Truck drivers blocked from hard shoulder. But what about the parking shortage?

RTL Z reports that the shortage is particularly acute in North Brabant and Limburg. Motorway rest areas regularly fill up, while extended stops in residential districts or on public roads near industrial zones are often prohibited.

Drivers cannot simply continue when their maximum permitted driving time is about to expire. They must comply with driving and rest-time rules, which generally require 11 hours of regular daily rest, with reductions allowed only in situations provided for by law. If the next parking area is full, some drivers choose an unauthorised and dangerous stopping place rather than risk breaching the rest-time rules.

Permanent bollards replace movable cones

Rijkswaterstaat is targeting dangerous stops on hard shoulders, particularly immediately beyond fuel stations and service areas. At selected locations on the A16, the road authority has anchored red-and-white bollards into the ground. Unlike the mobile cones used previously, the bollards cannot simply be pushed aside or easily driven over by a truck.

The measures cover the areas around the Den Hoek fuel station at Zevenbergsche Hoek, Streepland near Lage Zwaluwe and the Hazeldonk service area, on the route to Belgium and back.

A similar approach has been taken at the Romeinse Put rest area on the A73 near Venray. Tall mobile cones were placed there during the summer. Rijkswaterstaat has not ruled out replacing them with permanent bollards.

The aim is to prevent drivers from using hard shoulders as unofficial parking areas. Rijkswaterstaat says trucks parked in these locations pose a serious risk to road safety.

A €329 penalty for illegal parking — yet drivers still take the risk

An unauthorised truck stop on a Dutch motorway hard shoulder can lead to a €320 fine, followed by €9 in administrative costs. The penalty can be issued by police officers and authorised road inspectors.

As RTL Z points out, that sanction is still lower than the potential penalty for breaching driving and rest-time regulations. When a driver’s maximum permitted driving time is about to expire, some decide that accepting a fine for illegal parking is the less serious risk.

The available penalty data does not show exactly how widespread the practice is. Neither the police nor the CJIB, the agency responsible for collecting fines, keeps a separate tally of penalties issued specifically to truck drivers who stop without authorisation on hard shoulders.

Figures covering drivers of other vehicle types as well show that 983 fines were issued for such violations from the start of 2026 to 11 September 2026. There were 1,180 in 2025, with a combined value of nearly €365,000.

Motorway rest areas are for short stops

Rijkswaterstaat acknowledges that the Netherlands needs more parking capacity, but stresses that existing facilities were not designed for unlimited stays.

Service areas are primarily intended for short breaks. Overnight stays are formally prohibited, although they may be tolerated in practice when they do not create a safety problem. The road authority points drivers towards privately operated, secure truck parks near motorways. These sites typically provide restaurants, showers and internet access, while security measures and surveillance can reduce the risk of cargo theft. However, parking at these facilities costs money, and they are not always able to offer a vacant space. At one secure truck park in Hazeldonk, the daily rate is €20 on weekdays and €23 at weekends.

Shortfall estimated at 4,000 spaces

Ricky Voorn of Evofenedex says the shortage is too large to solve through enforcement alone. A 2022 study estimated that the Netherlands lacked around 4,000 truck parking spaces. Limburg and North Brabant faced the greatest shortages, followed by Gelderland.

The problem is not evenly distributed. Some provinces may have enough capacity overall, while particular freight corridors remain difficult places to find a vacant space. The cost of commercial parking is another obstacle. Evofenedex says customers are not always willing to pay for parking, especially when transport operators are working with tight margins.

Evofenedex is working with Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) and representatives from six provinces to identify ways to increase capacity. Options under consideration include larger dedicated truck parks and making space available on industrial sites.

Voorn expects new facilities to charge drivers as well. Infrastructure maintenance, cleaning and providing suitable conditions for drivers all come with a cost.

Germany faces the same parking crunch

The Dutch situation echoes a problem that has affected drivers in Germany for years. As one of Europe’s largest transit countries, Germany has long struggled to provide enough truck parking.

In April 2026, we reported on three combinations carrying oversized loads that stopped on the hard shoulder of the A14 near Halle. The drivers had been unable to find a legal place to stop when their mandatory break was due to begin.

Unplanned roadside stops are especially dangerous for oversized-load transport because of the vehicles’ dimensions and the disruption they can cause for other road users.

Figures cited by German transport organisations indicate that Germany has a shortage of around 40,000 truck parking spaces. In practice, drivers often begin searching for somewhere to stop as early as the afternoon.

Illegal motorway parking in Germany can result in a €70 fine and one penalty point. A lack of available parking does not cancel the ban on stopping on the hard shoulder, except in circumstances allowed by law.

Industry: bollards are not the solution

In 2025, the Dutch transport association Transport en Logistiek Nederland and trade unions presented a plan to improve truck parking infrastructure. Their message is straightforward: drivers need a realistic place to stop whenever driving and rest-time rules require them to do so. Barriers can prevent stops in dangerous locations, but they cannot replace new parking facilities.

Rijkswaterstaat wants trucks removed from hard shoulders for safety reasons. Transport organisations counter that, without a parallel expansion of parking capacity, drivers will continue to face the same dilemma: their driving time is running out, but no legal place to rest is available.