Truck & Driver data standards

To meet the customer and future societal needs, current logistics supply chains are being transformed into hyper-connected logistics networks where digital collaboration amongst all stakeholders is becoming a necessity. However, due to the increasing number of different IT platforms, data interfaces and involved parties within the transport and logistics chain, there is more and more need for standardization of data. This is especially true when personal data, like truck and driver data is being shared. 

At this moment, different standards for truck and driver data are used within the transport sector. As a result, there are many different data definitions, rules and data
requests from each platform provider or company. This lack of truck and driver data harmonization and standardization, results in a lot of manual work, data input mistakes, different IT interfaces and complexity and extra costs.
When there is a standard format and set of definitions for truck and driver data and this set is exchanged digitally between different parties, such common dataset will smoothen the digital collaboration and increase the data quality, allow automation, reduce errors and manual input work.

Besides, it is for every party clear which data is required to digitally collaborate to reach a common purpose. As a result, the waiting time at the gate or at customers will be reduced and the process will be more efficient.
Besides that, when sharing truck and driver data it is also important to consider which data can or cannot be shared and how it can be shared, so that personal data is processed confidentially and complies with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Besides, commercial sensitive truck data should be handled with respect for data ownership.

The aim of this document is to provide an ECTA best practice guideline in which a standard set of truck and driver data is defined. Furthermore, the aim is to provide a recommendation for digitalizing truck and driver data, while complying with GDPR and with respect for truck data ownership and data sharing purpose. In terms of scope, this ECTA best practice guideline will cover road transport of bulk and packed goods in the chemical industry.