How long does road freight to Germany take?

From Poland, the Benelux, Austria or Czechia, typically 1–2 days and often next-day given Germany's central position and dense autobahn network; from the UK about two days including the Channel; from Spain 2–3. We plan around the Sunday/holiday ban and give a window we can hold.

How is the German toll (LKW-Maut) calculated?

LKW-Maut is a distance-based toll for HGVs over 3.5 t, charged via an on-board unit and differentiated by CO₂ emission class, axles and weight. Since late 2023 it includes a CO₂ surcharge of about €200 per tonne; a five-axle Euro VI runs roughly €0.19–0.35/km, while zero-emission trucks stay fully exempt from the toll through mid-2031, following a late-2025 extension of the original exemption. We calculate the actual route's Maut and include it in the A→B rate.

Can trucks drive in Germany on Sundays?

Generally no - HGVs over 7.5 t face a ban on Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00, with some summer-Saturday restrictions. Holidays vary by federal state, so a ban can apply regionally. We plan deliveries around this calendar so your load isn't stranded mid-route on a ban day.

Do I need customs paperwork for Germany?

No - Germany is an EU and Schengen member, so goods in free circulation move there from other EU states without customs formalities. Customs applies only to non-EU trade, such as UK lanes across the Channel or overseas imports, both of which we handle.

Can you support just-in-time delivery to a German plant?

Yes. Automotive and industrial plants run on JIT supply, so we plan the lane to a fixed delivery slot with margin, track the load and warn you early if the window is at risk. For regular plant supply, a contract lane with reserved vehicles gives the reliability a production line needs.

Road Freight

Road Freight to Germany: FTL & LTL

Germany is the centre of European road freight, the largest economy in the EU, the busiest transit country on the continent, and the market almost every lane touches. Cargo Logistic Solutions runs road freight to and across Germany on its contracted fleet, CMR-insured, with financial liability set in the contract and pricing on the A→B leg only, no empty return mileage in the rate.

As an EU and Schengen member, Germany needs no customs formalities for goods in free circulation. The real planning factors are the CO₂-based motorway toll and the strict Sunday and holiday driving bans. Tell us the two points and the volume, and a logistician confirms FTL or LTL, a transit window and a rate the same day.

Get a quote in 15 minutes. Send loading and delivery points plus the pallet count. We reply with the format, transit and a rate.

Transit times to Germany

Indicative FTL times to the main German hubs - Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, the Ruhr:

Lane	Approx. distance	Typical FTL transit
Poland → Germany	200–1,100 km	1–2 days
Netherlands/Benelux → Germany	200–700 km	1 day
Austria/Czechia → Germany	300–700 km	1 day
UK → Germany	~900 km + Channel	2 days
Spain → Germany	~1,800 km	2–3 days

Groupage adds 2–4 days for consolidation. Germany's central position and dense autobahn network make it one of the fastest lanes from Poland, the Benelux and the Alpine countries, often next-day.

LKW-Maut, the CO₂-based toll

Germany tolls HGVs over 3.5 t through LKW-Maut, now one of Europe's more complex systems. Since December 2023 it carries a CO₂ emission component, a surcharge of about €200 per tonne of CO₂, and since July 2024 the toll applies to vehicles over 3.5 t (down from 7.5 t). A five-axle Euro VI combination pays roughly €0.19–0.35/km depending on CO₂ class, axles and weight, charged by distance via an on-board unit (Toll Collect). Zero-emission HGVs remain fully exempt from the toll, a law passed in late 2025 extended this exemption through 30 June 2031, rather than the partial 75%-discount rate originally planned to start in 2026; vehicles up to 4.25 t stay permanently exempt regardless. We calculate the actual route's Maut, including the CO₂ element, and quote it into the A→B price, so it's costed up front rather than added later.

Sunday and holiday driving bans

Germany enforces a strict HGV ban on Sundays and public holidays, 00:00–22:00, for trucks over 7.5 t, with additional summer-Saturday restrictions on certain routes. Because holidays vary by federal state (Länder), a ban can apply in one region and not the neighbouring one. This is a core scheduling factor. We plan German deliveries around the ban calendar so a load isn't caught out mid-route, and build any unavoidable wait into a realistic window.

What Germany imports and exports

Germany is Europe's industrial and export powerhouse: it exports vehicles and automotive components, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and engineered goods, and imports components, machinery, consumer goods and energy. That shapes our typical loads, automotive and machinery on curtainsiders (often just-in-time), ADR chemicals, GDP pharmaceuticals, and temperature-controlled food into the retail chains. Germany is the hinge of our network, connecting our Polish and Dutch lanes to the rest of Europe.

FTL or LTL to Germany

	FTL, full load	LTL, groupage
Best for	~33 europallets / up to 24 t	Part-loads from 100 kg
Transit	Direct, sealed	+2–4 days via a hub
Priced by	Route / km (+ Maut)	Loading metre, m³ or kg

Pick full truckload (FTL) for a direct sealed run, the norm for JIT industrial supply, or LTL groupage to pay only for the space you use. Germany's density makes it especially efficient for both full loads and consolidated distribution.

Regular German lane? Ask for a contract rate, a fixed price with the Maut built in, reserved vehicles and a dedicated manager, which steadies costs on the EU's busiest freight market.

What determines the price

Route and distance, often short and fast, but the origin lane sets the base.
LKW-Maut, distance and CO₂-class based; a real line in any German rate.
FTL vs LTL, dedicated trailer vs consolidated space.
Delivery windows - JIT slots and out-of-hours delivery carry a premium.
Ban calendar - Sunday, holiday and summer-Saturday restrictions.
Vehicle and cargo, reefer, ADR or curtainsider base rates differ.

For regular German lanes, industrial supply or scheduled distribution. We set up contract lanes with a fixed rate, reserved vehicles and a dedicated manager.

Why the German lane runs reliably

Germany is our highest-volume corridor, and that volume is what makes it dependable: balanced backhaul in both directions (so the A→B model genuinely works), deep familiarity with the Maut and the Länder ban calendar, and a personal logistician who plans the route around both. Cover applies under the CMR Convention with our financial liability in the contract, plus insurance to declared value, position reporting on request, and live status on the shipment.

Request a route quote and we'll come back with pricing and the next available slot the same day.