Mobility Package 2026 - why 1 July ends the era of 3.5t vans in international transport

The Mobility Package has been in force since 2020, but 1 July 2026 is the breaking point for the Polish 3.5t-van market. That is the day the operational advantage of light commercial vehicles (GVW 2.5-3.5 t) over trucks in international transport finally disappears. After eight years of the "golden age" of Polish vanners, the industry returns to a single unified regime.

This article does not repeat industry-leaflet slogans. It shows what specifically changes, who is affected and what your real options are - from adapting your own company to taking over a ready-made transport-licence company.

What exactly changes on 1 July 2026?

Under EU Regulations 2020/1055 and 2020/1054, from 1 July 2026 vehicles with GVW between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes performing international commercial transport must meet four requirements:

1. Mandatory smart tachograph G2V2 (second generation, version 2) - with GNSS, automatic border, loading and driving-time recording.
2. Unified driver working-time rules - 45 min break after 4.5 h driving, daily rest period 9-11 h, weekly rest 45 h (regular) or 24 h (reduced).
3. Community licence - equivalent of the transport licence for heavy goods vehicles.
4. Operating base in the country of seat - with vehicle parking, office and a place for company documents.

On top of that, requirements from earlier phases apply: certificate of professional competence (CPC) for the transport manager, financial standing per vehicle (EUR 1 800 for the first van, EUR 900 for each additional), entry in the National Electronic Register of Road Transport Operators (KREPTD).

Why is this "the end of the van era"?

Between 2018 and 2024, Polish van operators built a dominant position in European express and courier transport precisely because these regulations did not apply. A 3.5t van could:

• Drive non-stop without a tachograph
• Skip the obligation to return to base every 8 weeks (which applied to trucks from 2022)
• Avoid the cabotage limit of 3 operations in 7 days
• Operate without CPC certificate or financial standing
• Pay lower social contributions (B2B model) and lower tolls

This gave vans a cost and time advantage of 20-35% on 800-1500 km routes - the "next-day delivery" became their hallmark.

From 1 July 2026 this advantage essentially disappears. A 3.5t van with G2V2 tachograph and a 45-min break every 4.5 h covers a Poland-to-Spain route in the same time as a 40-tonne tractor-trailer combination, and the cost balance is worse (real payload: 800-1000 kg after deducting body weight).

Real payload of 3.5t vans - the second blow

The second problem for van operators is roadside weighing. The German BAG (Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität) conducts systematic checks on motorways A2, A4, A7, A12 and A30. After deducting the kerb weight of the van (2 200-2 700 kg depending on the body), driver, fuel and cargo container - the real net payload is 800-1000 kg.

That is significantly less than market habits. Many van operators have so far driven 200-500 kg overweight, relying on the fact that old tachographs did not record weight and a border stop ended with a warning. The G2V2 tachograph does not record weight either, but weighing + tachograph data together will show the trip history and weight increase at loading. Overweight fines go to the company owner, not the driver, and for a 3.5t unit they start at EUR 750 for 5% excess.

What you can do - 4 realistic scenarios

Scenario 1: Stay with vans, domestic only

The Mobility Package fully covers international transport. If you drop routes outside Poland, most requirements disappear. But that means giving up 60-80% of the vanning market. For most companies: not viable.

Scenario 2: Adapt - tachograph, licence, base

Real implementation time: 6-9 months.

• CPC exam: 4-6 weeks of preparation + scheduled session every 2 months
• Community licence application at GITD: 2-4 months of waiting
• G2V2 tachograph purchase and calibration: 2-3 weeks
• Operating-base adaptation: depends on starting point
• Accounting audit for ETS2 and ESG: 1-2 months

Total cost for a 5-10 van fleet: PLN 30 000 - 70 000 (exam + licence + financial standing + tachographs + base adaptation).

Scenario 3: Switch to 40-tonne tractor-trailer combinations

More capital-intensive: tractor + trailer = ~PLN 350 000 net for a new combination, PLN 150 000-250 000 for a 3-5-year used. Better economics per km, but requires a transport licence, a driver with C+E category and a different operational profile.

Scenario 4: Take over a ready-made transport-licence company

This is the option the market increasingly chooses in 2026. Instead of 6-9 months of procedure and risk of GITD refusal, you buy a company that already has:

• Active community licence (with capacity for X vehicles)
• Certificate of professional competence of the manager
• Registered operating base
• History in KREPTD and KRS
• VAT status and bank account
• Contracts (if the company had active operations)

Implementation time: 24-48 hours from contract signing. Cost: typically PLN 30 000 - 80 000 for a company with a licence for 3-5 vehicles (market price, depends on licence capacity and company age).

At OpenCompany we sell ready-made companies with transport licences only after full verification - ZUS, tax office certificates, bank statements and KRS history are available for review before purchase. See the current offer.

What about cabotage and return-to-base?

The Mobility Package also introduced two rules worth remembering:

1. Heavy vehicle return to base every 8 weeks - applies to vehicles >3.5 t. After 1 July 2026, 3.5t vans will not be subject to this rule (thin GVW difference) but GITD has announced clarification in H2 2026.
2. Cabotage: 3 operations in 7 days - applies to all vehicles in international transport. After exceeding - four-day "cooling-off" period in the country of seat.

Violations of these rules are detected by IMI (Internal Market Information) - the European database for inspection exchange. Polish ITD, German BALM, French Euro Controle Route - all exchange data.

What's next - dates to remember

• 1 July 2026 - G2V2 tachograph mandatory for 2.5-3.5t vans in international transport
• 31 December 2026 - End of transition period for vehicles >3.5 t (all must have G2V2)
• 2027 - Planned ETS2 extension to new vehicle categories; CO2 reporting requirement in CSRD corporate supply chains

Summary

The Mobility Package is not cosmetic. It is a structural alignment of competition conditions in European transport. The Polish vanning market, which for 8 years dictated the delivery pace across the continent, ends in its current form on 1 July 2026.

For companies with vans, three decisions must be made in Q2 2026:

1. Adapt fleet and company structure (6-9 months, PLN 30-70k)
2. Switch to tractor-trailers
3. Buy a ready-made transport-licence company (48 hours, ROI in Q1)

Each scenario makes sense for a different company profile. The best time to decide is now - because a licence from scratch will not be ready by 1 July, and the ready-made sale procedure has its own timing.

Book a free consultation or call: +48 731 555 069. We will advise which scenario fits your situation.

Legal status: May 2026. This text does not constitute legal advice - each case requires individual analysis. OpenCompany handles formal procedures for buying ready-made companies with freight forwarding and transport licences - we do not provide direct legal services.