The operation took place at the Weiskirchen Nord service area in Hesse, on the carriageway towards Cologne. It was led by the south-east Hesse traffic police, with support from other police forces, customs and inspectors from the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility, known in Germany as BALM.
Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., officers checked 78 trucks, eight passenger cars and five coaches. The vehicles ranged from courier vans to heavy abnormal-load combinations.
The results were striking. According to the authorities, inspectors found 59 breaches of drivers’ hours and working-time rules, 19 cases involving serious technical defects, and nine violations linked to poor load securing. Nine vehicles were banned from continuing their journey immediately.
Three criminal offences were also detected. In total, more than €41,000 was collected on the spot as deposits towards future penalties.
That figure stands out because BALM’s own nationwide targeted checks across Germany in April 2026 produced €162,726.45 in fines and deposits over a full month. In other words, one Thursday operation at a single motorway service area brought in roughly a quarter of that monthly total.
Greek truck stopped after repeated drivers’ hours breaches
The most serious case involved a Greek truck combination. Inspectors found repeated breaches of driving-time rules and missing mandatory rest periods.
The vehicle was taken out of service immediately and was only allowed to continue after a €12,000 deposit had been paid.
Other international operators also faced action. A Dutch car transporter carrying three caravan trailers was found to be over the legal maximum length. The driver tried to rearrange the load at the roadside, but the combination still did not meet the rules.
The authorities banned the vehicle from continuing and opened proceedings linked to the possible confiscation of unlawfully obtained gains. A deposit of €2,940 was collected.
Latvian trailer had brake defect already recorded in Switzerland
Inspectors also found serious braking problems on a Latvian tractor-trailer.
The case was particularly concerning because documents showed that the same brake defect had already been recorded during a roadside check in Switzerland just days earlier. Although the carrier produced paperwork for replacement parts, the defect had returned, raising suspicions of poor installation work.
The operator had to pay a €600 deposit.
AdBlue emulator found in Bulgarian van
Environmental offences were also detected. In a Bulgarian light commercial vehicle, officers found an AdBlue emulator, a device used to manipulate the selective catalytic reduction system and make the vehicle appear cleaner than it really is.
The vehicle was banned from continuing, a €1,000 fine was issued, and the van had to be towed away from the parking area.
Passenger transport was affected as well. A coach from Bosnia and Herzegovina travelling to Dortmund was stopped because of major problems with drivers’ working-time records. The trip was ended on the spot, a €3,600 deposit was set, and passengers had to wait at the service area for a replacement coach.
A second coach, from Bulgaria, was also found to have serious social-rule violations. That case cost the operator €2,500.
In a separate case, checks on an Irish passenger car led to criminal proceedings after the driver was found not to have a valid driving entitlement. A drug test also indicated cocaine use. The authorities secured €600.
More than half of checked vehicles had issues
By the end of the operation, the overall non-compliance rate had reached 52%. That means more than half of the vehicles checked had at least one minor or major problem.
Police said the findings showed why such inspections remain necessary. Technical defects, tired drivers and poorly secured loads all create direct risks on the road.
BALM’s April figures also show that enforcement in Germany is continuing on several fronts. During its coordinated nationwide checks that month, 440 inspectors worked at 95 control points and carried out 1,693 vehicle inspections.
Most of those checks focused on cabotage rules. Inspectors carried out 1,436 cabotage checks and found 51 irregularities, amounting to 80 specific infringements.
Authorities also carried out 313 checks on the ban on taking regular weekly rest in the cab, finding 63 serious violations. A smaller number of detailed technical inspections was also carried out, with two serious defects recorded.
BALM says targeted checks will continue, especially on cabotage, weekly rest in vehicles and roadworthiness. For operators using German routes, the Hesse results are a clear warning: enforcement is active, and serious breaches can quickly become expensive.
