Weekend and holiday truck driving bans in Europe

Many European countries ban or restrict heavy goods vehicles from driving on Sundays and public holidays (in some places on Saturday afternoon too). The aim is to ease holiday traffic and reduce noise. A truck leaving Turkey crosses several countries, so these bans are one of the most often overlooked points in planning.

The general logic

• The ban normally applies to trucks above a certain weight (around 7.5 tonnes in most countries; it varies).
• It applies within a set time window on Sundays and public holidays; the hours differ from country to country.
• In some countries it starts on Saturday evening, in others only on Sunday.
• Exemptions exist. In most countries perishable food, live animals, milk and similar goods, and some combined transport journeys are exempt; but the scope is set by each country and often needs documents or a special permit.
• Bans can follow regional holidays as well as national ones. In federal countries such as Germany, one state's holiday may not apply in another.

How it affects planning

1. Loading and delivery days may fall in the window. A truck leaving on Friday evening may be unable to pass through a banned country on Sunday and have to wait at a parking area.
2. Who pays for the wait? If the truck sits parked because of a ban, discuss time and cost in the order up front. Otherwise it turns into a dispute about waiting charges.
3. Combine it with the rest plan. Fitting the weekly rest into the ban window is the most efficient way; the driver turns hours of waiting into rest. See our article on tachograph and driving times.
4. Check every country on the route. Not only the loading and delivery countries matter; transit countries do too, and you can head for a destination without a ban and still cross a country that has one.
5. The holiday calendar changes every year. Moveable dates such as Easter, Pentecost and Christmas fall differently each year.

For exact hours

Ban hours and exemptions differ by country and change over time. We do not list individual hours here; before the trip, check the current rules of each country in an official source (the country's transport ministry or road authority) or in up-to-date lists from industry bodies. Consult your contract and an expert as well.

How it shows up in the listing

When writing the delivery window, take ban days into account: is "delivery Monday morning" really workable, and in which country will the truck spend the weekend? The carrier prices the offer accordingly, and the driver is not pushed into avoidable fines or waiting.

Practical tips

• If a load leaves on Friday afternoon, work out what time you will reach the first country with a ban.
• Decide in advance where a truck waiting through a banned day can park safely; spaces fill fast near borders.
• If you believe a load is exempt, have the required document ready before the trip, not at the border.

On the Order And Load load board you can filter by loading and delivery country and by date to pick out loads that fit your plan. Short definitions of the terms are in the Freight Glossary.