- DeCA has been mandatory in Spain since 5 October 2026.
- CETM says some shippers are requiring carriers to handle the entire process of preparing and managing the document.
- In some cases, carriers are reportedly being charged an additional fee for generating DeCA.
- FENADISMER says drivers are being required to use shipper platforms, verify shipment data and generate the document themselves.
- The federation has also highlighted problems scanning QR codes during roadside inspections.
- Carrier organisations are calling for a transition period and a clear division of responsibilities between shippers and transport companies.
DeCA, the electronic Administrative Control Document, has been mandatory in Spain since 5 October 2026. It replaces the paper control form used for domestic road freight and is designed to record transport operations and the related shipment data digitally.
A shared obligation – but a carrier cost?
The Spanish Confederation of Freight Transport (CETM) says it has received reports of shippers requiring carriers to handle the entire process of preparing and managing DeCA.
The organisation argues that this conflicts with the way the new rules allocate responsibility for individual data fields among the parties involved in a shipment.
The contracting shipper is responsible for information about the parties to the operation, the cargo’s origin and destination, as well as its type and weight. The carrier, meanwhile, is responsible for data relating to the execution of the transport itself. CETM says it is difficult to justify requiring the carrier to prepare the entire document when the shipper already holds much of the required information.
Even more controversial are reports that shippers may charge carriers for generating DeCA.
In CETM’s view, a shared legal obligation should not become a service that transport companies have to purchase from their own customers.
Should drivers be driving or operating shipper platforms?
FENADISMER has raised similar concerns. The federation reported a case involving a large shipper that requires every driver to register on its platform before a transport job can go ahead. In practice, the driver is expected to photograph the delivery document, verify the information, correct it where necessary and generate the electronic record.
FENADISMER says this adds administrative work that should not form part of a driver’s core responsibilities. It also warns that the growing number of shipper-specific platforms could force drivers and carriers to operate several different systems, depending on the customer.
The federation also said that, after some carriers raised objections, one shipper reportedly cancelled previously scheduled transport jobs unilaterally.
‘Provisional’ DeCA documents shift the liability debate
Another concern involves documents prepared by shippers as ‘provisional’ versions that only become final once approved by the driver. FENADISMER questions this approach, warning that it could shift responsibility for the document’s accuracy from the shipper to the driver — and ultimately to the transport company.
Liability has quickly become one of the central issues surrounding the system’s launch. DeCA was intended to organise the flow of information, but the debate has instead focused on who must complete each step and who is responsible when the data is wrong.
Early problems during roadside inspections
FENADISMER has also reported technical difficulties during roadside inspections. In some cases, officers have reportedly been unable to scan the QR codes displayed on DeCA documents.
According to the federation, the issue may not lie with the documents generated by the various applications. It could instead be linked to the configuration or operation of the devices used by enforcement authorities. FENADISMER has therefore called on the administration to take a more lenient approach while the new rules are being introduced.
The organisation wants early inspections to focus primarily on information and guidance, with no penalties for errors linked to the adjustment period.
Digitalisation should not create a new cost
Both organisations stress that digitalisation should simplify procedures, not transfer additional duties and costs to one participant in the transport chain.
CETM points out that transport companies are already paying to adapt to new digital and administrative requirements. In its view, each party should remain responsible for the data and tasks arising from its role in the transport operation.
DeCA’s first days have shown that digitising a document does not, by itself, resolve organisational problems. The crucial questions are who enters the data, who approves it, who guarantees its accuracy and who pays for operating the new system.
For carriers based outside Spain, the dispute is worth watching for another reason. Similar questions may emerge as other European countries introduce their own digital transport documentation processes.
