Polish summer truck driving bans start on 26 June. Hours, exemptions and the 50 km border rule
Summer driving bans for trucks will return to Polish roads on 26 June. Drivers and transport operators should pay particular attention to the exemptions related to border crossings, as incorrect interpretation of these rules may lead to problems during roadside inspections.
From Friday, 26 June, summer traffic restrictions will apply on Polish roads to goods vehicles with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 12 tonnes. The additional restrictions will be enforced every weekend until 30 August 2026.
Summer driving bans are introduced every year due to increased holiday traffic. They apply to trucks with a gross vehicle weight of more than 12 tonnes, excluding buses. Under the current regulations, the restrictions will apply:
● on Fridays from 18:00 to 22:00,
● on Saturdays from 08:00 to 14:00,
● on Sundays from 08:00 to 22:00.
This means that the first weekend covered by the summer driving bans will be from 26 to 28 June.
Compared with many Western European countries, Poland’s summer restrictions remain relatively straightforward. They do not include additional bans on specific motorways, mountain passes or transit corridors, such as those in force during the summer in Austria, France, Croatia and Italy. At the same time, the list of exemptions related to border crossings is one of the most important issues for operators engaged in international transport.
Polish regulations provide for a broad range of exemptions. The restrictions do not apply, among others, to the transport of perishable foodstuffs, live animals, medicines and medical supplies, as well as vehicles involved in rescue operations or the removal of the consequences of failures and accidents.
Returning from abroad and the 50 km border rule. The most important exemptions from the ban
In practice, journeys involving border crossings are among the issues most frequently analysed by transport operators and drivers. Based on our observations, the greatest uncertainty concerns the possibility of continuing a journey after entering Poland during a driving ban and the rules governing returns to base.The regulations allow vehicles returning from abroad to complete a road transport operation within the territory of Poland. This means that the ban does not apply to trucks:
● returning with a load to a consignee in Poland,
● returning with a load to the company’s base, provided that the transport operation ends there,
● returning empty to the company’s base after completing an international transport operation.
The purpose of the journey is crucial. It must serve to complete the transport operation within Poland and not to perform another domestic transport operation.
Another important exemption concerns vehicles that crossed the border before the driving ban came into force. In such cases, travel is permitted within a radius of up to 50 km from the border crossing point. This provision allows, among other things:
● access to the nearest parking area or rest location,
● travel to a transshipment terminal, warehouse or logistics centre,
● travel to a company base located within the 50 km border zone.
However, this exemption does not grant the right to continue travelling freely deeper into the country. Its purpose is to enable the safe completion of the route segment after crossing the border and access to a transport service facility or parking location.
It is worth noting that some exemptions also apply to vehicles travelling without a load. This includes, among others, trucks returning after unloading or travelling to collect another load, provided that the conditions specified in the regulations are met. Misinterpretation of border-related exemptions is one of the most common causes of disputes during inspections. In international transport, transport documents and the ability to demonstrate the purpose of the journey are of key importance, as they constitute the basis for benefiting from a statutory exemption from the driving ban.
Other exemptions and the detailed list of perishable goods
