Hauliers transiting Slovakia have to work around fixed weekend and public-holiday driving bans for heavy goods vehicles. The restrictions apply on motorways, expressways and first-class roads and cover foreign-registered trucks in exactly the same way as domestic ones.
Core rules for heavy vehicles:
- Sundays and public holidays: vehicles over 7.5 t and vehicles over 3.5 t with a trailer are kept off the main network.
- Summer Saturdays: extra daytime limits apply on the busiest corridors during July and August.
- Scope: motorways, expressways and first-class roads; local access roads generally remain usable.
Usual exemptions:
- Perishable food, live animals and medical loads
- Combined transport runs to and from rail or intermodal terminals
- Emergency, breakdown, utility, seasonal agricultural and humanitarian transport
- Empty runs directly linked to an exempt journey
🇸🇰 Slovakia:
- Plan the final leg so the truck is parked before the ban window opens — penalties are issued roadside.
- Rest areas near Vysne Nemecke fill up early on Saturday evenings.
🇺🇦 Ukraine:
- Freight moves mainly through Uzhhorod - Vysne Nemecke, with Malyi Bereznii - Ubla as the secondary option.
- A queue that builds on Sunday typically clears only on Monday morning.
Check live waiting times before you set off and factor in other seasonal freight limits, such as the summer heat ban for trucks in Ukraine.
Source: IRU (International Road Transport Union)
See also: