All while many smaller companies are already running on thin margins.
The impact of the smart tachograph regulation for vans 2.5-3.5 t keeps showing up in our conversations with Trans.eu clients. The reason is obvious.
Many transport companies are already absorbing the effects of rising fuel prices, higher tolls and increasing operational costs across Europe. Now they face another investment: equipping international vans with smart tachographs and adapting their operations to comply with driving time and rest period regulations.
For many small and medium-sized carriers, margins are already so thin that you would need a high-precision microscope to spot them.
We cannot avoid mandatory regulation. We cannot control fuel prices or geopolitics. But we can help you prepare.
As the saying goes: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
At Trans.eu, we asked carriers and forwarders operating in the express transport market what impact they expect the new regulation will have on their businesses. Their answers reveal concerns about rising costs, capacity constraints and increased operational complexity. Yet there is also a dose of realism. The new rules are coming, and companies have little choice but to adapt. Compliance itself may be a competitive differentiator, helping well-prepared operators stand out in a market where not everyone will be ready.
Before we dive into their perspectives, let’s briefly recap what changes with the new rules.
What changes for express transport starting July 1st?
Vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used in international transport within the EU need to comply with new requirements, including the use of Smart Tachograph Version 2 devices.
The regulation extends rules that have long applied to heavy goods vehicles to part of the light commercial vehicle sector.
In practice, affected operators will need to comply with:
- driving time limits,
- mandatory breaks,
- tachograph recording requirements.
While the installation of the device is often the most visible change, many companies believe the biggest impact will come from the way companies plan their transport operations.
What the market is saying regarding the new smart tacho rules for vans
The concerns expressed by transport companies are remarkably similar across Europe.
A Lithuanian transport company told us that the regulation arrives at a particularly difficult moment for the industry.
The company expects the new rules to affect pricing, delivery times and operational flexibility. As one representative explained, carriers are effectively being forced to become slower in order to remain compliant.
At the same time, companies are still dealing with the impact of high fuel costs. According to their estimates, fuel expenses alone have increased by €200–250 per vehicle on a typical round trip to a destination in Western Europe.
The result is higher operational costs and freight rates struggling to keep up with the trend.
“For now, everyone is just trying to survive.”
Another company in Romania is considering exiting the vans segment altogether due to the additional pressure on this regulation. “It might become a closed chapter for us.”
A different perspective comes from the UK.
Stanislav Arbeit, from Stanly Removals Team, says his company has already started preparing by installing tachographs in vehicles operating on European routes.
While he does not expect a major operational impact on his own business, he believes the market as a whole will feel the consequences.
“The main impact will be an increase in prices,” he says. “Demand for transport vehicles operating within the UK or between the UK and Europe may become more expensive as a result of these new rules.”
Forwarders are watching the situation closely as well.
Ezequiel Devesa, representing UK-based forwarder Alinnza, believes the regulation will bring positive safety benefits but may create significant challenges for international express and time-critical transport.
“The mandatory 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving is positive and should be standard practice,” he says.
However, he also points to increased compliance costs, reduced operational flexibility and the likelihood of tighter capacity as some operators consider switching to vehicles below the 2.5-tonne threshold.
He believes the new daily driving limit of nine hours will have a particularly strong impact on express services operating across long distances, reducing daily coverage and limiting the flexibility that urgent deliveries often require.
According to a recent analysis by top Romanian logistics publication Ziua Cargo, citing data from the Romanian Road Authority (ARR), the market entered the new regulatory period with significant gaps in readiness.
As of June 15 2026, only 3,584 category N1 vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes) had been equipped with the required second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2), while 13,815 operators were active in the segment (with 45,834 vehicles). ARR also reported issuing just 650 tachograph driver cards during the second half of 2025 and another 103 by the end of May 2026, suggesting that a large part of the Romanian fleet was still unprepared shortly before the deadline.
The same Ziua Cargo article highlights that enforcement is expected to be swift and coordinated across Europe. During the first months after implementation, authorities are expected to focus primarily on checking whether vehicles are correctly equipped with smart tachographs and whether drivers comply with driving and rest time rules. With roadside inspectors increasingly able to perform remote tachograph checks before stopping a vehicle, avoiding non-compliance will be difficult.
“Across the market, the expectation is clear: operating costs will increase, capacity will tighten, and the express van segment is likely to experience conditions similar to the traditional peak season or the Christmas rush, with strong pressure on prices,” says Meda Iordan, General Editor of Ziua Cargo.
