Which vehicles are actually affected?
What counts is the permissible maximum weight of the vehicle or the vehicle combination — when towing a trailer, the permissible maximum weights of towing vehicle and trailer are added together. Affected are therefore:
- Vans and panel vans (e.g. the Sprinter class) above 2.5 tonnes in cross-border use
- Light-van-and-trailer combinations that together exceed the 2.5-tonne threshold
- Vehicles used for cross-border transport or cabotage even only occasionally
What does this mean for the fleet?
Fleet managers face several new tasks:
- Equipment
- : installation of a Smart Tacho GEN2 V2 by a certified workshop
- Driver cards
- : providing drivers with valid driver cards
- Company card
- : obtaining a valid company card
- Data management
- : regular download and audit-proof archiving of vehicle and driver card data
- Training
- : briefing drivers (operation and legal duties) and dispatchers (drivers' driving and rest times)
- Processes
- : the appointed transport manager must ensure, monitor and document compliance with the legal requirements across the fleet
Details on retrofitting can be found in the implementation and technology section, in particular on the page about the retrofit process and costs.
Cars with trailers
Conventional cars and SUVs can also be affected if they are used commercially to carry goods with a trailer and the combination exceeds the relevant weight threshold. Because many cars cannot readily be retrofitted with a tachograph, early coordination with the vehicle manufacturer or a specialised workshop is advisable here.
Not every vehicle in this weight range is automatically affected. If a vehicle is used for own-account transport and driving is not the main activity, an exemption may apply — with no distance limit. Details on the page about tradespeople and own-account transport.
Back to the overview: legal change 2026.