--- title: "Tachograph for vans over 2.5 t: 2026 rules | RNJ Transport" description: "Since 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 tonnes on international trips need a smart tachograph, and drivers follow truck rest rules. What to ask before you book a van." url: https://rnjtransport.lt/en/blog/tachographs-in-vans-over-2-5-tonnes/ language: en --- # Tachographs for vans over 2.5 tonnes since 1 July 2026 Written by - [Nerijus Daujotas](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/about/) Director, RNJ Transport - Vytas Dargis Consultant Updated 19 October 2026 10 min read RNJ Transport arranges full truckloads, and this post explains the EU rules for vans that carry goods across borders. Since 1 July 2026, a van over 2.5 tonnes, trailer included, that carries goods for a customer to another country needs a smart tachograph version 2\. The driver follows the driving and rest rules for trucks. - Since 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 tonnes that carry goods on international trips or in cabotage need a smart tachograph version 2\. The rule comes from Regulation (EU) 2020/1054. - The 2.5 tonnes is the maximum permissible mass of the van including any trailer. A lighter van that pulls a trailer can also need a tachograph. - Van drivers on these trips follow the EU driving and rest rules for trucks: at most 9 hours of driving a day, or 10 hours twice a week, and a daily rest of 11 hours, which can be 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests. - Since 21 May 2022, a company that carries goods for hire across borders with vehicles over 2.5 tonnes needs an EU Community licence (Regulation (EU) 2020/1055). - Some own-account trips are outside the EU rule. This covers a van over 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes, trailer included, that carries goods on the own account of the company or the driver, not for hire or reward. Driving must not be the driver’s main activity (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Article 3(ha)). Check with your national authority. Transport team, Klaipėda A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. [Get a price](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/blog/tachographs-in-vans-over-2-5-tonnes/#callback) [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time ## The 1 July 2026 tachograph rule for vans Since 1 July 2026, the EU driving and rest rules cover vans over 2.5 tonnes that carry goods on international trips or in cabotage. The van needs a smart tachograph version 2, and the driver needs a personal driver card. Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 added these vans to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, and the tachograph duty follows from that. Before that date, the EU rules covered goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, trailer included. Vans up to 3.5 tonnes had no EU limit on driving time and no EU tachograph duty. Cabotage is a domestic trip for hire in another EU country, for example a Lithuanian van that loads and unloads inside Germany. National law covers domestic trips in the van’s own country. Norway adds a similar tachograph rule for domestic van transport from 1 April 2027. The European Labour Authority says that these vans need smart tachograph version 2, called G2V2\. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration asks for G2V2 or a newer version on international trips. __Van trips and the 1 July 2026 rule (Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054)__ | Trip | Tachograph and driving rules | Legal basis | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | A van over 2.5 t carries goods for a customer from the Netherlands to Lithuania | Yes, since 1 July 2026 | Article 2(1)(aa) | | A Lithuanian van over 2.5 t makes a domestic trip for hire inside Germany (cabotage) | Yes, since 1 July 2026 | Article 2(1)(aa) | | A van of 2.5 t or less pulls a trailer, and together they are over 2.5 t, on an international trip | Yes, the trailer counts | Article 2(1)(aa) | | A van over 2.5 t makes a domestic trip in its own country | No EU rule. National law can require a tachograph. Norway: from 1 April 2027. | Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, Article 3(5); Statens vegvesen | | A van over 2.5 t and up to 3.5 t, trailer included, carries goods on the own account of the company or the driver, not for hire or reward, and driving is not the driver’s main activity | Outside the EU rule. Check with your national authority. | Article 3(ha) | | A vehicle up to 7.5 t carries materials, equipment or machinery for the driver’s work, or delivers craft-made goods, within 100 km of the base, not for hire or reward, and driving is not the driver’s main activity | Outside the EU rule. Check with your national authority. | Article 3(aa) | ## The EU Community licence for vans since 21 May 2022 Since 21 May 2022, a company that carries goods for hire across borders with vehicles over 2.5 tonnes needs an EU Community licence. Before that date, vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes did not need one. Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 made the change in Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009. With the licence come the EU rules for road haulage operators. The company needs a real and stable base in an EU country, good repute, enough capital and a transport manager with professional competence. A certified true copy of the licence must travel in each vehicle. You can ask the carrier for the licence number before you book. Our guide on how to check a freight forwarder shows where to check a licence. RNJ Transport holds EU Community licence LIC-008592-EBKR, valid to 19 July 2031. ## Van transit times under the driving and rest rules Since 1 July 2026, van drivers on international trips follow the EU driving and rest rules for trucks. One driver may drive 9 hours a day, or 10 hours twice a week, with a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours. The daily rest lasts at least 11 hours, or 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests. Illustration 18 hours of driving with one driver and with two Time from start to delivery for a van on an international trip under the EU driving and rest rules. - One driver, 11-hour rest 30 h 30 min - One driver, 9-hour rest 28 h 30 min - Two drivers About 18 h 9 h Daily driving, 10 h twice weekly 45 min Break after 4.5 h driving 11 h Regular daily rest Illustration only, not an RNJ Transport transit time. The example leaves out loading, traffic, borders and ferries. Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/1054, Articles 6–8; European Labour Authority; checked 19 October 2026 With two drivers, the van can drive for longer. One driver can take the break while the other drives. Each driver must still have a daily rest of at least 9 hours within 30 hours of the end of the last rest. Our guide on road freight booking mistakes lists the main EU limits in one table. In this illustration, a route needs 18 hours of driving. The numbers are not an RNJ Transport transit time. One driver drives 9 hours with a 45-minute break, rests 11 hours, then drives 9 hours with another break. That takes 30 hours 30 minutes from start to delivery. With a daily rest of 9 hours, it takes 28 hours 30 minutes. A 10-hour day saves no time here, because 10 hours of driving need two breaks. Two drivers need about 18 hours, plus short stops to change drivers. The example leaves out loading, traffic, borders and ferries. The customer also has a duty. Under Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, consignors and freight forwarders must make sure that agreed transport times respect the driving and rest rules. ## Questions to ask before you book a van Ask the carrier five questions before you book an urgent van across a border. The answers show the van’s weight, its tachograph and the real driving time with rest. They help you agree a delivery time that fits the rules. Write the answers into the booking, so you and the carrier plan with the same times. 1. ### Licence Ask for the EU Community licence number. A certified copy must be in every van. 2. ### Van and weight Ask for the plate number and the maximum permissible mass, trailer included. Over 2.5 tonnes, the new rules apply. 3. ### Tachograph and driver card Ask whether the van has a smart tachograph version 2 and the driver a driver card. 4. ### One driver or two Ask how many drivers the van has and where the driver rests on the way. 5. ### Delivery time with rest Ask for a delivery time that includes the breaks and the daily rest. Write it into the booking. ## When a truck is the better choice A truck is often the better choice when the goods are too heavy or too large for a van. A van in this group has a maximum permissible mass of 3.5 tonnes at most, its own weight included. Since 1 July 2026, vans and trucks on international trips follow the same driving and rest rules. A standard curtainsider trailer carries about 24 tonnes of goods and 33 euro pallets on the floor. For an urgent date, compare a van with a part load and a full truck. Our guide on part loads and full trucks explains when a full truck costs less per pallet. RNJ Transport focuses on full truckloads. