Truck return rule under review by EU transport bodies | trans.info

Mar 11, 2025

Photo credits @ Bartosz Wawryszuk

The Common Road Transport Office of the BGL, FNTR, and NLA associations met with EU decision-makers in Brussels to discuss the most pressing challenges in road freight transport. The discussions focused particularly on drivetrain transition, fair competition conditions, and the driver shortage. The associations are calling for a more detailed analysis of the effects of the abolished truck return obligation. They are also advocating for improved framework conditions for sustainable transport solutions and the reform of professional driver training.

Sabina Koll

10.03.2025

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Photo credits @ Bartosz Wawryszuk

The Common Road Transport Office of the BGL, FNTR, and NLA associations met with EU decision-makers in Brussels to discuss key challenges in road freight transport. The discussions centered on drivetrain transition, competitive conditions, and the driver shortage.

The associations are calling for a more practical approach to emission-free drivetrains, as the charging infrastructure and power supply remain insufficient. They are urging an early revision of CO₂ requirements for heavy commercial vehicles and the establishment of a dedicated EU investment fund to support charging infrastructure development.

The representatives of the transport associations—head of the Common Office, Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelhardt (BGL), Florence Berthelot (FNTR, France), and Erik Østergaard (NLA, Nordic Logistics Association)—along with speakers Knut Gravak (NLF, Norway) and Oscar Hyléen (SÅ, Sweden), underlined the following key messages and demands:

In light of the ongoing driver shortage, the associations are advocating for reforms to the Driving Licence Directive and professional driver training to make it easier for young drivers to enter the profession. Their proposals include:

Another key concern for the associations is the enforcement of mobility regulations. They are calling for more efficient and targeted controls, including the use of a European database, and have outlined the following measures:

“We call on the Commission to closely examine the effects of the ECJ’s ruling that lifted the obligation for trucks to return every eight weeks, to determine whether the letterbox company problem is becoming more prevalent. If this is the case, the rule should be reintroduced,” the associations stated.

This regulation was originally intended to curb unfair competition and prevent letterbox companies. However, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared it void in October 2024, ruling that it was insufficiently justified and led to inefficient empty runs, thereby increasing emissions and congestion. Some MEPs have raised concerns about the impact on competition, but Brussels’ stance on the matter remains clear. At the end of January 2025, EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas stated that the European Commission is not currently planning to reintroduce this regulation.

The representatives of the transport associations also emphasized that EU Member States should allocate adequate resources for enforcement, including through more targeted controls of the Mobility Package rules.

In conclusion, the discussions with EU representatives were constructive.

“Fortunately, we have received some encouraging signals from decision-makers in Parliament and the Commission that our concerns have been understood—particularly in terms of greening freight transport, improving enforcement to ensure a level playing field, and reducing bureaucracy for transport companies,” said Engelhardt.

However, the associations stressed that continuous progress is essential to make road freight transport both sustainable and competitive.

With 5,300 member companies, the Fédération Nationale des Transports Routiers (FNTR) is the leading association for road haulage in France.

The Nordic Logistics Association (NLA) represents the leading road haulage associations in the Nordic countries at the EU level. It has approximately 15,000 member companies from DTL/Denmark, NLF/Norway, and SÅ/Sweden, working in close cooperation with the associated member Finnish Transport and Logistics (SKAL).