How to prepare a company with a van fleet for new regulations in 7 steps?

As of July 1, 2026, new EU regulations will come into effect, requiring tachograph installations to also apply to vans with a GVM over 2.5 tonnes used for international freight transport. This is a fundamental change for the light transport industry, affecting thousands of Polish businesses, and installing tachographs is just one of many tasks. Here’s how—in 7 steps—to prepare your company for the coming revolution.

Step 1: Analysis of the fleet and destinations served

The first, fundamental step is to thoroughly check the fleet in terms of GVM and the nature of the transport performed in order to select vehicles that need to be equipped with G2V2 tachographs. The new regulations apply to vans with a GVM exceeding 2.5 tonnes that travel abroad: to EU, EEA, and Switzerland – both new and currently registered vehicles. This analysis allows us to determine the number of tachographs required for purchase and installation, and consequently, to estimate the investment and plan costs. The estimated price of the second-generation G2V2 smart tachograph (the only one in force!) is around PLN 4,000.

Step 2: Organizing the installation of G2V2 tachographs

A company using vans for international transport should contact authorized tachograph services as soon as possible, select an offer for the purchase and installation of the devices, and arrange installation dates. It’s best not to wait until the last minute. Prices may rise after the New Year, and queues may become longer. If a van is to travel abroad on July 1, 2026, it must be equipped with a second-generation G2V2 tachograph. Violation of the regulations in Poland may result in a fine of PLN 12,000, as well as the vehicle being impounded and directed to the nearest tachograph service and equipped with the required device.

Step 3: Issuing driver cards and company cards

To use a tachograph, each van driver must have an individual driver card, and the transport company must have at least one company card, which allows, among other things, reading data from the device. This is a complete novelty for most van drivers. To obtain such cards, the company must pay and submit applications to the Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW) – well in advance to meet the deadline of July 1, 2026.

Step 4: Analysis of transport management tools

Although the use of technology is already an industry standard, including among companies with van fleets, it’s important to consider the tools used for transport management. From July 1, 2026, software for downloading, storing, and analyzing data from tachographs and driver cards will certainly be necessary. For larger fleets, it’s worth investing in a telematics system that automates these activities.

Step 5: Evaluation of the profitability of transport orders

Once regulations on working time, breaks, and rest periods are introduced for van drivers, some routes may become unprofitable. Effective transport planning will therefore become increasingly important, and TMS systems support freight forwarders in this regard. It’s important to analyze whether routes operated under new requirements remain profitable, and if not, make changes. To avoid delays and maintain profitability, it may be necessary to increase staffing, extend delivery times, or modify routes.

Step 6: Planning training for groups of employees

All personnel responsible for transport must be prepared for the upcoming revolutionary changes: management, forwarders, dispatchers, office workers and, of course, drivers, who will soon be legally equal to truck drivers. And many of them have never used a tachograph. Every van driver should receive thorough training – not only in the practical use of the device, but also in working time regulations, rules of conduct during inspections, and the consequences of violating the regulations.

Step 7: Adaptation of company procedures and materials

The final stage of preparing for changes is updating or preparing new internal documentation: instructions, work regulations, procedures to be followed in the event of a tachograph failure, etc. It is worth appointing a person within the company responsible for verifying the knowledge and understanding of the rules among staff.

With only six months left until the new legal reality, preparations should accelerate. A good plan will help smooth the transition, spreading costs over time and adapting the company in a timely manner.