Germany has updated its summer Saturday truck ban: the relevant ordinance (Ferienreiseverordnung) was amended on June 17, 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 180). The rules apply to all who transit or travel to Germany during the peak summer tourist season, so Ukrainian carriers should take these restrictions into account in advance.
Who and when the ban applies:
The restriction applies to trucks with a permitted total weight of over 7.5 tons, as well as to any trucks with a trailer that carry out commercial or paid cargo transportation (including empty flights related to such transportation).
- Days: all Saturdays from July 1 to August 31. In 2026, this is July 4, 11, 18, 25, and August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.
- Time: from 7:00 to 20:00.
- Where: on the highways and federal roads listed in the ordinance, in both directions of traffic.
Which routes are closed:
The ban covers the most congested transit corridors — including A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A45, A61, A81, and sections around major hubs (Cologne, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin ring A10). Also, individual sections of federal roads B31 (Stockach — Sigmarszell) and B96 (from the Berlin border to Neubrandenburg) are subject to restrictions. The full list of sections is given in the text of the ordinance.
Who is exempt from the ban (exceptions):
The ordinance does not apply to police, road maintenance, firefighters, and civil protection service vehicles, as well as to the Bundeswehr and NATO/EC troops. In addition, movement is allowed for a number of urgent and perishable shipments:
- combined rail-road transport (to the nearest loading/unloading station) and port-road transport within a radius of up to 150 km;
- fresh milk and dairy products, fresh meat, fresh and live fish, perishable fruits and vegetables;
- towing and emergency vehicles;
- empty flights directly related to the listed shipments.
Important: the driver must have cargo or accompanying documents for the entire cargo and present them to the controlling persons on demand. For violating the ban, a fine (Ordnungswidrigkeit according to § 24 of the Road Traffic Act) is provided. In exceptional urgent cases, permission to pass may be issued by the local traffic police.
What Ukrainian carriers should do:
Plan your arrival on German highways outside the Saturday window of 7:00–20:00 or make a stop for this time. Similar Saturday and holiday restrictions apply in neighboring EU countries, so before leaving, check the schedule with the calendar of truck traffic bans along the entire route. Current tips, queues, and restrictions for trucks are collected in the section for truck drivers, and the calendar of weekends and holidays when traffic is traditionally complicated is on the holidays and weekends page. You can also use Кордон Онлайн or Kordon Online for more information.