Can trucks drive on Sundays in Germany?

Not if they are over 7.5 tonnes and carrying goods commercially: the ban runs from midnight to 22:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Fresh perishables and combined rail–road transport are among the exemptions.

When is the French weekend truck ban?

For goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, from 22:00 on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays until 22:00 on Sundays and holidays, under the arrêté of 16 April 2021.

Is there a summer truck ban in Germany?

Yes, on listed motorway and federal-road sections: every Saturday from 1 July to 31 August, 07:00 to 20:00, under the Ferienreiseverordnung.

Term

HGV driving ban (weekend lorry ban)

An HGV driving ban is a legal ban on heavy trucks using the roads at set times, mostly Sundays and public holidays. Germany bans commercial trucks over 7.5 tonnes from midnight to 22:00 on Sundays and holidays; France and Austria have similar weekend bans, and Germany and France add summer Saturday bans. Fresh perishables are usually exempt.

Also called weekend lorry ban, Sunday truck ban, Lkw-Fahrverbot, truck driving ban, summer Saturday truck banApplies in EUUpdated 14 October 2026

The bans, by country

Country	Which vehicles	When
Germany	Trucks over 7.5 t, and trailers behind trucks, carrying goods commercially — empty runs included	Sundays and public holidays, 00:00–22:00 (StVO §30(3))
Germany, summer	The same, on listed motorway and federal-road sections	Every Saturday 1 July–31 August, 07:00–20:00
France	Goods vehicles over 7.5 t	From 22:00 on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays until 22:00 on Sundays and holidays
France, summer 2026	The same, on the whole national road network	11, 18 and 25 July, 1 and 8 August, 07:00–19:00
Austria	Lorries over 7.5 t; trucks with trailers over 3.5 t	Saturdays 15:00–24:00, Sundays and holidays 00:00–22:00; lorries over 7.5 t also 22:00–05:00 every night

Exemptions

Germany exempts, among others, fresh milk and dairy products, fresh meat, and highly perishable fruit and vegetables, as well as combined rail–road transport. France exempts perishable goods when they fill at least half of the vehicle's usable floor area or volume.

Worked example: a weekend run into Germany

Truck over 7.5 t, general cargo, reaches the German border on Saturday at 23:00 with 9 hours' drive left · Sunday ban 00:00–22:00 → 1 hour driven, then parked from 00:00 to 22:00 · arrives Monday about 06:00 instead of Sunday 08:00 · the same truck carrying fresh meat → exempt

Hours and exemptions from StVO §30(3); the trip is illustrative.

The mistake people make

Checking national holidays only. Some German holidays apply only in some states — Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam), for instance, only in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland — so the same Thursday is a ban day on one stretch of a route and not the next.

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