Transportation companies can carry out various types of transports as part of their operations. Among them are domestic transports, foreign transports, as well as cabotage transports. What is the implementation of this type of service and what conditions must be met for a given order to be called cabotage carriage?
What is cabotage carriage?
Cabotage carriage is a type of commercial transport that takes place between two points located in a country other than the country where the carrier is established. This type of service is temporary and is carried out while the carrier in question is abroad. It also takes place with a vehicle registered outside the country where the cabotage transport takes place.
Thanks to cabotage transport, so-called “empty runs” can be eliminated. With good planning of routes and execution of orders, it is also possible to increase the competitiveness of the company.
Cabotage transport – current regulations in the EU
The implementation of cabotage transport can be carried out on the basis of strictly defined EU regulations. These include common rules for access to international markets and road transport. In the European Union, issues related to cabotage transport are contained in Regulation (EC) No. 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2009.
According to the aforementioned document, cabotage carriage may begin after partial or complete unloading of the goods in question delivered from abroad. Deliveries of goods within the framework of cabotage transport must take place in the same vehicle with which the carrier concerned has crossed the border. At the same time, the last of the deliveries made as part of cabotage must not take place more than 7 days after the unloading is completed in the Member State receiving the transport.
Is EU law the only legislation regulating cabotage?
It should be remembered that the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to cabotage regulations within the European Union is a document that applies to all member states. However, current EU law can also be clarified by various types of national regulations governing transport services. These can be various statutory, regulatory, as well as administrative provisions, usually concerning such issues as:
- weight and dimensions of transport vehicles,
- the rules of the contract of the transports performed,
- rules for charging VAT on transportation services,
- maximum driving time of transport vehicles by drivers,
- regulations related to the transportation of animals, dangerous goods or foodstuffs,
- issues related to drivers’ rest during the execution of transport orders.
Domestic regulations for drivers and domestic companies are in line with provisions for transport workers operating abroad.