8 with 320 horsepower, but the top-of-the-range unit is easily recognisable by the Cobra lettering on the air filter housing. The seven-litre engine no doubt found its way into the engine bays of Carroll Shelby’s masterpieces, both street and race cars, including the legendary Ford GT40 that took the top three places in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The engine displacement was not chosen by coincidence. 7 litres, or 427 cubic inches, was the maximum volume allowed by the technical regulations for several road races, including Nascar. Since the epic powertrain was reserved for the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, whose bonnet was adorned with various air vents for improved cooling of the engine compartment, it is likely that the sleek convertible met its current engine at some later point. Combining and swapping engines is not uncommon among Mustang enthusiasts, as evidenced by the touching attempt to return the V8’s cast-iron block to its original blue colour. Another nuance is that almost all Shelby GT500s at the time were released with a fastback body. The Ford Mustang model register says that only one GT500 convertible was produced in 1967, and it’s unlikely to be this one. The letter S in the VIN number clearly indicates that the convertible had a 6.4-litre engine in its original form.

Four gears and no automatics

Looking into the interior of the convertible, we see the first steering wheel in Mustang history with a cushioned ‘safety’ centre section. Three-point seat belts only became mandatory in 1968, before then they were an option on the model. Along with the facelift, the Mustang’s interior started to feature the brushed aluminium dashboard trim shown here and a dashboard gauge cluster with tachometer and additional gauges previously included in the so-called Rally Package. The De Luxe interior, seen here, is a relatively rare option, with light leather upholstery that harmonises perfectly with the off-white vinyl roof and the delightful Dark Moss body colour. Despite the huge engine capacity and the popularity of automatics in America, the driver of this convertible had to handle more than 300 horsepower using the classic three pedals and a four-speed manual gearbox. If this number of gears seems modest for such a task, it is worth knowing that the Mustang’s standard gearbox at the time had only three speeds. The Mustang GTA, or GT/A, where the letter A stood for automatic or rather the automated Select Shift Cruise-o-Matic transmission, was produced for only one year in this generation, 1967, and there were no automatics at all for the seven-litre engines.

Year of Bullitt

Interestingly, Ford Mustang godfather Lee Iacocca initially disliked the facelifted model, although he himself oversaw the completion of its design from the side air vents to the square mirrors (the original Mustang Mk I had round mirrors). The wider and deeper radiator grille made the car look visually stronger, while the increased wheel track improved stance and handling. New, curved taillights gave the sports car a more premium look. The car could be ordered in 28 different colours, the standard convertible was priced at $2898, and despite external and internal competition from the Chevrolet Camaro, Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda, Ford’s three plants produced 472,121 Mustangs during that year, of which 44,808 were convertibles. Within a year, the elegant, if totally non-functional, grille would disappear from the side of the Mustang, and minimal cosmetic changes would, as usual, be made to Ford’s best-seller annually. In the same year, this ‘in-between generation’ Mustang would take cinema screens by storm, with Steve McQueen’s Frank Bullitt chasing the bad guys through the streets of San Francisco in a moss green Ford Mustang GT Fastback. The Mustang would grow in size and power through the late 1960s, with the legendary Mach 1 and Boss 302 modifications, before the fourth and final iteration of the first-generation Ford Mustang would arrive in 1970.

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023, the first ever tour of exclusive Ferrari cars organised by the members of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Riga – Latvia, was a highlight among car enthusiasts last month. The aim was to promote local tourism opportunities at the international level, as well as to offer people in different Latvian cities the opportunity to see and learn more about this legendary brand of cars.

Kurbads, a vehicle transportation and logistics company, also had the exclusive opportunity to be part of this special event by sponsoring the tour and transporting 12 luxury Ferrari cars from Luxembourg to Italy, from Italy to Latvia and back.

Toms Hartmanis, Kurbads representative, points out that transporting such elite cars is a task that carries much responsibility and must be carried out with the utmost care: ‘Everyone knows that Ferrari cars are exclusive. Carrying such an important load as 12 cars of this brand required attention to every detail to ensure that it arrived at its destination without a hitch. I am delighted that the Kurbads team has once again performed excellently to ensure that the Ferrari Tour Latvia participants were successfully reunited with their cars in Latvia and got them home on time.’

