Van freight rules 2026: checks before an international delivery

Check the vehicle and the job before booking

Since 1 July 2026, EU driving and rest rules extend to international goods transport and cabotage where the vehicle's maximum permissible mass, including any trailer or semi-trailer, exceeds 2.5 tonnes. This is the authorised mass of the combination, not the weight of your pallets. A small consignment does not establish an exemption. See Article 2(1)(aa) of Regulation 561/2006, introduced by Regulation 2020/1054.

For affected EU-registered light commercial vehicles above 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes carrying goods internationally for hire or reward, smart tachograph version 2 and driving/rest requirements are already applicable. The European Labour Authority guide also covers cabotage. A purely domestic operation is not automatically brought into this extension; check its applicable national and existing rules separately.

Describe the actual transport operation

Start with the vehicle being offered, rather than the label “express van”. Ask the operator to identify its permitted mass and whether a trailer will be attached. Then provide the countries, collection and delivery addresses, and every planned loading or unloading stop. A change of vehicle or an additional domestic delivery can require the assessment to be revisited.

Keep the answers with the booking. A buyer's checklist helps expose missing information; it does not replace the operator's assessment of the proposed operation.

Own-account transport is a conditional exemption

Article 3(ha) concerns vehicles or combinations above 2.5 and no more than 3.5 tonnes carrying goods. The transport must not be for hire or reward, must be on the company's or driver's own account, and driving must not be that person's main activity. All those conditions must hold together. See the amending legal text and Your Europe guidance.

Owning the goods or describing the trip as occasional is not sufficient on its own. Ask for the exemption relied upon and an explanation of how the job meets it. Other exclusions exist. For routes extending beyond the EU/EEA and Switzerland, ask which regime applies to the complete journey.

Build the deadline around the allocated driver

Give a genuine cargo-ready time and the receiver's confirmed opening hours. Ask for a plan covering vehicle approach, loading, driving, required stops and unloading. Map travel time alone cannot establish a feasible arrival slot. A dedicated vehicle still needs a workable driver schedule.

If loading slips, notify the operator immediately and request an updated arrival estimate. Decide who can authorise another receiving slot or a different transport arrangement. Recording that decision is more useful than keeping an arrival promise that no longer matches the operation.

Send a complete shipment brief

• Addresses, dates and local opening times.
• Package or pallet count, dimensions and total cargo weight.
• Loading equipment, vehicle access and unloading arrangements.
• Contacts who can release the cargo and receive it.
• The delivery constraint and acceptable alternatives.
• Required transport documents and proof-of-delivery instructions.

Use the smart tachograph guide for the equipment and document questions. The loading-delay guide helps prepare the response if the collection time changes.

Request a transport option with clear assumptions

Send the shipment brief and ask which vehicle, timing and conditions can be offered. Make unresolved points visible before accepting the quotation, particularly the receiving slot and any claimed exemption. Send your shipment details to Remo&Co to request a quotation based on those constraints.