As of July 1, the rules for international road transport by light commercial vehicles have changed. Regulations have come into force extending the requirement to use smart tachographs to vans with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 2.5 to 3.5 tons , used for commercial international transport and cabotage operations. This is one of the most significant changes for this market segment since the implementation of the Mobility Package.
The gap is over. Buses are joining the system.
For years, the requirement to use tachographs primarily applied to trucks with a GVM exceeding 3.5 tons. The same rules now also apply to vans used in international road haulage . This is a significant change that levels the playing field and eliminates the differences in obligations between businesses performing similar transport.
For carriers, this means much more than just installing a smart tachograph. As of July 1st, they must comply with regulations governing driving time, mandatory breaks, and driver rest periods , as well as regularly download and archive data from the devices and make it available during inspections. In practice, the new regulations require vehicle retrofitting and adjustments to workflow and fleet management.
Change for the entire industry
The new regulations mean not only additional obligations for carriers but also a greater role for device manufacturers, parts distributors, and workshops responsible for tachograph installation and servicing. According to industry representatives, the success of the changes will depend on the efficient preparation of the entire market.
"The expanded requirement to use tachographs is a significant change for transport companies and the entire automotive market. It increases the importance of modern technologies supporting safety and regulatory compliance, but it also presents businesses with specific challenges related to fleet equipment upgrades, equipment servicing, and driver and administrative support preparation. This is an example of changes that require close cooperation between manufacturers, distributors, workshops, and carriers, " says Tomasz Bęben, President of the Association of Automotive Parts Distributors and Producers (SDCM).
New regulations in practice - the most important obligations
The new regulations apply to businesses engaged in international commercial road haulage and cabotage operations using vehicles with a GVM above 2.5 tonnes and up to 3.5 tonnes. However, they do not apply to transport operations performed exclusively within the territory of a single country, unless otherwise specified in national regulations. Businesses subject to the new regulations must:
- equip vehicles with intelligent tachographs,
- apply the regulations on driving times, breaks and rest periods for drivers,
- regularly download and archive data from tachographs,
- share data during inspections conducted by authorized bodies.
Funding for the replacement of tachographs - it's worth remembering
For many companies, the new obligations mean that they must retrofit their vehicles with smart tachographs. However, businesses can also take advantage of a program to subsidize their replacement. The Ministry of Infrastructure has amended the contract template, simplifying the rules for participating in the program. One of the most important changes is replacing the requirement to maintain a vehicle for 36 months from tachograph installation with a specific date – August 31, 2026. The simplifications also apply to some obligations related to maintaining a vehicle registered for a license and the rules for its disposal. These changes are a response to requests from the Association of International Road Carriers in Poland (ZMPD) , which from the outset emphasized the need to simplify the program's rules. These solutions will make it easier for businesses to access the subsidies and prepare their fleets for the new requirements.
A new chapter for transport
The new regulations open a new chapter for thousands of companies operating in international bus transport. The mandatory use of tachographs ends the long-standing division between carriers covered and those not covered by the same rules. For businesses, this means a need to quickly adapt their fleets and workflows, but also more transparent rules of the game in the European market. In the long term, the new regulations are intended to foster fairer competition, more effective inspections, and higher safety standards in road transport.
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