Ferrari Tour Latvia 2023 started in Riga and the participants drove their powerful cars a total of 1000 kilometres to experience and get to know Latvia’s wonderful nature, stopping in the most beautiful cities of Latvia: Sigulda, Cēsis, Rēzekne, Bauska, Liepāja, Kuldīga, Ventspils, Jurmala and finishing the tour in Riga. In each of these cities, locals had the opportunity to take photos with the world-famous Ferrari cars, learn about the history of the brand and have a fun time among car enthusiasts.

Ferrari Tour Latvia was organised by Scuderia Ferrari Club Riga in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari Club Luxembourg and we are proud to have been among the participants of this elite event.

The 16th annual Kurbads boat trip was held in the heat and a friendly atmosphere

Respecting and honouring the best traditions of Kurbads – this year the 16th boat trip and sports games were held together. As with every year, it is organised for the Company’s employees to replenish their energy reserves and absorb the healing power of Mother Nature. Coincidentally, for the second year in a row, we chose to enjoy the bubbling currents and gentle bends of the River Pededze. After the active and back-muscle strengthening activity, we enjoyed a peaceful end to the first day, as well as the next morning, in a small green oasis in Litene, hosted by the caring owners of Laivot.lv.

Despite the fact that the weather conditions for the boat trip initially promised to be unsuitable and even rainy, this did not prevent the brave men and women of Kurbads (employees) from turning up in large numbers for the event. This time, the employees of Kurbads, Kurbads Detailing, Kurbads Kravas Serviss, HS Kurbads and Lante Manor, with their families, met for a boat trip and sports games.

We started our exciting holiday in the early hours of the morning, meeting at the Kurbads base to take a bus to the starting point of the route – the oak-lined banks of the River Pededze. Although we had initially planned to enjoy the nearby River Vaidava in the Vidzeme highlands – due to the water level, we opted for tried and tested values and went to tackle the familiar currents of the River Pededze.

Our Company values not only receiving, but also giving. If we draw strength from Mother Nature, we must also give back to her. This is why, combining our already fairly proficient paddling skills and respect for the environment, we cleared the river of litter. This duty to nature turned out to be quite exciting and not so easy, as we coincidentally also found some used car tyres in the river. It was as if someone had diverted our planned route for the day to do just that.

To rest and stretch a bit after the exciting “river cleaning operation”, as well as to have a delicious meal, we moored our water vehicles at our accommodation in the boat base Laivot.lv.

Anyone who has been on a boat trip in previous years knows that traditionally, soup is cooked over a campfire, which, thanks to the fire, the cast-iron pot and the magic of the caring hosts, tastes like nowhere else. This year, thanks to the interaction of many hard-working hands, the caring ladies of our great group brought a hearty bean soup and a vegetarian vegetable-mushroom soup to the table, which helped our men and women to recover after boating. It is important to note that most of the soup ingredients were grown in local, lovingly tended Latvian soil. They were prepared by the owners of Lante Manor. Many thanks to them!

The evening programme surprised us, as our great colleagues Anita and Denijs had made sure that this boat trip and its conclusion would be more memorable than ever:

six teams, six sports disciplines: “How much do you know about Kurbads” quiz, acrobatic stunts, extreme water slide, mini golf under the guidance of professional Toms Hartmanis, SUP board speed races, and archery under the guidance of expert Andis Pikāns. Anyone who has been to sports games with their parents as a child will agree that such recreation creates some of the happiest childhood memories. But for parents, there is nothing more satisfying than the laughter of children. That is why this year’s entertainment was not only for adults – the youngest boaters also found endless fun on the inflatables, drawing, badminton and many other activities.

We do not know if Imants Ziedonis was also inspired by Litene when he wrote his Colourful Tales, but we inadvertently divided ourselves into White, Blue, Green, Orange, Red and Yellow teams. The fastest and most erudite team this year was the strong men of White, with Yellow coming a close second, but Blue taking an honourable third place.

Just before going to bed, Elizabete and Nauris created a musical atmosphere for us around the campfire, which even turned into a little shamanic ritual during the evening. Accompanied by the steady rumble of raindrops and the wonderful symphony of acoustic guitar strings and drums, a wonderful and slightly magical atmosphere was conjured up around the campfire, so that colleagues could unite not only physically, but also spiritually, by performing the most popular Latvian songs together.

