Netwerk Noord: Wat zijn de voordelen voor vrachtwagenchauffeurs?

With the ongoing changes to Germany's truck toll system, it's easy to get lost in the many alterations and regulations. Almost of local truck journeys, covering roughly 200 kilometres, are already on toll roads highlighting the impact German tolls have on fleet expenditure. With the rise in toll rates, these new changes are hitting fleet companies hard. Changes to the toll in 2023 and 2024 resulted from the German government supporting The Toll Amendment Act, which adopts the following:• New toll rates• The introduction of CO2 emissions tolls• Removing toll exemption for natural gas vehicles• Extending the toll to vehicles with a permissible total weight of over 3.5 tonnes.Toll rates rose at the beginning of 2023. Three factors were decisive:• Number of axles• Emissions class• Permissible total weight of the vehicle combination.December saw the introduction of CO2 emission classes as a new tariff criterion. Calculated on a surcharge of 200 euros per tonne of CO2 emissions this is levied on all vehicles with a permissible total weight of over 7.5 tonnes. Individual surcharge amounts, in addition to the current toll, depend on emission class.• Class 1 HGVs with the highest CO2 emissions and, therefore, the highest possible surcharge. , which collects truck tolls in Germany, classifies all registered vehicles in this emission class fleet operators must contact them to apply for a better classification if eligible.• Classes 2 and 3 Both classes are assigned when entering vehicle details into the TollCollect portal.• Class 4 Low-emission trucks, for example, natural gas vehicles.• Class 5 Zero-emission trucks.On the 1st of January 2024, the toll exemption for vehicles powered by natural gas was no longer applicable.Tolls will be due for all vehicles with a technically permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tonnes. There are a few exemptions to this new change:• Emission-free vehicles with a technically permissible total weight of more than 4.25 tonnes.• Emission-free heavy commercial vehicles This exemption is effective until late December 2025.• Vehicles used by trade businesses Applicable for vehicles with a total weight of less than 7.5 tonnes.Before the 1st of July, you will need to check whether your vehicles are subject to toll, and if they are, how you want to pay the toll.• Check part one of the vehicle registration certificate in field F1. If your vehicle has a Technically Permissible Maximum Laden Mass (TPMLM) of more than 3.5 tonnes, you are subject to paying the toll. HGVs with a TPMLM of exactly 3.5 tonnes or less will not be subject to toll charges.• Vehicle combinations if the towing vehicle has a TPMLM of over 3.5 tonnes, you are subject to toll. A combination with a TPMLM over 3.5 tonnes will not be subject to toll charges if the towing vehicle has a TPMLM of 3.5 tonnes or under.• Vehicle toll requirements apply to vehicles intended or used for road haulage.• Trade businesses are from tolls under certain conditions.The most convenient way to pay is with an onboard unit (OBU) provided by Toll Collect, European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) providers, or their sales partners.Paying with an OBU requires registering with Toll Collect and arranging an installation appointment after installation, set the weight as "<7.5 tonnes". With an OBU, the automatic collection will occur on motorways and federal roads from the 1st of July, 2024.Alternatively, you can pay the toll on the Toll Collect or via their before starting your journey.To be eligible for the craftsperson exemption, the following applies:• Only employees of the trade business can drive the vehicle.• The materials, equipment, or machines transported must be necessary to carry out the services and work of the trade business.• The handcrafted goods transported must be produced, processed, or repaired in the tradesperson's business.You can register your trade vehicles online at . Trade businesses can discover more information about the exceptions on Toll Collect's page.There are commercial truck bans on driving during certain times to reduce traffic and keep roads safe. The ban is applicable on Sundays, meaning truck drivers with a truck weighing over 7.5 tonnes cannot move it from 12 am to 10 pm. In addition, there is also a driving ban on the following public holidays:• New Year's Day 1st of January• Good Friday 18th of April• Easter Monday 21st of April• Labour Day 1st of May• Ascension Day 29th of May• Whitsun 8th of June• German Unification Day 3rd of October• Christmas and Boxing Day 25th & 26th of DecemberDuring the main holiday period, from the 1st of July to the 31st of August, the truck driving ban applies on Saturdays, meaning truck drivers are not allowed to drive between 7 am and 8 pm when there is a high frequency of vehicles on the roads.

A 2024 report by revealed over 25% of road traffic emissions come from the transport sector in Europe with heavy-duty vehicles responsible for of emissions (buses and coaches make up the remainder).At the current rate, the transport sector alone will make up nearly half of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 Europe's transport emissions have continued to increase by more than a quarter since 1990. Emissions across the economy have decreased however, since a peak in 2007, the transport sector has been decarbonising more r than the rest of the economy.Since the proliferation of e-commerce and home delivery services, the demand for more trucks on the road has increased significantly. Consequently, increased demand has resulted in an increase in CO2 emissions within the haulage industry.A report regarding domestic freight tonnage across different modes (road, rail, and water) revealed road freight was more dominant in Europe than rail and water compared to other geographies (USA and India). Although China is more reliant on road freight, the report revealed the country operated with roughly 600,000 electric trucks to deliver goods.European Parliament adopted the to tackle rising CO2 emissions. As part of this law, the EU target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 has been increased to at least 55% making climate neutrality by 2050 legally binding.In May 2024, EU countries approved a law to slash truck CO2 emissions. The new law will require new heavy-duty vehicles sold in the EU from 2040 to be emissions-free while enforcing a cut in CO2 emissions from new HGVs by the same year. Manufacturers must sell a large amount of fully CO2-free HGVs for example, electric and hydrogen fuel vehicles to offset remaining sales of CO-emitting vehicles.Fleet managers can take measures to reduce their CO2 emissions:• Harsh braking, rapid acceleration, and idling can increase fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions Although monitoring driver behaviour can be challenging, AI technology can provide continuous feedback to drivers and fleet managers. Learn more about how in the haulage industry.• Fleets with older vehicles can switch to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), hydrogen, or electric-powered HGVs to significantly reduce emissions. However, fleet managers must consider the distance alternative-fuelled vehicles can travel and the cost implications.• allows fleet managers to reduce their detour mileage with over 600 service partners available to SNAP Account customers, fleet managers can plan overnight stops for their drivers on route.According to a , by 2030, a third of all trucks in Europe will be electric. As fleet companies are taking steps towards electrification, truck stops across Europe must be able to meet the demand for electric charging stations.Providing the infrastructure will come at a cost for many truck stops and service stations. However, those who already accommodate EV car chargers are well-placed to take advantage of future waves of electric trucks. By 2030, public charging stations in Europe will grow to over The EU has put forward an ambitious law for charging with the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). The AFIR plans to equip the main road network with charging pools every 60km providing enough charging energy and hydrogen capacity for of truck and coach fleets to be zero-emission by 2030.In 2021, Germany, France, and Italy were responsible for the highest overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ranging from . However, countries with larger populations produce more GHG emissions therefore, viewing the overall greenhouse gas emissions provides a distorted image.Looking at an impartial view of emissions provides a different outlook Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Czech Republic produced the highest per capita emissions in the EU in 2021.Transporting goods via rail is modes of transport, but it also provides other benefits:• Reduces road congestion, which contributes to improved air quality.• Rail offers a faster way to transport goods and removes heavy traffic obstacles.Alternative fuel trucks are another environmentally friendly way to transport goods. Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) can immediately reduce up to of greenhouse emissions compared to standard diesel across the product life cycle. is behind the move to a cleaner alternative helping businesses meet their sustainability goals and take meaningful steps towards their net zero future.