Descartes Systems Group acquired Exentra Transport Solutions Limited, a UK-based provider of software-as-a-service driver compliance solutions for the European Union.


In the EU, every vehicle over 3.5 tons is required to have a tachograph. A tachograph is a device fitted to a vehicle that automatically records its speed and distance, together with the driver's activity. Exentra's cloud-based compliance management platform, Smartanalysis, helps customers use the data from a vehicle's tachograph to comply with EU-wide legislation governing driver compliance, such as the EU working-time directive.

"The EU driver compliance legislation has been in place longer than comparable regulations in North America. In the EU, not only is every vehicle required to have tachograph hardware, but the hardware is standardized and fitted during vehicle production," said Steve Fisher, CEO of Exentra and director of compliance at Descartes.

"Our experience strengthens Descartes' Routing, Mobile and Telematics suite to address
the U.S. regulatory environment, while our combined solutions also have an immediate impact on the quality and safety of route planning for our collective UK customers," Fisher added.

Exentra brings thousands of UK routing-centric customers to Descartes' Logistics Technology Platform, where more than 35,000 trading partners connect and collaborate to improve logistics operations.

Descartes' EU customers immediately benefit from an enhanced Routing, Mobile, and Telematics suite that integrates compliance and route planning applications. This integration can help customers have improved and safer delivery route plans and reduce working-time driver violations.

Exentra is headquartered in Chippenham, England. The all cash purchase price for the acquisition was 10.7 million in Great Britain pounds (approximately U.S. $17.0 million).