The voices of our colleagues and their singing along, as well as the smooth swaying to the music, once again showed us that the spirit of togetherness is the key to our success. Perhaps this was one of the supernatural healing practices we read about in the stories, sent to us in gratitude by Mother Nature? Perhaps. But it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the heartfelt kindness of our colleagues, the soulful sound of music and the symphony created by the play of campfire light that shone in our faces. This wonderful cocktail of feelings allowed us to go to bed filled with happiness.

Another earthy morning dawned, and we rose with the first strong rays of the sun. As usual, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast together, and shortly before the boat trip continued, we got some good exercise, waking up our bodies and spirits with the help of our yoga instructor Ieva. Henrijs surprised all the boaters with a spontaneous decision that he’d made the night before around the campfire – everyone should learn the “Pankūku dancis” – latvian traditional folk dance. Who knows, maybe in the future there will be a folk dance group Kurbads?

A few more hours on the River Pededze and the sixteenth Kurbads boat trip was over. We would like to express our gratitude to the host of Aizupieši, Anna, for such a naturally beautiful, well-kept campsite and for such a warm welcome and involvement. Laivot.lv is one of the best campsites we have stayed at in our entire experience of sixteen years.

We have once again seen that we can both be proud of our success in our field, as well as the great employees who not only work better than the vehicles we drive on a daily basis, but also work exceptionally well together in our leisure activities.

Thank you all for a great time and see you next year for the seventeenth Kurbads boat trip!  May the sun warm you and the wind of togetherness blow in the sails of your life!

INTRODUCING THE FORD EXPLORER – A NEW ERA OF SUVS FOR EUROPE

Ford is set to usher in a new era with the launch of its highly anticipated Ford Explorer SUV, tailor-made for the European market. It is adventure-ready with a new and unique design, new levels of comfort and advanced driving technology.
Production of this state-of-the-art model will start at the revamped Cologne plant as of August/September 2023. The car will be available for order in Latvia from November 2023.

In direct competition with mid-size SUVs such as the Škoda Enyaq and Jeep Avenger, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Ford Explorer promises to be a game-changer in its class.
So what does the Ford Explorer promise to be!?
The Explorer boasts a length of 4.46 metres, a width of 1.87 metres and a height of 1.6 metres. Its design strikes the perfect balance between elegance and functionality. Equipped with all-wheel drive, the Ford Explorer delivers mighty 340 horsepower. For those who prefer a rear-wheel drive configuration, there is also a 286 horsepower option available to suit different driving preferences.
The Ford Explorer’s lithium-ion battery provides excellent single-charge mileage of up to 500 kilometres in the summer, while still offering an impressive range of 350 to 400 kilometres per charge in the winter. In addition, its fast charging capability delivers a charge rate from 10% to 85% in just around 25 minutes, reducing downtime during long journeys.
With acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6 seconds, the Ford Explorer delivers an exhilarating driving experience without compromising on efficiency.
This Ford Explorer is based on a new electric vehicle platform and therefore has a much larger luggage compartment. The boot has a capacity of 470 litres and there is space for even a 15″ laptop in the compartment between driver and passenger.
Ford aims to make the Explorer an attractive option with a planned starting price of €45,000, positioning it as a tempting choice compared to its rivals.

How does the Ford Explorer compare to the competition?
Jeep Avenger (electric): starting at €40,000, the Avenger offers a charging range of up to 400 km and an 80% charge in 40 minutes.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: Ioniq 5: starting at €53,000, the Ioniq 5 boasts a remarkable range of up to 500 km per charge, with charging to 80% in 40 minutes.
Škoda Enyaq IV (electric): starting at €50,000, the Enyaq offers a range of up to 400 km, with 80% charge in 40 minutes.
In conclusion, the Ford Explorer is a worthy contender in the mid-size SUV electric market, combining a competitive price, impressive range, fast charging times and a stylish design that particularly meets the expectations of Europeans. In strategic partnership with VW plants and with innovative features, the Ford Explorer is set to redefine the SUV experience and usher in a new era in the automotive world.

Read more about the new Ford Explorer at www.ford.lv.
*Photos from www.ford.lv