Photo: Sydøstjyllands Politi

Haulage group with Polish & Danish entities fined over €250,000 for cabotage violations

Last week, the Danish police searched the premises of a haulage company in the Kolding area after receiving a tip-off about suspected illegal cabotage. The action eventually led to officers finding cabotage and weekly rest violations that resulted in a haulage group's Polish and Danish companies being fined a combined total of 1,950,000 DKK (roughly €261,600).

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According to an official police report, around 100 trucks were searched during the inspection at the company’s Kolding base, as well as other locations used by the haulage firm.

Police learned that several drivers took their regular weekly rest in the vehicles in the parking areas located in and around the Danish company’s base. It was found that 50 drivers regularly took their weekly rest in their cabs, while several cabotage violations had also taken place.

Both companies from the haulage group were found to have helped one another to conduct illegal cabotage operations, and hence both were fined.

Tellingly, rather than choosing to fight the matter the in court, the companies agreed to accept out-of-court fines for the violations.

The Danish company was fined DKK 1,200,000 (around €161,000), while the Polish firm was given a penalty of DKK 750,000 (approximately €100,000).

The drivers who broke the rules on weekly rest did not escape punishment either. The police report states that they must each pay fines of DKK 10,000 (more or less €1,340).