Netherlands truck toll decrease 2026

On 1 July 2026 the Netherlands switched heavy goods vehicles from a time-based Eurovignette to a distance-based kilometre charge, the vrachtwagenheffing. Eight weeks later the same government cut every tariff by 22.3%. That is not a rounding of one CO₂ class. It is a temporary, across-the-board reduction on the new Dutch truck toll.

For a dispatcher pricing Rotterdam, Venlo, or any lane that only transits the Netherlands, the number on the quote has to change. RouteCalc prices Dutch kilometres with the tariff in force on the day you calculate, together with the rest of the corridor — Germany, Belgium, and whatever else the truck actually drives.

What changed on 1 September 2026

Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Karremans confirmed the cut to the Tweede Kamer on 22 May 2026. Official tariff pages on vrachtwagenheffing.nl now split three tables:

• 1 July – 31 August 2026 — full start rates (the table used when the kilometre charge went live)
• 1 September – 31 December 2026 — those rates minus 22.3%, all categories
• From 1 January 2027 — the temporary discount ends; indexed regular tariffs apply

The government’s own fleet-average figure: €0.191 per kilometre before the cut, €0.148 per kilometre during the four months. The cabinet estimates holders of trucks pay about €80 million less vrachtwagenheffing in that window. The percentage applies to every tariff component — not only the CO₂ part.

On that official average, 200 charged Dutch kilometres go from about €38.20 to about €29.60. That is not your truck. Your rate still depends on technical mass, Euro class and CO₂ class. Recalculate the lane.

Why a truck toll going down is rare

Distance-based HGV charges in Europe are built to rise. Germany, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Hungary — annual indexation, CO₂ add-ons, network extensions. A new kilometre system usually arrives and then gets more expensive.

The Netherlands did the opposite in the same year it introduced the charge. It opened vrachtwagenheffing on 1 July, then — after two Tweede Kamer motions in April (Flach and Eerdmans) — lowered every rate from 1 September because diesel had jumped on the back of the conflict in the Middle East. EETS providers needed a three-month notice, which is why the cut could not start on 1 July with the system itself.

Treat it as a window, not a new permanent Dutch table. On 1 January 2027 the 22.3% comes off. Indexed 2027 amounts are published as a preview on the official tariff pages; they still needed Staatscourant publication. Do not lock a 2027 contract on the September–December discount.

The other Dutch tax cut: motorrijtuigenbelasting

The kilometre discount is not the only cheaper line. When vrachtwagenheffing started, the Netherlands also cut the fixed vehicle tax (MRB) for trucks:

• MRB for goods vehicles under 12 t is abolished
• Heavier trucks drop toward the EU minimum
• On top of that structural change, a 0% nihiltarief applies to the remaining MRB from 1 July 2026 until 1 January 2027

MRB is a Dutch-registered vehicle tax, not a transit toll. Foreign plates do not get an MRB refund on a Rotterdam drop. They do get the cheaper vrachtwagenheffing on charged Dutch kilometres — same 22.3% as a Dutch fleet. The Eurovignette for the Netherlands ended on 1 July 2026; Denmark, Luxembourg and Sweden still use it.

What still applies: who pays, which roads

Unchanged by the discount:

• Goods vehicles in categories N2 and N3 (over 3.5 t) pay per kilometre
• Almost all Dutch motorways, plus selected provincial and municipal roads chosen to stop diversion
• Rate still depends on mass, Euro emission class and CO₂ class — cleaner and lighter still pays less
• A working on-board unit (OBU) linked to an approved toll service is still required

The cut does not turn Dutch motorways back into a vignette country. It only changes the euros per kilometre for four months. For how NL sits next to German Maut, Belgian Viapass and the rest of the corridor, see the European truck toll guide.

What to do on a quote

1. If the truck runs 1 September – 31 December 2026, do not reuse a July or August NL line. Recalculate.
2. Set the real truck: 40 t / 12 t / 7.5 t and EURO class. Two trucks on the same Dutch kilometres are not the same toll.
3. Price the whole corridor. A Venlo–Duisburg run is mostly German Maut; a Antwerp–Rotterdam run is Belgium plus NL. The Dutch cut only moves the NL kilometres.
4. If the contract runs into 2027, show two numbers or a review clause. The 22.3% is not the 2027 table.

RouteCalc Optimization returns tolls by country on the path the truck drives. After 1 September 2026 a calculation should already use the reduced Dutch tariff for that day — you do not enter 22.3% by hand. 5 guest calculations, no card. Excel bulk after signup.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Netherlands cut truck road tax in 2026?

Yes. Vrachtwagenheffing rates are 22.3% lower from 1 September through 31 December 2026, all categories. The official average moves from €0.191/km to €0.148/km. MRB for many trucks is also reduced or zero in 2026.

How long does the Dutch truck toll discount last?

Four months. It ends on 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 indexed regular tariffs apply.

Does the Netherlands still use the Eurovignette?

No, not from 1 July 2026. The Dutch share of the Eurovignette ended when the kilometre charge started. DK, LU and SE remain in the scheme.

How do I calculate the Dutch truck toll on a real route?

You need the charged kilometres and the tariff row for that truck. Calculate a Dutch route in RouteCalc (5 guest calculations, no card) and read the Netherlands line in the country split.

Does a foreign truck get the 22.3% as well?

Yes, on charged Dutch kilometres. The discount is on the toll rates, not on Dutch vehicle tax. MRB is a separate Dutch-registration tax.

Recalculate before the window closes

A 22.3% cut on a brand-new kilometre toll is not the usual European story. Use it on the lanes you actually run until 31 December — then price 2027 again. Do not leave a July NL figure sitting in a rate card.

Official sources

• Rijksoverheid, 22 May 2026 — 22.3% from 1 September; average €0.191 → €0.148/km; about €80 million.
• Rijksoverheid, 1 July 2026 — vrachtwagenheffing live; Eurovignette ends in NL; MRB cuts and nihiltarief.
• vrachtwagenheffing.nl — Dit gaat u betalen — official rate tables for each period.
• Kamerstuk 36933, nr. 37 — parliamentary letter on the temporary reduction.

Figures are from Dutch government publications available on 1 September 2026. Tariffs can change when the ministry publishes updates in the Staatscourant. RouteCalc is not an official RDW or CNAIR calculator.