[G03 MOBILITY PACKAGE]
The EU Mobility Package.
A set of rules aimed at drivers and operators — but shippers feel it in capacity, transit times and rates. Here is the part that concerns you.
The short answer
The Mobility Package tightened three things: cabotage is limited to three transport operations within seven days, followed by a four-day cooling-off period for that vehicle in the same country. Vehicles must return to the operator's establishment every eight weeks, drivers every three or four weeks.
For shippers this means less spontaneous foreign capacity on domestic lanes and structurally higher rates — planning ahead is worth more than it used to be.
Cabotage and the cooling-off period
Cabotage means a haulier registered in one member state carrying goods domestically in another. After an incoming international loaded journey, up to three such operations are permitted within seven days. Afterwards the same vehicle may not perform further cabotage in that country for four days.
The practical effect: a Polish or Romanian vehicle can no longer stay in Germany for weeks doing domestic runs. Domestic capacity has become scarcer and more expensive, most noticeably for short-notice loads.
Return obligations
| Obligation | Interval | Effect on shippers |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle returns to the establishment | every 8 weeks | empty running is priced into rates |
| Driver returns home | every 3 or 4 weeks | tighter planning, fewer open-ended tours |
| Regular weekly rest away from the vehicle | as scheduled | accommodation costs, longer standstills |
| Smart tachograph, border crossings recorded | continuous | documented compliance, fewer disputes |
None of this is a hidden cost. It is a real cost that has to be earned somewhere — which is why very cheap quotes on long international lanes deserve a second look at how they are supposed to work.
Posting of drivers and notifications
Drivers performing cabotage or cross-trade operations are considered posted workers and are entitled to the host country's pay conditions. Operators have to submit a posting declaration through the EU's IMI portal and keep documentation available.
Bilateral and transit journeys are exempt. As a shipper you do not file anything yourself, but if you engage carriers directly rather than through a forwarder, you should be able to show that your partners are compliant.
What this means for your planning
- book recurring lanes with lead time instead of tendering each load at short notice
- allow for driving and rest periods on long hauls: a rest period is not a delay, it is the law
- treat flexible collection days as a lever on price, especially towards the weekend
- check unusually low quotes — the cost base has risen for everyone
We plan our lanes so that rest periods, return obligations and delivery windows fit together before a truck moves, rather than reporting the conflict afterwards.
Related cost changes
Two further items shape today's rates: the CO2 component added to the German truck toll in December 2023, and the extension of tolls to vehicles above 3.5 t in 2024. Both raised long-haul costs permanently and independently of the Mobility Package.
Last updated: September 2026 · Information provided without warranty, not legal advice
A real shipment gets a real answer.
Send us the lane, weight, dimensions and dates – you receive a quote with clear options and one contact person who knows what happens next.
Send enquiry