Transport orders up to 3.5 tonnes
The entry point into commercial haulage: below 3.5 t permitted gross weight you need no road haulage permit – a business registration and insurance are enough.
The 3.5-tonne line is the most important threshold in German road freight. Below it you operate with a business registration, a category B licence and goods-in-transit insurance. Above it, the permit requirement under § 3 GüKG applies, demanding professional competence, financial standing and good repute – a markedly higher barrier.
Typical orders in this class are courier runs, spare-part deliveries, local pallet work and single furniture items. Distances are mostly regional, runs are plannable, and you are usually home in the evening – the key difference from long-haul above 7.5 t.
Since 1 July 2024, however, the truck toll also applies to vehicles above 3.5 t. If you grow across that line, factor it in: the truck toll calculator shows what it adds per kilometre.