Truck queues at Poland’s external EU borders could soon be managed very differently. Poland’s Ministry of Finance has prepared draft legislation UD339 introducing mandatory electronic border-crossing reservations for trucks with a gross vehicle weight above 7.5 tonnes at selected road border crossings.
The proposed rules concern freight traffic leaving Poland across the EU’s external border, making the change particularly relevant for transport between Poland and Ukraine.
Under the proposal, a carrier or driver would need to reserve a border slot in advance through Poland’s PUESC customs platform or a dedicated mobile application. Each reservation would cost PLN 20. If the vehicle fails to arrive for its booked slot, the fee would generally not be refunded.
Three reservation models are planned.
A standard reservation would allow the carrier to select a border crossing and an available date and time.
A priority reservation would apply to specific cargo categories, including live animals, perishable goods, dangerous goods, blood and humanitarian aid. Using priority status without justification could result in the reservation being cancelled.
A supplementary reservation would be available when a carrier selects the border crossing but does not choose a specific time. The system would place the truck at the end of the electronic queue and provide an estimated time for border processing.
The reason behind the reform is highly practical. According to the Polish government’s project documentation, a truck standing idle at the border can cost a road carrier approximately €300 per day. Long waiting times - particularly at the Polish-Ukrainian border - are specifically mentioned as one of the problems the new system is intended to address.
PUESC already provides electronic advance booking for selected border crossings, but the current service is voluntary. The proposed reform would make scheduled arrivals an integral part of managing freight traffic at selected crossings.
According to the current timetable, the legislative amendments are planned to enter into force on 1 February 2027, with mandatory reservations starting on 1 March 2027. Importantly, the legislation is still a draft, so individual provisions may change before implementation.
For international supply chains, this would add another factor to route and delivery planning: border slots may need to be coordinated alongside loading times, driver hours and customs procedures.
LOADSTAR follows regulatory changes affecting European freight corridors so that new border requirements, available time slots and potential delays can be taken into account when planning shipments.
The proposed rules concern freight traffic leaving Poland across the EU’s external border, making the change particularly relevant for transport between Poland and Ukraine.
Under the proposal, a carrier or driver would need to reserve a border slot in advance through Poland’s PUESC customs platform or a dedicated mobile application. Each reservation would cost PLN 20. If the vehicle fails to arrive for its booked slot, the fee would generally not be refunded.
Three reservation models are planned.
A standard reservation would allow the carrier to select a border crossing and an available date and time.
A priority reservation would apply to specific cargo categories, including live animals, perishable goods, dangerous goods, blood and humanitarian aid. Using priority status without justification could result in the reservation being cancelled.
A supplementary reservation would be available when a carrier selects the border crossing but does not choose a specific time. The system would place the truck at the end of the electronic queue and provide an estimated time for border processing.
The reason behind the reform is highly practical. According to the Polish government’s project documentation, a truck standing idle at the border can cost a road carrier approximately €300 per day. Long waiting times - particularly at the Polish-Ukrainian border - are specifically mentioned as one of the problems the new system is intended to address.
PUESC already provides electronic advance booking for selected border crossings, but the current service is voluntary. The proposed reform would make scheduled arrivals an integral part of managing freight traffic at selected crossings.
According to the current timetable, the legislative amendments are planned to enter into force on 1 February 2027, with mandatory reservations starting on 1 March 2027. Importantly, the legislation is still a draft, so individual provisions may change before implementation.
For international supply chains, this would add another factor to route and delivery planning: border slots may need to be coordinated alongside loading times, driver hours and customs procedures.
LOADSTAR follows regulatory changes affecting European freight corridors so that new border requirements, available time slots and potential delays can be taken into account when planning shipments.
