Transport: Italian ban on 22 August and lower fuel indices
In European road transport, the most immediate operational risk concerns Saturday’s truck traffic ban in Italy on 22 August. At the same time, August fuel indices in Belgium and Germany are falling, while Sweden is stepping up controls on tachograph manipulation.
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
- 1,65 EUR/kmPoland–Germany spot rate
- 2 149,00 EUR/1000LDiesel in Germany
- 13,71%DHL Belgium fuel surcharge
- 11Contargo fuel index
Market today in figures (CargoNice data)
The Orlen diesel price was 6,62 PLN/l on 18 August 2026. According to the European Commission bulletin, the average diesel price was 2 149,00 EUR/1000L in Germany and 2 012,67 EUR/1000L in the EU on 10 August 2026. The spot rate on the Poland–Germany lane reached 1,65 EUR/km on 5 August 2026, while the Germany–Poland rate was 1,12 EUR/km on the same day.
Compared with the previous reading, the German diesel price fell by 59,00 EUR/1000L, to 2 149,00 EUR/1000L. The drop in wholesale fuel costs in Germany may support lower purchasing indices, but it does not automatically mean that freight rates will be reduced on all lanes.
Italy: Saturday ban for vehicles over 7.5 t
In Italy, a traffic restriction for vehicles with a GVW above 7,5 t will apply on Saturday 22 August 2026, between 08:00 and 16:00. The eight-hour stoppage falls within the period of summer restrictions and complements Italy’s regular Sunday bans.
For international haulage, Saturday loading and unloading windows are particularly important. A carrier that does not complete its journey before 08:00 may lose a significant part of its operating day. This could result in postponed collections, a build-up of transport orders after the ban ends and pressure on Monday delivery deadlines.
Freight forwarders should separately confirm the operating hours of loading locations, driver availability before the ban and the terms for settling detention. When preparing a quote, it is also worth taking into account whether the customer expects delivery on the first working day after the weekend.
Sweden: stricter enforcement of tachograph rules
Since 1 August 2026, Sweden has operated a stricter enforcement system for rules concerning tachograph manipulation. The change increases penalties and expands the powers of the police and inspectors during checks.
Authorities may direct vehicles to more detailed inspections and conduct unannounced checks on private premises, including logistics hubs and terminals. Information from roadside checks will also be used by Transportstyrelsen when assessing the risk profile of transport companies.
For an operator commissioning transport, this means that subcontractors handling both domestic routes in Sweden and international legs must be verified more thoroughly. A problem detected during an inspection can quickly affect the availability of a particular vehicle and the execution of the transport order.
Germany: Contargo lowers its August fuel index
Contargo set the Terminal and Truck Fuel Surcharge index for August 2026 at 11, compared with 14 in July. The calculation was based on an average German diesel price of 183,48 cents/l in June.
Under Contargo’s tariff, the surcharge is 6 EUR for each 10 km band and rises to 60 EUR at a distance of 100 km. The change has a direct impact on the cost of container pre-carriage and on-carriage around terminals served by the operator.
The freight forwarder should check whether the August index has already been included in purchasing invoices, subcontractor price lists and new customer offers. It is also worth comparing the service date with the period in which the index applies, to avoid settling August operations using the higher July value.
Belgium: lower DHL Freight fuel surcharge
DHL Freight Belgium announced a fuel surcharge for road transport in August 2026 of 13,71%. It applies to the Road Freight Standard and Direct/Euronet products.
The August level is lower than July’s 14,28%, although it remains above the values recorded in the first four months of 2026. DHL states that the calculation uses data from the European Commission’s Oil Bulletin.
The reduction should not be treated solely as a carrier announcement. It is an item to check in fuel clauses, purchasing rates and offers renewed in August for shipments passing through Belgium.