Key points:
- IRU is calling for a fixed 30-day payment period for road transport services.
- The cap would apply to both B2B transactions and contracts with public-sector entities.
- The organisation wants to eliminate exceptions that allow payment deadlines to be extended beyond 30 days.
- Any acceptance or verification procedure should also be completed within the 30-day period, rather than triggering a new waiting period.
- According to European Commission data cited by IRU, up to 60% of businesses say late payments prevent them from investing in innovative solutions.
- The EU’s payment reform, which included a basic 30-day deadline, is still being discussed in the Council of the European Union.
IRU wants to tackle lengthy payment delays with one straightforward rule: transport services should be paid for within 30 days at the latest. The organisation says predictable cash flow is essential if carriers are to finance new vehicles, technology and infrastructure.
The proposal was set out in IRU’s position on late payments, sent to EU decision-makers on 8 October 2026. The organisation wants the same rule to apply to commercial transactions between companies and contracts involving public-sector customers.
IRU also opposes provisions that would allow longer payment deadlines to be agreed. Any time required to accept or verify a completed service should count towards the 30-day limit, rather than being used to postpone the payment date.
Cash flow is not an administrative detail
IRU directly links late payments with carriers’ ability to invest in their fleets and develop their businesses.
Raluca Marian, IRU’s EU director, says:
Cash flow is not an administrative detail for a carrier. It can determine whether a company invests in new technology and innovation, as well as in the drivers and employees needed to deliver services.
The organisation is particularly focused on small and medium-sized companies and microbusinesses. These firms typically have smaller financial reserves and less negotiating power when dealing with major customers.
European Commission figures cited by IRU show that 60% of businesses say payment delays prevent them from investing in innovative solutions.
The issue is especially serious in road transport because operating costs are high. Fuel, wages, tolls, leasing payments and insurance bills must be paid as they arise, regardless of when a customer settles the invoice for a completed haulage service.
EU payment reform remains stalled
IRU’s proposal is part of a debate that has been ongoing at EU level for several years. Institutions have discussed a maximum 30-day payment period, but the issue has yet to reach a final settlement.
In September 2023, the European Commission presented draft legislation aimed at tackling late payments. Its basic maximum deadline for B2B transactions was set at 30 days.
The European Parliament adopted its position in April 2024 but allowed companies to agree on payment terms of up to 60 days, provided the longer period was expressly included in the contract.
The reform has not progressed since then. Negotiations remain blocked in the Council of the European Union, where member states have yet to agree on issues including a mandatory 30-day cap and the form of the new rules.
IRU is now taking a stricter position than the Parliament: road transport services should be subject to a 30-day deadline with no exceptions.
Spain’s record 52-day average still exceeds IRU’s target
The gap between IRU’s proposal and real-world payment practices can be seen in Spain, where carriers’ average wait for payment has fallen sharply in recent years. In August 2026, the average time needed to receive payment for a transport service dropped to a record 52 days, according to data from the observatory run by Fenadismer and Fundación Quijote para el Transporte.
That was a clear improvement on 2021, when the average stood at 83 days. Spain has also imposed administrative penalties for exceeding the 60-day maximum payment period in road freight transport.
Even so, 38% of shippers and freight forwarders were still paying late in August 2026. Against IRU’s proposed limit, even Spain’s 52-day result — the shortest recorded in the country’s monitoring history — remains well above the suggested European maximum.
Carriers need cash to transform their fleets
IRU connects the payment debate with a separate position on charging infrastructure. The organisation says carriers are facing major investment needs as they purchase zero-emission vehicles, build infrastructure, adopt digital technologies and adapt their operations to new regulatory requirements.
Public funding can support these projects, IRU argues, but it cannot replace companies’ own resources.
Raluca Marian concludes:
Carriers need their own money to invest. A financially healthy company is one that is paid on time for work it has already completed.
For now, IRU’s proposed 30-day deadline remains an industry demand. The EU rules intended to harmonise payment practices and reduce delays have still not been adopted.
