Due to low water levels, Germany's transport ministers want to extend exceptions to the Sunday and public holiday driving ban for trucks until December 20. They reached agreement on this at the conference in Hohenschwangau. Transports that need to switch to road due to insufficient barge capacity should thus be easier to organize.
For dispatchers, the important point is in the fine print. A political agreement does not replace the specific regulations of the respective federal state. For example, the verified Bavarian general order already ended on October 25. It also only permitted transports with demonstrable connection to the consequences of low water levels. This was not a general exemption for every Sunday shipment.
Those planning substitute transports should therefore check the origin, destination, and all federal states transited. The shipment must also include comprehensible documentation explaining why the transport falls under the respective exemption. Driver rest and break times must be planned separately.
For shippers in the Rhine corridor, the extension is a potential relief measure. However, it neither automatically provides an available truck nor additional unloading time at the recipient's facility. Before confirming, vehicle availability, personnel, and goods receiving capacity must also be confirmed. Otherwise, the alternative solution quickly becomes the next waiting period.