Truck speed limits in Europe: country-by-country guide (free lookup tool)

Truck speed limits in Europe range from 80 km/h (Germany, Austria, Spain) to 100 km/h (Romania) on motorways, capped by an EU-mandated 90 km/h speed limiter that has been fitted to all HGVs above 3.5 tonnes since 2005 - a requirement that covers all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland and Norway. According to ETSC's 2019 PIN Flash Report 36, HGVs are involved in around 25 per cent of all fatal road crashes across the EU, making compliance with country-specific speed limits a direct safety and legal obligation, not just an administrative one. Those limits vary substantially: a single international journey through France, Germany, and Poland may legally require three different cruising speeds, and fines for violations - enforced cross-border under Directive 2015/413/EU - can reach several thousand EUR in countries such as Switzerland. The free Logifie truck speed limits tool at logifie.com/truck-speed-limits covers every major European country in one place, updated regularly, with no login required.

Why do truck speed limits differ across Europe?

The EU does not set a single, uniform HGV speed limit. What the EU does mandate is a technical ceiling: under Directive 2002/85/EC (amending the original Council Directive 92/6/EEC), any goods vehicle in category N2 (3.5 to 12 tonnes) or N3 (above 12 tonnes) registered after 1 January 2005 must carry a tamper-evident speed limiter calibrated to no more than 90 km/h. Coaches (category M2 and M3) are capped at 100 km/h. This regulation is binding across all EU member states and, through separate bilateral agreements, applies in Switzerland and Norway as well.

Within that 90 km/h technical ceiling, each national road authority sets its own statutory limits by road type. Those decisions reflect local infrastructure standards, traffic density, accident history, and political priorities. A motorway built and maintained to a high engineering standard may carry a limit of 90 km/h; a two-lane rural expressway with frequent junctions might be capped at 70 or 80 km/h. In practice, this means a driver completing a single international journey may pass through three or four different legal regimes within hours. The Logifie truck speed limits tool lists current limits for every EU and major European country on a single page, updated regularly - no login required.

What are HGV speed limits by country in Europe?

The table below shows standard speed limits for heavy goods vehicles above 3.5 tonnes. Where a country applies a lower sub-limit for vehicles above 7.5t or 12t, or for vehicles with trailers, the primary figure is shown with a note. LCV (light commercial vehicle) motorway limits are shown for comparison - for most countries this equals the passenger car limit, but exceptions exist.

For country-specific pages including the most current figures, individual country pages are available at the /truck-speed-limits/{country code} pattern, for example /truck-speed-limits/de for Germany or /truck-speed-limits/fr for France.

What is the maximum speed for trucks in Europe?

The technically enforced maximum for an HGV in Europe is 90 km/h, because Directive 2002/85/EC requires speed limiters to be set at that level for all goods vehicles above 3.5 tonnes registered from 2005 onwards. No country on the continent sets an HGV motorway limit above 100 km/h; most are at or below 90 km/h.

In practice, the majority of HGVs operating on European roads are running at an effective ceiling of 80 to 90 km/h - either because the speed limiter prevents going higher, or because the national motorway limit is lower than 90 km/h. Germany is the clearest example of the lower-end dynamic: while the Autobahn carries no general speed limit for passenger cars, trucks are firmly restricted to 80 km/h regardless of road quality or traffic volume. Italy caps standard HGV motorway traffic at 100 km/h (80 km/h for vehicles above 12t), while Spain sets its motorway limit at 90 km/h, falling further for heavier or articulated combinations carrying dangerous goods. Switzerland, operating outside the EU but aligned with its technical standards, applies the same 80 km/h motorway limit and enforces it strictly through fixed and mobile radar, with income-proportionate fines that can reach several thousand EUR for repeated or severe violations.

