International Road Transport Operators need to take simple steps to avoid trailer seizures.
The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) received two reports recently of Irish trailers being seized in Germany near Heidelberg, within the Baden-Württemberg State. This is despite the fact that the German Federal Government issued a direction to all regional states in September 2018, acknowledging the lawfulness of the Irish licensing system for Irish trailers and that Irish trailers are therefore permitted unrestricted temporary use of the German road network.
It is likely that this recent occurrence is confined to one particular police authority and the IRHA is taking steps to ensure that the local and Federal Government in Germany are alerted to this problem.
Please see the below statement below issued by the German Federal Ministry of Transport. It would be advisable to all transport operator using Irish trailers with non-Irish trucks to carry a copy of these documents in case needed at a roadside check.
No. 148 Temporary use of the road network in Germany by foreign registered vehicles
Berlin, 12 September 2018 StV 21/7362.2/1-3007496
In accordance with Article 20 of the Vehicle Licensing Regulation (§20 Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung [FZV]), vehicles registered in other Member States of the European Union are permitted temporary use of the German road network, provided a competent authority of the other Member State or the other signatory state has granted them a valid licence and they do not have a regular base established within Germany.
The Federal Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur) hereby advises that, according to information provided to it by the Irish Transport Ministry, the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, trailers in Ireland are subject to a licensing system which complies with the requirements of Directive 1999/37/EC (Richtlinie 1999/37/EG). The restrictions provided for under Article 20 Paragraph 1a of the Vehicle Licensing Regulation (§20 Absatz 1a FZV) do not apply here.
These trailers are therefore permitted unrestricted temporary use of the German road network in accordance with the conditions of Article 20 of the Vehicle Licensing Registration (§20 FZV), provided there is no cause in any individual case to raise issue with its compliance status in Ireland.
Dr Frank Albrecht, on the order of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure- (VkBl. 2018 S. 719)
(Unofficial Embassy translation)