During the summer of 2023, the French Government decided to introduce a number of changes that will greatly impact employees of the transport industry. It is planned to introduce new road tolls, stricter fines for non-compliance with the rules, and to give the country's road police the opportunity to check trucks remotely. In this article, we provide all the necessary information about these changes.

The French government plans to introduce new tolls on the A1 motorway located in the north of the country. The aim is to invest the money received from the tolls in the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe canal. The traffic on this highway is often already slow due to regular roadworks. If approved, the new law should enter into force in September 2024.

From now on, haulers will also pay higher fines for vehicles that do not meet weight requirements. Haulers who instruct their drivers to carry heavier loads than allowed will now receive the highest category (class 5) fines. These fines can reach up to EUR 1,500. The same fines will be imposed for incorrectly completed declarations that indicate the wrong weight of the truck and its load.

The same law that will tighten the fines for truck overloading will also introduce another additional change. From now on, the French police will be able to check the trucks remotely. In this way, traffic police officers can check whether the vehicle meets the weight requirements without stopping it. Although it is not yet clear how exactly this remote checking will be carried out and what measures it will require, it is expected that this law will take effect in the upcoming months.

Keywords: work for drivers, work for long-distance drivers, road tolls, fines