Light truck abroad 2026 – G2V2, driver's license & driving and rest times | Word/PDF/Excel

Does your company drive a van or light truck weighing 2.5–3.5 tonnes across a national border? From 1 July 2026, EU driving and rest time rules and smart tachograph version 2 (G2V2) requirements will apply to certain international road transport and cabotage operations involving vehicles or vehicle combinations with a maximum permitted total weight of over 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes, including any trailer. Companies that previously operated light transport vehicles without tachographs may need to change their vehicles, staff procedures, and data storage.

This practical specialist package helps a Swedish transport company determine whether a specific journey is covered by the rules, document an exemption assessment, check tachographs and driver cards before departure, plan breaks and rest, monitor data downloads, and track deviations. The package does not include an automatic tachograph or approval from the Swedish Transport Agency.

Legal sources: Regulation (EC) 561/2006 Article 2.1 aa and Articles 3, 6–8, as amended; Tachograph Regulation (EU) 165/2014; Swedish Transport Agency information on the 2026 extension and European Labour Authority, 24 June 2026.

79 SEK – digital ZIP: five Swedish working templates plus a Swedish user guide and a separate English User Guide, all seven in editable Word (DOCX) and searchable, printable A4 PDF format. Also includes a reset Excel workbook (XLSX) with nine tabs, 612 formulas, and 51 passed scenario tests. Total 7 DOCX + 7 PDF + 1 XLSX = 15 customer files.

Why Is This Requirement New for Light Trucks?

EU social transport rules previously applied mainly to road haulage involving larger vehicles and vehicle combinations over 3.5 tonnes. From 1 July 2026, they will also cover commercial international transport or cabotage involving vehicles over 2.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes. This includes the combined maximum permitted weight of the vehicle and trailer. Empty return journeys connected to international transport may also be covered. However, a national delivery using such a vehicle is not automatically subject to the new international 2.5-tonne rule.

Important distinction: Certain non-remunerated journeys are exempt when the goods are not transported for remuneration and driving is not the driver's main activity. This is not a general exemption for all service vehicles. Exactly 2.5 tonnes is not over the weight limit. Other transport requirements, such as community status, national time books, and possible posting, must be assessed separately where applicable.

Exactly What Do the 15 Files Contain?

Excel Workbook with Nine Tabs, 612 Formulas, and 51 Tests

The tabs are named Read Me, Overview, Vehicles, Journeys, Cards, Times, Download, Deviations, and Sources. Six working tabs with up to 100 check items each are supplemented by twelve overview metrics. The customer file starts completely empty, and all twelve overview metrics are zero.

Status indicators include “CHECK OTHER RULES – ≤2.5 T”, “CHECK SWEDISH TIME BOOK RULES”, “CHECK NON-REMUNERATED EXEMPTION”, “SMART TACHOGRAPH MISSING”, “DRIVER CARD INVALID/UNCLEAR”, “DRIVING TIME >10 H – ESCALATE”, “WEEKLY TIME >56 H – ESCALATE”, “BREAK NOT SUPPORTED”, “DRIVER CARD >28 DAYS – CHECK” and “ESCALATE HIGH RISK”. When the entered data appears complete, only “FOR MANUAL … CHECK” is displayed, never an automatic indication that the operation is legal.

51 out of 51 scenario tests passed. We tested, among other things, exactly 2.5 tonnes, a national journey, non-remunerated exemption, incorrect tachograph version, over 10 hours per day, over 56 hours per week, over 90 hours in two weeks, lack of breaks, invalid card, 28/90-day copy, and high risk that cannot be automatically closed.

Driving, Break, and Rest Time Limits

EU Regulation 561/2006 states as a general rule that daily driving time may not exceed 9 hours. It may be extended to 10 hours twice a week. Total driving time may normally not exceed 56 hours in one week or 90 hours in two consecutive weeks. After at most 4.5 hours of driving, a break of at least 45 minutes is normally required, which may be split into at least 15 and 30 minutes in that order. Daily and weekly rest times have separate requirements, which must be assessed against actual working periods and applicable exemptions. Official EU information for light transport vehicles.

