From 2001 to 2018, EU road fatalities doubled down, and much of this success is attributed to regulations and restrictions imposed on the EU transportation industry.
Staying compliant isn’t just about following the rules — it’s about ensuring operational efficiency, building trust, and staying competitive in a complex industry. Sometimes, it's literally about saving lives and health!
However, following all the rules is costly, making compliance several percent of a trucking company's total spending. Here’s an example of the mandatory switch to e-CMRs (electronic waybills) in the EU.
💶 According to estimations reported by the European Commission, a firm operating around 200 trucks and employing 360 employees is likely to spend between € 70,000 and € 75,000 in the transition to electronic documents, assuming they provide smartphones for every truck.
💶 Companies employing digitalization to lower those costs stand a better chance of smoothly navigating the compliance challenges. For a said business operating around 200 trucks and employing 360 employees, if they issued 200,000 CMRs annually, the expected net benefit of e-CMR would be € 150,000 per year.
💶 According to various assessments, 3-time savings from the digitalization of documents for the carriage of goods by road are estimated to range between 5 to 20 minutes per consignment, and administrative/operational cost savings are estimated to be between € 2 to € 13 per consignment.
Below, we outline the central areas where transportation and logistics businesses must stay compliant and explain how modern digital solutions provide automated, transparent, and reliable compliance support.
Types of compliance in the transportation industry
If we roughly structure the incredibly rich landscape of regulations regarding a transportation function, the result will look like this:
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Regulatory bodies and frameworks overseeing the transportation and logistics industry at national, regional, and international levels. The most prominent examples are the IATA (International Air Transport Association), the EU road safety policy, and the FMCSA (US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
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Safety regulations. Vehicle safety rules require companies to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and undergo regular inspections. Driver safety requires drivers to follow work and rest schedules, obtain appropriate licenses, and undergo necessary examinations. Cargo safety is introduced to prevent damage and losses during transportation.
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Environmental regulations are achieved through adopting EVs, enforcing emission standards, and car labeling and optimizing fuel and route.
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International trade regulations, most of which are customs regulations for countries of origin, transit, and destination, cover declaring, payments, and documentation.
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Labor and employment law: HOS (hours of service) regulations, compensation and health rules heavily influence how companies treat their employees.
Common regulations and how businesses can comply with them thanks to fleet management software
Driver behavior and road safety laws
Traffic laws penalize unsafe driving habits such as speeding, aggressive lane changes, and distracted driving. However, this is not only about the driver’s responsibility and impact on the company's business. Employers can be held responsible if they fail to train and monitor drivers effectively, especially when accidents occur.
How fleet management software helps
➡️ A telematics platform monitors driver behavior, sending notifications when speeding or harsh braking occurs.
➡️ Fleet managers get actionable reports that help them tailor coaching programs, reward safe driving, and take corrective measures to comply with road safety laws.
➡️ AI-based DVRs let companies detect risky behavior or dangerous factors by continuously analyzing the live stream from the vehicle.
Weight, dimensions, and heavy-duty vehicle regulations
Many countries have strict rules on axle loads, cargo dimensions, and maximum vehicle weights to protect infrastructure and ensure safety. Exceeding these limits can result in steep penalties or impoundments.
Moving an overweight load in the EU demands route planning that prevents roads and bridges from supporting extra loads. Permits are often required.
How fleet management software helps
➡️ Fleet systems collect data sensor readings on axle load and vehicle weight, triggering alerts if a truck is overloaded.
➡️ Route-planning modules factor in vehicle profiles and local regulations, avoiding roads unsuitable for certain weights or dimensions.
Dangerous and unusual goods transportation
Transporting hazardous materials, perishables, or high-value goods comes with specialized rules. Carriers might need to transmit real-time data to government databases, maintain specific temperature ranges, or meet emergency response standards.