Countries with higher motorway HGV limits - Romania at 100 km/h, Portugal and Sweden at 90 km/h - are not exemptions to EU law but rather demonstrate that the 90 km/h speed limiter ceiling is the maximum allowed, not a mandatory floor. Romania's higher limit is often cited as an anomaly among EU member states and reflects older national road code settings; vehicles above 7.5t or with trailers are still restricted to 90 km/h there.

Do LCVs and vans have the same speed limits as HGVs?

The 3.5-tonne gross vehicle weight threshold is the dividing line between two separate legal regimes in European road transport. Vehicles at or below 3.5t - including most panel vans, car-derived vans, and pickup trucks - are classified as light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and fall under passenger vehicle speed limit rules in most EU countries. This generally means they can travel at the same motorway speed as a car, often 120 to 130 km/h. No mandatory speed limiter is required below this threshold under EU law, although some countries apply lower practical limits for LCVs in specific conditions.

Above 3.5t, the mandatory speed limiter, lower road-type limits, tachograph obligations, and driving hours rules under EC Regulation No. 561/2006 all apply. The practical effect is significant: a Ford Transit van at 3.4t gross can legally cruise at 130 km/h on a French motorway; a Mercedes Sprinter configured to 3.6t gross must stay at 90 km/h and keep tachograph records. Portugal is one of the clearest examples of an LCV sub-rule: vans up to 3.5t are limited to 70 km/h on rural roads, compared to 90 km/h for cars, giving them a distinct band below both passenger cars and full HGVs.

From July 2026, new EU tachograph obligations extend to LCVs above 2.5t used in international freight transport, which will affect how operators manage driving time records for smaller vans on cross-border runs. Speed limits for these vehicles remain governed by national passenger vehicle rules, but the administrative framework around their operation is changing. Dispatchers managing mixed fleets of LCVs and HGVs can track this alongside other operational data through the Logifie TMS platform .

Do bad-weather conditions change truck speed limits?

Several European countries apply statutory speed reductions when weather conditions deteriorate. The most structured system is in France, where motorway limits drop automatically in rain: the standard car limit falls from 130 to 110 km/h, and the HGV motorway limit falls from 90 to 80 km/h in wet conditions. This is not a variable advisory but a legal requirement that applies whenever precipitation is falling, and enforcement cameras are calibrated accordingly. The French rural road HGV limit similarly adjusts.

Germany does not apply statutory blanket reductions for HGVs in bad weather, but variable message signs (Wechselverkehrszeichen) on the Autobahn and major expressways post mandatory speed limits during fog, ice, or heavy rain. These signs are legally enforceable and monitored by camera. Speeds of 60 or even 40 km/h can be posted on sections where conditions are severe. The Swiss approach is similar in structure but stricter in enforcement: alpine passes have seasonal weight and speed restrictions, some closing entirely in winter, and variable limits on tunnel approaches are mandatory.

Italy applies a reduced motorway limit of 90 km/h for all vehicles, including LCVs, during precipitation or when road surfaces are wet - but this applies to lighter vehicles rather than to the HGV category, which is already capped at 80 or 100 km/h depending on weight. Austria imposes a night driving ban on vehicles above 7.5t between 22:00 and 05:00 on all roads, a measure that effectively reduces exposure to weather-related night-driving risk but is primarily an environmental and noise regulation. Drivers planning alpine routes in winter should also consult the Logifie public holiday and driving ban calendar , which lists seasonal road restrictions alongside national driving bans.

How do I check truck speed limits before every run?

Speed limits are not static. Countries update their road codes, regions introduce temporary lower limits near construction zones, and enforcement cameras can be calibrated to limits that differ from a driver's mental model built from a previous run on the same corridor. For fleet operators and drivers, the practical consequence is that relying on memory is a compliance risk.

Logifie maintains a free truck speed limits database at logifie.com/truck-speed-limits, covering all major European countries. Each country page - accessible at the /truck-speed-limits/{cc} path - lists the current HGV limits by road type, along with notes on sub-limits for different weight classes and trailer combinations. No account is required and there is no paywall. A dispatcher preparing a multi-country route can check /truck-speed-limits/pl for Poland and /truck-speed-limits/ro for Romania in under a minute, then compare those limits against the planned route schedule.