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks run full loads, mostly between Lithuania and Sweden. On other routes, checked partner carriers drive the loads we arrange. You have one contact person for the load and get one invoice. Send the route, the date and the load size in the price form. We call you back. ## Dates for vans over 2.5 tonnes Three dates matter to a shipper who books vans. Two come from EU law, and one is a Norwegian rule for domestic transport. __Rules for vans over 2.5 tonnes by date__ | Date | What applies | Source | | ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | | 21 May 2022 | EU Community licence and operator rules for carrying goods for hire across borders with vehicles over 2.5 t | Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 | | 1 July 2026 | Smart tachograph version 2, driver card and EU driving and rest rules on international trips and cabotage over 2.5 t | Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 | | 1 April 2027 | Norway: a similar tachograph rule for domestic van transport | Statens vegvesen | ## Frequently asked questions 1. Do vans over 2.5 tonnes need a tachograph? Yes, on international trips and in cabotage. Since 1 July 2026, a van over 2.5 tonnes, trailer included, that carries goods across a border needs a smart tachograph version 2\. The driver needs a driver card and follows the EU driving and rest rules. Some own-account trips are outside the EU rule. Check with your national authority for your case. 2. Does the 2.5-tonne limit include the trailer? Yes. The rule uses the maximum permissible mass of the van including any trailer or semi-trailer. A van below 2.5 tonnes comes into scope when it pulls a trailer and the two together are over 2.5 tonnes. The real weight of the load on the day does not decide. The highest total weight the combination may have decides. 3. Do vans need a tachograph on domestic trips? No, not under the EU rule, unless the trip is cabotage in another country. The 1 July 2026 rule covers international trips and cabotage only. EU countries may still require tachographs for domestic transport under their own law. Norway adds a similar tachograph rule for domestic van transport from 1 April 2027. 4. Which van trips are outside the EU tachograph rule? Two kinds of trips. A van over 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes, trailer included, is outside the rule when it carries goods on the own account of the company or the driver, not for hire or reward, and driving is not the driver’s main activity. A vehicle up to 7.5 tonnes is outside it when it carries work equipment or craft-made goods within 100 km of the base, under the same two conditions. Check with your national authority. 5. Does a van carrier need an EU Community licence? Yes, since 21 May 2022, when it carries goods for hire across borders with vehicles over 2.5 tonnes. The company must also meet the EU rules for road haulage operators, including a transport manager and a minimum of capital. A certified copy of the licence must be in each vehicle. Ask for the licence number before you book. 6. Does the shipper have a duty under the driving and rest rules? Yes, for the agreed schedule. Under Article 10(4) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, consignors and freight forwarders must make sure that agreed transport times respect the driving and rest rules. The carrier organises the work of its drivers. Agree a delivery time that includes the breaks and the daily rest, and keep it in writing. ## Sources (8) 1. [Regulation (EU) 2020/1054 amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 and Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020R1054) 2. [Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 amending Regulations (EC) No 1071/2009, (EC) No 1072/2009 and (EU) No 1024/2012 (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020R1055) 3. [Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport, consolidated text of 22 May 2024 (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02006R0561-20240522) 4. [Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 on tachographs in road transport (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014R0165) 5. [Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 on common rules for access to the international road haulage market (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009R1072) 6. [Tachograph, European Commission, Mobility and Transport](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/tachograph%5Fen) 7. [Light commercial vehicles: new EU rules for light commercial vehicles, 1 July 2026, European Labour Authority](https://www.ela.europa.eu/assets/lcv2026/index.html) 8. [Fartsskriver, Statens vegvesen](https://www.vegvesen.no/kjoretoy/yrkestransport/fartsskriver-og-sjaforkort/fartsskriver/) We checked these sources on 19 October 2026\. This post is general information, not legal advice. ## Ask us about a full truck Send the route, the date and the load size in the price form. We call you back. You can also call us during working hours. We tell you which truck can take your goods. [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) - [info@rnjtransport.lt](mailto:info@rnjtransport.lt) ### Get a price Send your route and your phone number. We call you back about the price. --- RNJ Transport (UAB "RNJ Transport", company code 305801389), Šilutės pl. 105A, LT-95112 Klaipėda, Lithuania. Phone: +370 698 38573. Email: info@rnjtransport.lt. Company summary for AI assistants: https://rnjtransport.lt/llms.txt. All pages: https://rnjtransport.lt/sitemap.xml.