Tachographs – Important Swedish Procedures

Equipment: A smart tachograph version 2 must be installed in the affected vehicles. The Swedish Transport Agency states that tachograph inspections should generally have been carried out within the last two years. The driver uses a personal valid driver card, records the country of departure/arrival, and ensures that work, availability, breaks, and rest are correctly managed. Swedish Transport Agency – overview of tachograph rules.

Copying: The company must download relevant data from the driver card within 28 days and from the vehicle unit within 90 days of the data being recorded. The data must be kept for at least one year. At a roadside check, the driver must be able to provide data for the current day and the preceding 56 days. Swedish Transport Agency – company responsibilities.

Company card: A company card can be used for company locks and data copying. The Swedish Transport Agency’s specific questions and answers clarify that there is no general independent requirement for a company card in every situation; the actual obligation includes the correct access, copying, and storage of data. Some overarching information pages use simplified language. The package therefore does not promise that a company card is always required.

How the Transport Company Uses the Documents

1. Classify the vehicle combination. Obtain the actual registration document, maximum permitted total weight including trailer, and transport assignment.
2. Determine the transport type. Separate international road haulage and cabotage from Swedish national driving. If the goods are transported non-remuneratedly, check all exemption conditions.
3. Verify G2V2 in the actual vehicle. Check the equipment version, inspection certificate, and operating functionality, contacting a workshop if necessary.
4. Check the driver. Personal driver card, validity period, country recording, other work, and roadside check documents.
5. Plan the working periods. Check actual driving time, breaks, rest, scheduled loading/unloading activities, and permitted extensions.
6. Secure data and archives. Assign responsibility for 28/90-day copying, company locks, and at least one year of archiving.
7. Address deviations. If the tachograph fails, apply the rules for manual printouts, actual repair, and separate assessment of continuing the journey.
8. Assess other transport requirements separately. Cabotage, posting, operator authorisation, driving licence, and national time books are affected by the specific journey.

Difference from a Standard Vehicle Register

Vehicle Register & Service Planning covers overall service and vehicle administration. The new package is directly linked to the legal change on 1 July 2026 and helps companies document the 2.5–3.5-tonne conditions, G2V2, driver cards, driving and rest times, and data archives for international assignments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must all 3.5-tonne vans have G2V2?

No. The new 2.5–3.5-tonne rule applies to certain international road transport and cabotage operations. National Swedish traffic and special exemptions must be assessed separately.

Is the trailer’s weight included?

Yes, when assessing the vehicle combination’s maximum permitted total weight. It is not only the vehicle’s service weight or actual load that determines this.

Do the rules apply if the vehicle weighs exactly 2,500 kg?

The new special rule applies to vehicles weighing over 2.5 tonnes. Other rules may still apply.

Is a tradesman’s trip abroad with their own tools exempt?

There may be exemptions for certain non-remunerated transport where driving is not the driver’s main professional activity, but all circumstances must be assessed. Tools in the vehicle do not automatically create an exemption.

Do I need a company card?

The Swedish Transport Agency states in its questions and answers that there is no general requirement for a company card. The company’s responsibility for correct data copying, archiving, and access remains; cards are practically required for certain lock and data management functions.

Does Excel perform the driving and rest time checks itself?

No. Excel flags manually entered limit values and missing documentation, but it does not read tachograph files and cannot determine all rest rules, exemptions, or the right to continue driving.

Is a posting declaration included for all journeys?

No. Posting rules must be assessed separately – cabotage and cross-trade may differ from bilateral transport and transit. The package offers a check point but not submission to the authorities.

Is the entire package in English?

No. Five main templates and the Excel workbook are in Swedish. A Swedish guide and a separate English User Guide are included, but the latter is not a complete English translation of the working templates.

Are the PDF files fillable?

No. The PDF files are searchable, printable A4 versions. The Word files are used to enter your own data.

Legal Review and Version Information

Version 1.0 – 9 November 2026. Official sources: EU 561/2006, EU 165/2014, Swedish Transport Agency, and European Labour Authority. The template package has undergone AI-assisted source checking, a check of all 14 searchable A4 PDF pages, and Excel QA with 612 formulas and 51 out of 51 passed scenario tests. No external lawyer, Swedish Transport Agency, accredited workshop, or tachograph expert has reviewed or approved the documents. It is not an official tachograph, transport permit, or certified verification of drivers’ working times.