The Norwegian Public Roads Administration developed the amendments after extensive consultations with the transport sector. The main goal is to better structure responsibility between the haulage company and the driver, and to introduce more precise rules for cargo securing—especially for transport classified as higher risk.
Section 3-2a: the change that reshapes responsibility
At the heart of the reform is the introduction of section 3-2a into the vehicle-use regulations. Under this provision, the transport company must ensure the job can be carried out in line with all applicable requirements.
This applies to operations using vehicles with a gross vehicle weight above 3500 kilograms.
In practical terms, the haulage company must:
- provide the driver with the information needed to complete the trip safely,
- issue the necessary instructions on how the load should be secured,
- ensure the organisational setup makes compliant transport possible.
The driver still carries the core responsibility for securing the cargo correctly. However—as the new wording stresses—the driver is no longer the only party accountable for cargo securing.
Mandatory documentation for high-risk transport
The new rules also introduce detailed documentation requirements for so-called high-risk transport.
Transport companies will have to prepare a document describing how the load is secured and what equipment is used. Importantly, this documentation must be:
- available no later than the start of loading,
- carried with the cargo during transport,
- presented during roadside checks.
The obligation is particularly relevant for loads such as:
- goods with a height-to-width ratio exceeding three metres,
- heavy and unstable loads, including concrete elements, steel coils, cable drums, cardboard compactors, vertical paper reels, and hook-lift containers,
- special transports covered by sections 5-7 to 5-10.
Clearer scope: not every vehicle is covered
The amendments also clarify which types of transport fall under the updated rules. Under the revised wording of section 3-3, the regulations apply to motor vehicles and trailers.
The following remain outside the scope:
- motorcycles,
- mopeds,
- tracked vehicles,
- transport carried out in passenger cars.
In effect, this narrows and tidies up how the cargo securing rules are applied.
A new accountability model: separate roles for company and driver
Norway’s approach introduces a more explicit division of duties across the transport process. The haulage company gets an additional, independent responsibility focused on organising the operation and ensuring instructions and documentation are in place.
The driver remains responsible for the physical work involved in securing the load.
As noted in an industry update, the changes do not introduce broad criminal liability for transport companies—something parts of the sector had called for. The new responsibility is operational and organisational, rather than full liability for every possible mistake during loading and transport.
Industry view: progress, but not the final word
The package is being seen as a partial win for the industry, with NLF playing a significant role in the consultation process. On the one hand, overly broad requirements were trimmed back and the documentation burden was limited to high-risk transport.
On the other hand, questions remain about the level of detail expected in the documentation and how the requirements will be enforced in day-to-day operations. The decision to keep a closed list of transport types covered by the rules has also been criticised.
One major concern raised by the industry also remains unresolved: responsibility across the wider transport chain still largely sits with the haulage company and the driver, without any meaningful extension to the shipper or the consignee.
What this means for transport companies in practice
From 1 June 2026, transport operators will need to adjust their operating procedures. In particular, that means:
- preparing documentation for high-risk transport before loading begins,
- giving drivers clear, complete instructions,
- carrying the required documents during the trip,
- updating internal cargo securing procedures.
The intention is to improve road safety and bring more order to accountability in heavy transport.
A framework still taking shape
Norway’s cargo securing rules are entering a major rebuild phase. But feedback from the consultation process suggests the work is not finished.
The biggest sticking points remain the division of responsibility between parties in the transport chain and how the new documentation requirements will work in real-life operations. All signs point to the topic returning in further legislative work and continued dialogue with the transport industry.
