Changes to express and dedicated services

From 1 July 2026, the latest provisions of the European Union Mobility Package concerning the second-generation smart tachograph will come into force.

The requirement will also apply to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used for international road haulage operations for hire or reward and, in certain cases, for own-account transport operations.

Affected vehicles must be equipped with the new second-generation smart tachograph (G2V2), capable of automatically recording border crossings, vehicle position during the journey, and other information useful for inspections by the competent authorities.

The new rules apply to:

• International road haulage operations for hire or reward carried out with vehicles weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes;
• International own-account transport operations where driving constitutes the driver's main activity.

The following operations remain exempt:

• Domestic transport operations, both own-account and for hire or reward;
• International own-account transport operations where driving is not the driver's main activity.

From 1 July 2026, drivers of vehicles subject to this requirement must also hold a valid driver card for the use of the tachograph.

To facilitate roadside inspections, operators must be able to provide evidence of activities carried out during the previous 56 days. For periods not covered by EU regulations, the tachograph's "out of scope" function may be used.

It should also be noted that drivers operating exclusively vehicles with a gross vehicle weight between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes are not required to hold a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

Companies carrying out international road haulage operations for hire or reward with vehicles exceeding 2.5 tonnes must hold a Community Licence and keep a certified copy on board the vehicle during international journeys.

For further details, please refer to Ministry Circular No. 9674 of 16 April 2026.

This legislation derives from the European Union's First Mobility Package (Mobility Package I), published in 2020. In particular, the main legal reference is Regulation (EU) 2020/1054, which amends Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006 and Regulation (EU) No. 165/2014.