Driver card reading online – from the DDD file to an online report
You can download driver card data with any card reader and analyse it in your browser. DDDStart shows activities, potential infringements with a penalty estimate, and records and gaps that need checking.
What the driver card contains
The driver card records activities (driving, other work, availability, rest), card insertions and withdrawals, vehicles and odometer readings, the countries where the working day starts and ends, border crossings (2nd generation cards), events and faults, and manual entries. The card capacity is usually enough for at least 28 days of work – which is why the data must be downloaded regularly.
How to read a driver card – step by step
- Download the card data with a card reader connected to a computer or a download key from the tachograph. The result is a file
.DDD(also.ESM,.C1B,.TGD). - Upload the file to DDDStart – drag it onto the page, also several files at once. Nothing needs to be installed, and it also works on a phone.
- Check the result: a daily activity chart, possible infringements and manual entries needing attention. An alert is a pointer to check, not a decision on its own.
- Download the PDF report for your own records. You can copy the infringements table in CSV format.
How often driver card data must be downloaded
Data on the card and in the tachograph has a limited scope and recording period. Check the download date, the range of available days and data completeness, and keep the original files on your own device too.
What to look for after reading the card
- exceeding the daily (9 h, twice a week 10 h) and weekly (56 h) driving time and the 90 h limit in two weeks,
- missing or too short breaks after 4.5 h of driving,
- reduced and untaken daily and weekly rests,
- gaps in the records and missing manual entries (unknown activity, no country),
- driving without a card – visible only when the card is compared with the tachograph data.
Read your own driver card online
Create a driver account, upload your own DDD file and check the recorded activities. The analysis history and reports are available after logging in for up to 12 months from the analysis, unless deleted earlier.
Questions and answers
Do I need a program installed on my computer to read the driver card?
Not for the analysis itself – you upload the DDD file in the browser. To download data from the card you need a card reader with its software or a download key from the tachograph.
How much does a driver card analysis cost?
A single analysis is available without a subscription; current packages and any welcome analyses are in the price list.
Will DDDStart read a 2nd generation card (smart tachograph)?
Yes. We support 1st and 2nd generation cards and tachographs, including G2v2, in the format compliant with Regulation 2016/799.
Updated: 12 October 2026 · Prepared by the DDDStart team (AMK VISION sp. z o.o.). For information only; this is not legal advice.