Transport: 120-hour strike in Italy
The risk of disruption is growing in European road freight: Italy has announced a nationwide truck transport strike, while France is closing an additional driving window for trucks. At the same time, fuel costs in Europe have risen, whereas the rate on the Germany–Poland lane has fallen, making careful pricing of individual routes essential.
Prepared by the CargoNice editorial team with AI support, based on the sources listed and CargoNice's own market data. Machine translation of the Polish original. Editorial policy · Read the Polish original
Today's market in figures (CargoNice data)
The price of diesel in Poland stood at 6,20 PLN/l on 6 August 2026, compared with 6,41 PLN/l in the previous reading, representing a decline of 0,21 PLN/l. The average diesel price in the European Union reached 2 043,1100 EUR/1000L on 3 August 2026, up by 31,7800 EUR/1000L from the previous reading.
In Germany, diesel cost 2 208,0000 EUR/1000L on 3 August 2026, while in Poland it cost 1 878,8300 EUR/1000L on the same day. The spot rate on the Germany–Poland route was 1,1200 EUR/km on 5 August 2026, down by 0,0500 EUR/km from the previous reading; in the Poland–Germany direction, the rate reached 1,6500 EUR/km, up by 0,0200 EUR/km. The data point to a divergence between rising fuel costs across Europe and pressure on the return rate from Germany to Poland.
Italy: 120 hours of risk for truck transport
A nationwide strike by driving personnel in the road freight sector is scheduled in Italy for 10–14 August 2026. According to the register of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the action will last 120 hours, from 00:00 on 10 August to 24:00 on 14 August. It will affect the logistics, freight transport and freight forwarding sectors.
This is a nationwide event, covering both domestic operations and cross-border routes requiring pickup or delivery in Italy. The risk is not limited to the journey itself: carrier availability, confirmation of loading time slots and execution of previously accepted transport orders may all be affected.
Freight forwarders should obtain written confirmation from subcontractors now that vehicles and drivers will be available. For quotations covering this period, the rules on waiting time, cancellation and replacement transport capacity should be clearly agreed. Source: Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport
France: additional truck driving ban on 8 August
In France, an additional nationwide driving ban for trucks and vehicle combinations with a GVW above 7.5 tonnes will apply on Saturday, 8 August 2026. The restriction will cover the metropolitan road network from 07:00 to 19:00 and supplements France's standard Sunday and public-holiday bans.
The ban applies to regular commercial road freight operations, although exemptions are provided for certain specialised, agricultural and essential operations. For typical industrial and distribution loads, this means losing the Saturday daytime operating window in one of Europe's key transport markets.
Before finalising the price, the feasibility of Friday pickups and Monday delivery deadlines should be checked. The route plan may need to be shifted to Friday evening, Saturday night or Sunday, provided that the remaining restrictions and transport order conditions allow this. Source: Publicnow
European Union: new requirements for vans in international haulage
From 1 July 2026, EU requirements concerning tachographs, driving time and rest periods, as well as the posting of drivers, also cover vehicles from over 2,5 tonnes up to 3,5 tonnes. The rules apply to international commercial road freight and cabotage.
Operators covered by the regulation must use a second-generation smart tachograph and maintain the required documentation. The change is particularly significant for express transport, e-commerce and light freight, where subcontractors use vans on international routes.
For freight forwarding, this means checking not only vehicle availability but also the operator's compliance with the new requirements. Without such checks, the pool of carriers genuinely available for urgent cross-border transport orders may be reduced. Source: Trans.INFO
Rotterdam: evening opportunity to gain access to ECT terminals
On Thursday, 6 August, Hutchison Ports ECT introduced evening slots for drivers who need to complete the mandatory safety and terminal-access test for the ECT Delta and ECT Euromax terminals in Rotterdam. The last slot can be booked for 21:45.
Bookings are made through Secure Logistics after accepting the ECT terms in XS-ID Online. A driver has a maximum of three attempts; three unsuccessful attempts result in a three-month block. This is particularly relevant when changing subcontractors or assigning a driver to handle the container leg in Rotterdam for the first time.
Before confirming drayage, check whether the assigned driver already holds the required authorisation, rather than merely having an available vehicle. Source: Hutchison Ports ECT
French road freight market: stabilisation without confirmed recovery
The FNTR business survey for the second quarter of 2026 points to relative stabilisation in French road freight after the shock at the beginning of the year. However, the organisation stresses that the improvement remains fragile and does not yet represent demand-driven recovery.
In practice, there are no grounds for applying a single assumed pricing trend to all French lanes. Pressure on rates and vehicle availability may vary depending on the direction, customer and specific loading date.
Pricing should be managed lane by lane, while service quality and the situation of carriers should be monitored before making broad pricing commitments. Source: FNTR