New rules on loading and unloading waiting times: what changes for carriers

Important news regarding exemptions and waiting times for loading and unloading goods.

With the entry into force of Decree-Law of May 21, 2025, No. 73 (converted into Law No. 105 of July 19, 2025), link here, important changes have been introduced regarding grace periods and waiting times for loading and unloading operations.

Here are the main points of the new provisions (Art. 6-bis, Legislative Decree 286/2005 – see Official Gazette link above):

• Grace period reduced to 90 minutes: compared to the previous 2 hours, the maximum free waiting time is now 1 hour and 30 minutes from arrival/registration at the loading/unloading site.
• More parties responsible for providing information: in addition to the contracting party, the consignee or other supply chain actors are also required to provide the carrier with location, schedule, and access details.
• Proof of arrival time: may be established via geolocation systems or second-generation smart tachographs.
• Compensation for delays: €100 for each hour or fraction of an hour beyond the grace period (90 minutes), adjusted annually based on ISTAT indexes.
• Joint liability of the loader: if different from the contracting party, the loader is also obliged to pay compensation.
• Carrier protection: one-year statute of limitations and the possibility to request an injunction (decreto ingiuntivo) using electronic documentation.
• Execution times: compensation also applies if actual loading/unloading times exceed the legal limits.
• Driver’s presence: the driver has the right to attend the operations to verify the proper stowage of the goods.

These new rules strengthen carrier protection, ensuring greater clarity and fair compensation for waiting times not attributable to the transporter.

For further details or specific requests, we kindly invite you to contact us directly through our website or by phone.

Sincerely