More German federal states introduce exemptions from truck driving bans- UPDATE

More German states ease truck traffic bans due to low water levels on rivers. Berlin and Brandenburg also join the list of states granting exemptions. In total, exemptions are already in force or have been announced in thirteen German states.

More German states are temporarily easing truck traffic bans due to persistently low water levels on rivers. Berlin and Brandenburg have also joined the list of states introducing exemptions, while similar decisions were previously taken by, among others, Thuringia, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. Exemptions have also been announced in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In total, decisions to ease the restrictions have now been taken in thirteen German states.

The changes are being introduced because of persistently low water levels, particularly on the Rhine and other important inland waterways. Restrictions on inland navigation are forcing some freight to be shifted to road transport. This does not mean that the bans have been lifted nationwide – the scope, duration and conditions of the exemptions vary from one state to another.

Nine more states to join from the coming weekend

❌ Berlin

✅ The exemption applies from 12 to 31 August 2026.

Berlin is temporarily easing both the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban and the summer Saturday ban in force on selected Saturdays. The exemption covers freight transport that would normally be carried by inland waterways but has to be shifted to road transport because of low water levels. It also covers necessary empty runs. It applies to trucks over 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers. Oversized and heavy transports are not covered by the exemption.

❌ Brandenburg

✅ The exemption applies from 12 to 31 August 2026.

Brandenburg is temporarily easing both the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban and the summer Saturday ban in force on selected Saturdays. The exemption covers freight transport that would normally be carried by inland waterways but has to be shifted to road transport because of low water levels. It also covers necessary empty runs. It applies to trucks over 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers. Oversized and heavy transports are not covered by the exemption.

❌ Thuringia

✅ The exemption applies from 12 to 31 August 2026.

Thuringia has temporarily suspended the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban due to the effects of low water levels on German waterways. The regulation is intended to allow essential road transport needed to maintain supplies for the population and the economy. The Thuringian authorities stress that the exemption does not constitute unrestricted permission for trucks to operate on Sundays and public holidays.

❌ Hesse

✅ The exemption applies until 31 August 2026.

The state is temporarily easing the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban as well as the summer Saturday ban in force on selected Saturdays. The exemption covers transport carried out as replacement transport due to low water levels and restrictions on inland navigation. It applies to trucks over 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers, as well as necessary empty runs related to such transport.

❌ Baden-Württemberg

✅ The exemption is expected to take effect from the coming weekend and remain in force at least until the end of August 2026.

The state is temporarily easing both the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban and the summer Saturday ban in force on selected Saturdays. The exemption covers transport directly or indirectly related to the effects of low water levels, in particular the transport of goods for which waterborne transport is impossible or severely restricted. It also covers necessary empty runs.

❌ Bavaria

✅ The exemption is expected to take effect from the coming weekend.

The Bavarian authorities have decided to temporarily ease the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban. The aim is to facilitate the transport of goods that have to be shifted to road transport because of restrictions on inland navigation. This includes, among other things, raw materials, chemical products and energy carriers. The detailed scope and duration of the exemption are still being finalized.

❌ Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

✅ The exemption is expected to take effect from the coming weekend.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has also announced an easing of the ban from the coming weekend. The information was confirmed by a spokesperson for the state’s transport ministry. The detailed regulation has not yet been made publicly available, and the end date of the exemption and full details of its scope have not yet been announced.

❌ Schleswig-Holstein

✅ The exemption initially applies until 31 August 2026.

On 11 August, the Schleswig-Holstein authorities officially announced the temporary suspension of the truck traffic ban on Sundays and public holidays. At the same time, the Saturday restriction on the A7 between Schleswig-Jagel and Bordesholm, which applies during the summer holiday period, was lifted. The reason is the low water levels on German rivers and the need to shift some freight from waterways to road transport.

❌ Hamburg

✅ The exemption applies from 10 to 31 August 2026, inclusive.

Hamburg has issued an official decision covering both the Sunday and public holiday truck traffic ban and the summer Saturday ban. The exemption applies to commercial or remunerated transport by trucks with a maximum permissible gross weight above 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers, provided that the transport is replacement transport resulting from low water levels. It also covers empty runs directly related to such transport. Oversized and heavy transports are excluded from the exemption.

Four states are already applying exemptions

❌ North Rhine-Westphalia

✅ The exemption applies until 31 August 2026, inclusive.

It covers transport and related empty runs that are directly or indirectly connected with the effects of low water levels on the Rhine. For transport covered by the exemption, the restrictions resulting from the summer Saturday truck bans have also been suspended. The exemption does not cover oversized and heavy transports requiring separate permits.

❌ Rhineland-Palatinate

✅ The exemption may be applied until 30 September 2026 at the latest.

It covers transport directly or indirectly related to low water levels on the Rhine, as well as transport replacing inland waterway transport. It also includes necessary empty runs related to such transport.

❌ Saarland

✅ The exemption applies until 30 September 2026 at the latest.

It covers transport related to the effects of low water levels and necessary empty runs. Oversized and heavy transports remain outside the scope of the exemption.

❌ Lower Saxony

✅ The exemption applies until 31 August 2026.

It covers commercial and remunerated transport by trucks with a maximum permissible gross weight above 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers, provided that the journey is necessary as a replacement for waterborne transport restricted due to low water levels.

This is still not a nationwide lifting of the ban in Germany

Following the latest decisions, exemptions are already in force or have been announced in thirteen German states: North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Hesse, Thuringia, Berlin and Brandenburg.

For hauliers and drivers, however, the key point is that these are not uniform rules applying throughout Germany. The individual federal states determine which transports are covered by the exemption and how long it remains in force. If a route passes through several federal states, the applicable rules in each of them must be checked. An exemption in one region does not automatically grant the right to travel through another.
The situation remains dynamic, and if low water levels persist, further decisions by additional federal states cannot be ruled out.