EU Mobility Package I
EU Mobility Package I is a 2020 set of laws reforming road haulage, covering driver rest and return home, cabotage limits, posting of drivers, smart tachographs and licensing of vans in international transport.
What it requires
Adopted July 15, 2020, the package bans drivers from taking regular weekly rest in the cab, requires that drivers can return home every four weeks, and requires trucks to return to the operator's base every eight weeks. Cabotage stays capped at three operations in seven days, followed by a four-day cooling-off period. Posted-worker pay rules apply to cabotage and cross-trade. Vans over 2.5 tonnes in international hire-or-reward work have needed a licence since May 21, 2022 and a smart tachograph since July 1, 2026.
Why it matters
The package raised the cost and complexity of cross-border road freight in Europe, which affects e-commerce delivery networks there. Carriers can rely less on extended cabotage by foreign drivers, and smart tachographs record border crossings for enforcement. For example, a 3PL using a van courier to move urgent orders from Poland into Germany now needs that courier to hold an EU licence for vans over 2.5 tonnes and, since July 2026, a second-generation smart tachograph. Shippers should expect these costs in carrier pricing and should audit subcontractor compliance.
Related laws
Sources
- Mobility Package I, European Commission transport.ec.europa.eu
- Regulation (EU) 2020/1055, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tachographs for light commercial vehicles, European Commission transport.ec.europa.eu
Not legal advice.