International Haulier News - Weekly round-up

1. EU wide driver bans to come into effect
2. France and Germany urged to focus on Battery Electric Trucks
3. Next generation Megawatt Charging Systems tested in Spain
4. DSV takeover of Schenker gets EU green light
5. Russia tightens restrictions on EU and UK hauliers

A new EU directive is set to close a long-standing loophole that allowed drivers who are banned in one Member state to continue operating elsewhere in the bloc. Under the provisional agreement, serious traffic offences such as drunk driving, extreme speeding or causing a death, will trigger EU wide bans, enforced through the RESPER licence network. The country where the offence occurs must notify the licence issuing state, which then has 20 days to act on the disqualification. The measure is part of the EU's broader road safety strategy aimed at halving road deaths by 2030.

Top economic advisors in France and Germany have urged their governments to abandon hydrogen for road freight and focus exclusively on battery electric trucks (BETs). They argue that BETs are the most mature and market ready technology for decarbonising road transport, particularly for the short to mid-range freight that dominates European roads. The call includes a strong push for public funding to accelerate charging infrastructure across key corridors and depots. Till now both countries have supported parallel development of hydrogen and electric solutions, this now marks a clear shift in expert consensus toward fully electric strategies. MAN, Volvo, Mercedes are already backing this direction, reinforcing that the time for electrification is now.

In Spain, industry leaders gathered at the CharlN MCS Controller Testival 2025 event, that tested and validated the next generation of Megawatt Charging Systems (MCS) for heavy trucks. This first of its kind event focused on cross platform compatibility, security protocols and thermal and electrical efficiency, laying the groundwork for a secure, standardised charging ecosystem. With Europe pushing towards ever stricter CO2 emission targets this year and major infrastructure rollouts like the Milence MCS corridor from Stockholm to Antwerp underway, it appears that high power charging is becoming the enabler for long haul electric trucking. The event marked a significant milestone in aligning hardware, software and regulatory frameworks for scalable EV freight solutions.

The EU commission has authorised DSV's takeover of Schenker in a deal worth EUR 14.3 billion. However, the merger still requires approval from US competition authorities. DSV said last month that it expected to close the deal in the second quarter of this year.

Russia is further tightening is restrictions on EU trucks; the ban on entry to Russia for hauliers from the EU, Norway and the United Kingdom is in force indefinitely. From 25th April, the ban will also apply to Moldovan hauliers, reports the Hungarian haulier organisation MKFE. This is not only a hindrance for hauliers, but the Russian authorities have also used import restrictions imposed in previous years on certain categories of goods to weaken the economic power of neighbouring countries, the Hungarian association comments.