The Logifie Driver Assistant app, available on iOS and Android, provides on-the-road access to the same operational data, including current diesel prices via the fuel price map.

Frequently asked questions

What is the speed limit for trucks on European motorways?

There is no single European motorway limit for trucks. The EU mandates a speed limiter set at 90 km/h on all HGVs above 3.5t, but national motorway limits are set independently. Common limits are 80 km/h (Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Netherlands), 90 km/h (France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden), and 100 km/h (Romania, Bulgaria). Romania is an outlier at 100 km/h for standard HGVs.

Why does Germany have a lower truck speed limit than the EU maximum?

Germany's 80 km/h Autobahn limit for trucks predates the EU speed limiter directive and reflects the German approach to HGV safety on a motorway network that carries very high volumes of heavy freight. While there is no general speed limit for passenger cars on the Autobahn, trucks have been limited to 80 km/h by German road law (StVO) for decades. The EU speed limiter cap of 90 km/h allows Germany to set a lower national limit without any contradiction - the limiter sets the ceiling, and domestic law sits below it.

Do LCVs have the same speed limit as HGVs?

In most European countries, LCVs (vehicles below 3.5t gross) travel at the same speed limits as passenger cars, which is typically 120 to 130 km/h on motorways. This is significantly higher than the 80 to 90 km/h limits applicable to HGVs above 3.5t. Portugal is a notable exception, where LCVs face a 70 km/h rural road limit distinct from the 90 km/h car limit. The mandatory speed limiter and lower HGV limits do not apply below the 3.5t threshold.

What happens if a truck exceeds the speed limit in Europe?

Consequences vary by country and severity of the violation. Within the EU, the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive (2015/413/EU) allows member states to share vehicle registration data and pursue fines against foreign-registered vehicles. A fine issued in France or Spain can be collected from an operator registered in Poland or Romania. Penalties range from modest administrative fines in Germany to severe income-proportionate fines in Switzerland - where a single significant violation can reach several thousand EUR - and potential vehicle impoundment or licence suspension for repeat offences.

Are there country-specific speed limit exceptions I need to know?

Several key sub-rules apply within the broader country limits shown in the table above. Germany limits vehicles above 7.5t to 60 km/h on rural and expressway roads; Italy drops from 100 to 80 km/h for HGVs above 12t; and Romania reduces from 100 to 90 km/h for vehicles above 7.5t or with a trailer attached. Belgium applies a 60 km/h rural road limit for vehicles from 7.5t, and Spain reduces all applicable limits by 10 km/h for vehicles carrying dangerous goods. These sub-limits frequently trap operators whose data source only shows the headline country figure.

How do I check truck speed limits for a specific country before dispatch?

The fastest free option for professional users is logifie.com/truck-speed-limits , which covers all major European countries with HGV-specific figures by road type. Direct country pages use the format /truck-speed-limits/{cc} - for example /truck-speed-limits/at for Austria or /truck-speed-limits/ch for Switzerland. No login or account is required.

Are speed limiters mandatory for all trucks in Europe?

Yes, for vehicles above 3.5t registered from 1 January 2005 onwards. Directive 2002/85/EC requires a tamper-evident speed limiter calibrated to no more than 90 km/h for goods vehicles (N2 and N3 categories) and 100 km/h for coaches (M2 and M3). Vehicles registered before 2005 may predate the requirement, though very few such trucks remain in active commercial service. Switzerland and Norway apply equivalent requirements outside EU law under bilateral agreements.

Check live country limits free on Logifie

Before any cross-border run, verify the current HGV limits for every country on your route at logifie.com/truck-speed-limits . The tool is free, requires no login, and covers motorway, expressway, rural, and urban limits with notes on sub-limits by vehicle weight class. Individual country pages are available at /truck-speed-limits/{cc} for quick, route-specific lookups.