The Mobility Package in Pharmaceutical Transport Practice – Current Status and Key Challenges for 2026 

 

The Mobility Package is a comprehensive reform of the EU road transport market, implemented in stages over several years. Its objectives are to harmonise conditions of competition, improve drivers’ social conditions, and increase the effectiveness of supervision over international transport operations. 
For companies carrying out pharmaceutical transport, these regulations are of particular importance, as they affect not only costs and work organisation, but also the stability of supply chains for sensitive products subject to strict GDP requirements. 

 

Origin and Scope of the Mobility Package 

The Mobility Package covers three main areas: 

• drivers’ working time and rest periods, 

• posting of workers and access to the market, 

• enforcement of regulations and control tools (tachographs, digital systems). 

These regulations have been introduced gradually since 2020, and their full operational impact is only now becoming apparent—especially in high-value, high-responsibility segments of international transport such as pharmaceutical logistics. 

What Is Already in Force – Key Changes Implemented by 2025 

1. Drivers’ Working Time and Rest Periods 

Since August 2020, amended rules on weekly rest periods have applied. The most important include: 

• a ban on taking a regular weekly rest in the vehicle cabin, 

• an obligation for the employer to organise accommodation, 

• a requirement to ensure the driver’s return to the base or place of residence at least once every four weeks. 

For pharmaceutical transport, this has meant the need for more precise route and schedule planning to avoid delivery disruptions while remaining compliant with GDP standards. 

2. Posting of Drivers 

Since 2020, and fully since February 2022, drivers performing: 

• cabotage, 

• cross-trade operations 
  are subject to the rules on posting of workers. This entails, among other things: 

• mandatory notifications in the IMI system, 

• application of wage rates of the country where the service is performed, 

• the requirement to hold payroll and records documentation. 

Transit and bilateral transport are excluded from posting rules, albeit with additional limitations concerning extra operations. 

3. Cabotage and the “Cooling-Off” Period 

Since February 2022, after performing a maximum of three cabotage operations within seven days, a carrier must observe a four-day cooling-off period before carrying out cabotage again in the same country. This provision has significantly affected the operational flexibility of international fleets. 

4. Return of the Vehicle to the Country of Registration 

Each vehicle used in international transport must return to the country of establishment at least once every eight weeks. For companies servicing permanent pharmaceutical corridors, this required a redesign of logistics networks. 

5. Second-Generation Smart Tachographs 

The mandatory replacement of tachographs with devices that automatically record border crossings and loading/unloading operations has begun. By 2025, this obligation covered a significant part of the fleet performing international transport. 

 

2026 – What Will Be A Key? 

The year 2026 marks another important stage in the implementation of the Mobility Package, particularly from the perspective of supervision and the extension of regulations to new market segments. 

1. Vehicles with a GVW of 2.5–3.5 t in International Transport 

From 1 July 2026, light commercial vehicles performing international transport for hire or reward will be subject to: 

• the obligation to hold a Community licence, 

• the rules on posting of drivers, 

• the requirement to install smart tachographs in newly registered vehicles. 

This change is particularly significant for supplementary and urgent pharmaceutical deliveries, which are often carried out using vehicles in this category. 

2. Operational Maturity of Control Systems 

In 2026, control authorities in EU Member States will fully utilise data from second-generation smart tachographs and IMI systems. This will result in: 

• a greater number of remote checks, 

• faster detection of irregularities, 

• lower tolerance for formal errors. 

3. Growing Importance of Procedural Compliance 

Increasingly, inspections will focus not only on the journey itself, but also on: 

• the organisation of drivers’ work, 

• continuity of documentation, 

• consistency of processes with the declared business model. 

 

The Mobility Package and Pharmaceutical Transport – The Arra Group Perspective 

For Arra Group, the Mobility Package is an integral part of our quality strategy. In 2026, we place particular emphasis on: 

• further standardisation of operational processes across the entire fleet, 

• specialised training for planning teams and drivers, 

• digitalisation of documentation and reporting, shortening response times during inspections, 

• maintaining the stability of pharmaceutical supply chains despite growing regulatory requirements. 

Summary 

The Mobility Package is not a one-off reform, but an ongoing, evolving process. By 2025, the transport industry had to face fundamental organisational changes. The year 2026 will bring a deepening of supervision and the extension of regulations to new market segments. 

In pharmaceutical transport, compliance with the Mobility Package means not only meeting legal requirements, but above all ensuring safety, continuity of deliveries, and the trust of business partners—values that remain a priority at Arra Group.