The Dutch truck toll 2026: what it means for your container transport
Since 1 July 2026, lorries in the Netherlands pay per kilometre driven. What has changed, what does it cost and how does Melle Transport deal with it.
Since 1 July 2026, lorries in the Netherlands have paid a charge for every kilometre driven on virtually all motorways and a number of secondary roads. This heavy goods vehicle charge, known in Dutch as the vrachtwagenheffing or truck toll, replaces the Eurovignette and applies to domestic and foreign vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass above 3,500 kg. For you as a shipper, it means road haulage now carries a new cost item calculated per kilometre. Below we explain what has changed, roughly what it costs, and how we deal with it.
What changed on 1 July 2026
Two things happened on the same date. The Eurovignette, the fixed time-based vignette that lorries paid until now, was abolished in the Netherlands. In its place came the truck toll: no longer a fixed amount, but payment based on the actual number of kilometres driven on the charging network. Vehicle tax for lorries (motorrijtuigenbelasting) was adjusted at the same time, so that hauliers do not pay twice.
The revenue from the charge does not go into general government funds but flows back to the sector. The government uses the money for making road haulage more sustainable and more innovative, among other things through subsidies for clean and zero-emission lorries.
Where and for which vehicles the charge applies
The charge applies on a network of roughly 3,000 kilometres: virtually all motorways, supplemented by part of the provincial and municipal road network. That last part is a deliberate choice, to prevent goods traffic diverting en masse onto smaller roads to avoid the charge.
The obligation applies to all goods vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass of more than 3,500 kg, regardless of country of origin. Dutch and foreign trucks therefore pay in exactly the same way.
What the truck toll costs
The rate is not a fixed amount per kilometre but depends on two things: the weight of the vehicle and its CO2 emissions. For CO2 emissions, lorries are divided into five emissions classes. The cleaner and more efficient the vehicle, the lower the rate. The data required comes straight from the vehicle register held by the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority.
In 2026 the rate averages around 19 cents per kilometre. The spread is wide:
- An older, heavier diesel truck in the highest emissions class pays the most, in the order of 20 cents per kilometre or more.
- A modern Euro 6 diesel lorry typically sits lower, roughly between 16 and 20 cents per kilometre, depending on weight and CO2 class.
- A zero-emission, electric lorry pays the least, in the order of a few cents per kilometre.
A temporary discount applies. From 1 September to 31 December 2026 inclusive, 22.3 per cent comes off the rate. After that the regular rates apply again, indexed annually on 1 January.
By way of illustration: a 100-kilometre journey on the charging network with a Euro 6 truck costs roughly 16 to 20 euros in charges, before the temporary discount. This is an indication, not a quotation. The exact cost depends on the vehicle and the route driven.
What this means for your container transport
The truck toll makes road haulage measurably more expensive per kilometre. Every journey to and from the terminals in Rotterdam that runs over the charging network now carries a distance-based charge. On journeys with plenty of motorway kilometres, for instance inland from the Maasvlakte or international, that adds up.
Two things work in your favour. First, the charge is linked to emissions, which means a modern fleet comes out relatively better than an ageing one. Second, kilometre registration delivers transparent, verifiable costs instead of a fixed vignette amount unrelated to actual use.
Would you like to know what the charge means for a specific journey? We are happy to work it out for you transparently.
How Melle Transport is prepared
Our entire fleet consists of thirty Euro 6 lorries. That places us in a relatively favourable emissions band within the charge, which keeps the cost per kilometre down compared with older trucks.
On the administrative side, an on-board unit is mandatory: it registers the kilometres driven via satellite, and there are no toll gates. That keeps the registration watertight and the costs we pass on accurate.
Would you like to know what the truck toll means for a specific journey, or for your container transport as a whole? Request a quote with no obligation or give us a call, and we will work it out for you transparently.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Dutch truck toll come into force?
The truck toll (vrachtwagenheffing) has applied since 1 July 2026. On the same date, the Eurovignette was abolished in the Netherlands.
Which vehicles does the charge apply to?
All goods vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass of more than 3,500 kg, both Dutch and foreign. Cars and vans are not covered.
How much does the truck toll cost per kilometre?
The rate depends on weight and CO2 emissions and averages around 19 cents per kilometre in 2026. A Euro 6 diesel truck typically sits between roughly 16 and 20 cents per kilometre. From 1 September to 31 December 2026 inclusive, a temporary discount of 22.3 per cent applies.
On which roads do I have to pay?
On a network of roughly 3,000 kilometres: virtually all motorways plus a number of provincial and municipal roads. The charge does not apply on the remaining roads.
What happens to the revenue?
The revenue flows back to the transport sector and is used for sustainability and innovation, including subsidies for clean and zero-emission lorries.
