When a heavy-haulage permit is required
A standard truck-trailer combination in Germany has a maximum gross weight of 40 tons, a width of 2.55 m, and a height of 4.00 m. Poland applies similar limits. Exceeding any one of these parameters classifies the shipment as a heavy or oversized transport — in Germany known as Grossraum- und Schwertransport (GST), in Poland as przejazd pojazdu nienormatywnego.
In practice this applies to hydraulic presses above 25 tons, machining centres with foundations, vertical boring mills, or gantry milling machines. If your machine weighs more than 20 tons or exceeds 2.40 m in width (including packaging and securing), you should assume a permit will be needed.
Germany — application via VEMAGS
In Germany, the permit is issued by the Strassenverkehrsamt (road traffic authority) responsible for the route. For through-traffic, this is the authority at the point where the load first enters a public road — usually the district where the seller's facility is located.
Applications are filed electronically through VEMAGS (the national management system for oversized and heavy transports). Required documents:
- Application per Section 29/46 StVO — via the VEMAGS portal
- Loading plan with transport-set dimensions: length, width, height, total mass, axle-load distribution
- Vehicle data — registration documents for tractor and trailer
- Route — exact, with road numbers and bridge crossings
Processing time: 5-15 working days depending on the federal state and route complexity. Motorway routes (BAB) are faster; district roads with load-restricted bridges take longer because the bridge owner must consent.
Cost: EUR 60-500 depending on mass and route.
Poland — przejazd pojazdu nienormatywnego
In Poland, the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) issues permits for categories IV-VII. Applications are filed electronically through the GITD PUESC system.
Relevant categories for machine imports:
- Cat. IV — width up to 3.20 m, mass up to 48 t
- Cat. V — width up to 3.40 m, mass up to 52 t
- Cat. VI — width up to 3.60 m, mass up to 60 t
- Cat. VII — above Cat. VI limits (individual assessment)
Processing time: 7-14 days (Cat. IV-V), up to 30 days (Cat. VI-VII).
Cost: PLN 500-6,000 (approx. EUR 115-1,400) depending on category.
Important: the German and Polish permits are two separate documents. There is no single cross-border application.
Transit through third countries
If the route passes through the Czech Republic or another country, you need an additional permit per transit country. In Czechia, the Ministerstvo dopravy (Ministry of Transport) is responsible; processing takes 10-20 days.
Hutnia commissions specialised carriers who handle VEMAGS on the German side and PUESC on the Polish side. The carrier's fee for the complete permit package is typically EUR 300-800 — but it saves 2-4 weeks and eliminates formal errors.
More on choosing transport insurance in our article on extending the transport policy, and on unloading at the destination in our guide to organising unloading in Poland.
Escort vehicles and markings — operational requirements
A heavy transport requires escort vehicles above certain thresholds:
- Germany: width >3.00 m or length >20 m results in 1 escort; >3.50 m results in 2 escorts; >4.20 m requires police escort
- Poland: width >3.20 m results in 1 pilot; >3.60 m results in 2 pilots
An escort vehicle costs EUR 300-600 per route day. On a Germany-to-Poland route (e.g. Dortmund to Poznan, approx. 750 km) the journey splits across 2 days — yielding 2x pilot DE + 2x pilot PL = 4 pilot days.
Transport-set markings: "Schwertransport" warning boards, rotating beacons, side flags. The carrier provides them — but you must confirm this contractually.
Timeline — when to start the procedure
The most common mistake: the buyer signs a purchase contract with a 10-day collection deadline, but the permit procedure takes 15 days. Hutnia recommends:
- 4-6 weeks before planned collection — commission the carrier with dimensions and mass
- 3-4 weeks — submit applications DE + PL (+ transit if applicable)
- 1-2 weeks — confirm permits, reserve escort vehicles, fix loading date
Under a Hutnia mandate, we coordinate the entire timeline. You receive the message: "The machine will arrive at your facility on day X — prepare unloading."
Book an initial consultation Step 0 for EUR 49 — fully deductible from the EUR 500 mandate.
