Truck driving ban on Saturdays during the vacation travel period; application for a special permit

Certain heavily used sections of highway and federal highways in Germany are closed to trucks with a total weight of over 7.5 t and trucks with trailers (without weight limit) during the day on all Saturdays in July and August due to heavy tourist traffic.

In addition to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays, there is a ban on truck driving under the Holiday Travel Ordinance to protect vacation travel. This applies to the commercial or paid transport of goods by trucks with a maximum permissible mass of over 7.5 tons and trucks with trailers, as well as the associated empty runs. The driving ban applies on all Saturdays from July 1 to August 31 of each year, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on all highways and federal roads listed in the Holiday Travel Ordinance.

During this time, transportation must use the downstream network of federal, state and district roads. Only if these alternative routes cannot be used (e.g. due to a truck driving ban or a ban on the transportation of hazardous goods) or if it is absolutely necessary to use the freeway (e.g. to supply freeway service stations) can an exemption be granted.

However, such exemptions may only be granted if there is a public interest in carrying out the journey during the period of prohibition (e.g. removal of emergencies, supplying the population) or if the refusal of the permit would represent an undue hardship for the applicant and proof is provided that transportation is not possible either by other means of transport or outside the period of prohibition. Economic or competitive reasons alone cannot justify exceptions.

Corresponding evidence must be provided.

The truck driving ban does not apply in particular to

• combined road-rail freight transport from the consignor to the nearest loading station or from the nearest unloading station to the consignee,
• combined road-port transport of goods between the place of loading or unloading and a port located within a maximum radius of 150 kilometers (arrival or departure),
• transportation of fresh milk and fresh dairy products, fresh meat and fresh meat products, fresh fish, live fish and fresh fish products, perishable fruit and vegetables,
• the urgent use of recovery, towing and breakdown vehicles,
• the transportation of live bees,
• showmen and showwomen.

• Application for derogation to the competent authority
• Proof of the urgency of the promotion by the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK)
• Vehicle documents

  Vehicle registration certificate / registration certificate part 1 of the vehicles for which an exemption is requested

• other documents

  in individual cases: orders, shipping documents

• Urgency of the transport
• Transportation must not be possible with vehicles that are not covered by the ban
• Transport must be absolutely dependent on the use of the prohibited route