For express and critical transport, where speed and responsiveness are often the key selling points, all these changes will be especially noticeable.
The new tacho rules bring additional operational work
Installing the device itself is not the only challenge. Operational transformations will also be needed.
For years, much of the international van market relied on flexibility. Companies would accept the transport order and organize its execution.
After July 1st, that approach becomes significantly more difficult.
Before accepting an order, operators need to verify whether a driver has sufficient driving time available, whether mandatory breaks can be respected, and whether the delivery can realistically be completed within legal limits.
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Road transport capacity will become tighter
The regulation will reduce the effective capacity available for express transport.
Drivers will no longer be able to cover the same distances under the same conditions as before. Companies will need to incorporate breaks, driving limits and rest periods into planning.
Some operators may decide to move part of their fleet below the 2.5-tonne threshold, while others may reduce their involvement in international transport altogether.
At the same time, two-driver truck operations are expected to become a more competitive alternative, capturing freight that has traditionally been handled by express vans.
The result could be temporary capacity shortages in certain corridors, particularly during the first months after implementation.
That, in turn, could place additional upward pressure on transport prices.
How we can help
The new regulation will increase operating costs for many companies. Combined with higher fuel prices, tolls and stricter compliance requirements, this creates another major challenge for the European express transport sector, particularly for small and medium-sized carriers that are yet to recover from previous cost shocks.
Every empty kilometre, every unpaid invoice and every hour spent searching for reliable transport partners becomes more expensive. Companies need to make every trip, every vehicle and every business relationship count.
For carriers
Companies that invest in compliance may be better positioned to benefit from the changing market. If capacity becomes tighter, compliant operators could gain access to better-paying international loads and stronger negotiating power.
See how Trans.eu can support you
Trans.eu helps carriers maximize those opportunities by providing access to thousands of verified freight offers from across Europe, making it easier to reduce empty kilometres and improve vehicle utilisation. Better asset utilisation can help offset part of the additional costs introduced by the new regulation.
Cash flow also becomes more critical as operating costs increase. SafePay protects carriers against missed payments, reducing the financial risk of accepting work from new business partners. When margins are under pressure, a single unpaid invoice can erase the profit from multiple completed transports.
At the same time, the Trans.eu Mobile App allows drivers and dispatchers to react quickly to market opportunities while on the move, helping secure return loads and minimise downtime.
For forwarders
Capacity planning is likely to become problematic as some operators reduce or withdraw from international van transport. Having access to a large network of verified carriers becomes increasingly valuable when time-critical shipments need to be covered quickly.
Trans.eu gives forwarders access to one of Europe’s largest freight exchanges, with over 27,000 carriers, helping them secure compliant capacity faster when availability becomes constrained. The platform also makes it easier to compare offers, maintain business continuity and reduce the risk of relying on a limited carrier base.
For domestic transport, the market may become even more competitive as some operators shift vehicles from international to national routes. Access to a broad carrier network provides greater flexibility to adapt to these changing market dynamics.
SafePay further strengthens cooperation by giving carriers additional confidence that payments are protected, helping forwarders build long-term relationships with reliable transport partners.
Ultimately, the challenge is no longer simply finding a vehicle. It is finding reliable, compliant capacity at the right price while keeping transport operations profitable. In a market shaped by tighter regulation, digital tools that improve visibility, efficiency and trust become a competitive advantage rather than a convenience.
It’s not all bad in express transport world
It’s easy to focus on the disruption. But the regulation wasn’t designed to make life harder for transport companies. It was introduced to improve safety, transparency and working conditions across the sector.
The new requirements are expected to improve road safety, create greater transparency around working conditions and reduce pressure on drivers operating in demanding international environments.
In the long run, this may contribute to a more sustainable and professional express transport market.
Leverage technology to maximize your operational efficiency and mitigate costs
The July 1st deadline is resetting the way international express transport works.
The companies and market experts we spoke to expect higher costs, more planning requirements and a potential capacity crunch in international express transport.
At the same time, those who prepare early will be better positioned to adapt and take advantage of new market opportunities. Planning and operational discipline are becoming competitive advantages.
Safety and compliance are non-negotiable. The challenge is achieving both without sacrificing efficiency. The right technology can help you balance these key aspects, giving your team better visibility, better planning and fewer costly surprises.