The road transport sector in Europe has undergone a series of major changes in recent years, with further significant amendments coming into force on 1 July 2026. This date marks a key stage in the implementation of the EU Mobility Package, which will effectively bring light international transport (so-called “vans”) under the same regulatory requirements as traditional heavy goods transport. For thousands of carriers, this represents the most significant organisational change in years.

Below is a comprehensive overview of the upcoming changes and new obligations that carriers and drivers must prepare for in order to avoid operational disruption and severe financial penalties.

Who will be affected by the July changes?

The new rules will directly affect carriers using light commercial vehicles with a maximum permissible gross vehicle weight (GVW) between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes. The requirements apply both to companies operating large van fleets and to sole traders, provided they perform international commercial carriage of goods (including cross-trade transport) or cabotage operations within the European Union.

The changes effective from 1 July 2026 will not apply to vehicles operating exclusively on domestic routes (for example, only within Poland), own-account transport, non-commercial transport, or passenger transport (such as minibuses with up to nine seats). These areas will remain unchanged.

New obligation from 1 July: Smart G2V2 tachographs in vans

From 1 July 2026, the era of international light transport without mandatory recording of driving time will come to an end. All vehicles with a GVW between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes falling within the scope of the Mobility Package must be equipped with second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2).

Importantly, the regulations do not provide transitional periods for older vehicles. The requirement will apply to all vehicles, including both newly registered vehicles and those already operating within a fleet.

G2V2 tachographs provide significantly greater transparency in transport operations by:

• automatically recording the time and location of border crossings;
• recording the exact location of loading and unloading operations;
• accurately storing information about driving time, breaks, rest periods and other driver activities;
• enabling enforcement authorities to remotely access selected tachograph data using DSRC technology without stopping the vehicle.

Carriers will also be responsible for ensuring proper tachograph calibration (at least once every two years) and securing archived data (with tachograph memory downloads required at least every 90 days).

Strict driving time and rest period rules (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006)

Once the tachograph obligation comes into force on 1 July 2026, van drivers will automatically become subject to the same strict driving time and rest period rules as heavy goods vehicle drivers. The possibility of covering thousands of kilometres without structured breaks will come to an end.

The main rules include:

1. Daily driving time: Maximum of 9 hours, with the possibility of extending this to 10 hours no more than twice per week.
2. Mandatory breaks: After 4.5 hours of continuous driving, the driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes (which may be split into two periods of 15 and 30 minutes).
3. Daily and weekly rest periods: Drivers must strictly comply with daily and weekly rest requirements. The prohibition on taking regular weekly rest (45 hours) inside the vehicle remains in force. Employers must provide and pay for suitable accommodation with sanitary facilities.

The Mobility Package also introduced several arrangements benefiting drivers on international routes. These include the possibility of taking two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods, provided that appropriate compensation is granted. In certain justified circumstances, drivers may exceed driving time by one hour, or even two hours (after taking an additional 30-minute break), solely to reach their planned rest location at the company’s base or their place of residence.

Rules concerning multi-manning have also been simplified: time spent in the passenger seat may count as a valid break from driving.

Driver cards and company cards

Digital tachographs require the use of dedicated cards. Every international van driver will need to obtain a personal Driver Card issued by the Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW) and must carry it while performing work duties. The card records the driver’s activities and working time.

The transport company will also need a Company Card, which is used to secure tachograph data, assign vehicles to the company and manage data archiving.

Increased inspections and higher penalties

Smart tachographs will give the Road Transport Inspection (ITD) and European enforcement authorities a powerful tool for immediate verification of compliance with transport regulations. This includes checking whether carriers comply with cabotage restrictions introduced in previous years (maximum three cabotage operations within seven days, followed by a mandatory four-day cooling-off period) and the requirement for vehicles to return to their operational base every eight weeks.

From 1 July 2026, penalties for breaches of the new rules — such as driving without a driver card inserted, tampering with a tachograph, failure to make manual entries or exceeding permitted driving times — will become extremely severe and may reach several thousand or even several dozen thousand euros in some countries.

Such infringements are classified among the most serious violations (so-called MSI category offences). They may quickly lead to the loss of a carrier’s “good repute”, suspension or withdrawal of a transport licence, and even immobilisation of the vehicle during roadside inspections.

Conclusion

The changes scheduled for 1 July 2026 represent the final stage in the professionalisation of the light transport sector and aim to harmonise standards across the European market.

To avoid disruption, carriers should not delay preparations. The Mobility Package changes will create a more transparent and competitive market, but remaining active in this sector will require thorough organisational and technical preparation of fleets for the new regulatory environment.

Author: Mateusz Pernak
Lawyer at Trans Lawyers
www.translawyers.eu