In Poland, carriers should forward the location data for the whole route of vehicles with sensitive goods to the governmental SENT platform. The list includes fuel products, alcohol-containing goods, tobacco, and other goods.
How fleet management software helps
➡️ Sensors track temperature, vibration, location, and other required parameters while the fleet management platform automatically streams data to the appropriate authorities.
➡️Comprehensive digital logs and real-time alerts help manage potential incidents effectively.
Emissions and environmental impact
Increasingly strict regulations around greenhouse gases and air quality mandate controlling vehicle emissions. Some cities impose low-emission zones or ban older, higher-polluting engines. London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges vehicles that exceed emission standards, discouraging high-pollution fleets from entering central areas.
How fleet management software helps
➡️ Fleet software integrates with engine control units to measure fuel usage and detect excessive idling.
➡️ Managers can optimize driving routes, reduce idle time, and control vehicle distribution across different zones.
Local customs, transit, toll, and cross-border requirements
Cross-border transport and transit involves specialized documentation, pre-clearance, and toll management. Failing to comply can result in delays or denied entry at border checkpoints.
Cote D'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry facilitates safe transportation of goods between Cote D'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and ensures compliance with the Inter-State Road Transit convention. It implies several safety measures like 24-hour online monitoring, protection seals, and beacons.
How fleet management software helps
➡️Telematics platforms can connect to customs systems, automatically dispatch relevant cargo data, and digitally submit manifests with cargo details before the truck arrives at customs, expediting clearance procedures and improving security.
➡️ They also integrate with toll systems to track expenses, ensuring timely payments and accurate cost allocations.
In this article, it is impossible to cover all the vast areas of compliance that are important for a transportation company. Here are some more areas fleet management software can help with for you to have a bigger picture:
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fuel tax reporting;
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partner or vendor-client compliance;
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labor classification;
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maintenance, inspections, and checklists;
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everything HOS;
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compliance with insurance requirements, managing premium costs, and providing proof for accidents;
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data protection and privacy laws;
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cybersecurity threats;
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other local or cross-industry requirements.
Real-life case studies of enforcing compliance with digitalization
With 20+ years of experience providing businesses with fleet management and digitalization tools, we at Gurtam know our software was used in thousands of projects, including those covering various regulations.
Below are a few real-world examples showcasing how a software solution helps fleets achieve compliance.
Toll road expense automation
A transport company operating across multiple toll systems needed a unified way to manage toll costs. By combining Gurtam’s flespi, a backend telematics platform, with detailed road usage analytics, the company built a tool to automate the toll payments process.
✅ This solution aggregates toll expenses, ensures prompt payments, and shares usage data for audits. The automated process meets regional toll regulations and reduces administrative overhead.
Client compliance: real-time marine vessel tracking
Fleet management extends beyond trucks. In one Wialon case study, a company managing marine vessels needed to establish real-time fuel usage and location data sharing with the client to prevent fraud and accidents and ensure efficiency.
✅ The real-time vessel tracking and fuel management solution allows the company to meet the requirements and strengthen its relationship with a key client.
Driving behavior and HOS compliance
A global energy company now uses Wialon to monitor driver activity with onboard computers (OBCs). In addition to compliance, they needed to reduce accident rates, emphasize control over the fleet and employees, and improve other operational issues typical for a company with an international fleet.
✅ 95% more compliance with labor law was achieved. The solution has drastically improved compliance with driving time and rest period rules.
Explore more real-life use cases where compliance was achieved with the help of automation and digitalization:
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control of following the quarantine restrictions in Singapore;
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following the climate-related requirements in the state of California:
Follow Gurtam for more insights
Automation and digitalization — powered by advanced fleet management software — provide the tools to meet these demands efficiently, helping companies stay ahead in an increasingly regulated world.
If you would like to learn more about how technology, telematics, and digitalization are shaping compliance — and how Gurtam contributes to tackling some of the toughest challenges in transportation — we invite you to subscribe to our newsletter.
