VECTO for trailer uncertainty remains, here is what it means for your fleet

The regulatory picture around VECTO for trailers keeps evolving, creating uncertainty for fleet operators and manufacturers. Legal challenges are still pending, a revision is taking shape, and the timeline for real financial impact is shifting. We asked Diederick van Haselen, Global Equipment Director at TIP Group, to clarify what’s changing, where cost pressure will land, and what operators should prepare.

What has changed recently in the VECTO for trailers file, and what should operators take from it?

"The legal case brought by a group of German OEMs against the EU has not been accepted so far, so the regulation itself remains firmly on the table. The direction remains clear – reducing CO2 emissions in trailer transport – but the path is evolving. A revision around 2027, often referred to as “VECTO 2.0”, is now more likely than a cancellation, with OEMs actively pushing to soften certain requirements in the meantime.

One of the key updates is the timeline. Current discussions suggest that trailer OEMs will be able to build credits ahead of 2030 without facing immediate reduction targets. As those credits accumulate, the main penalty pressure shifts toward 2033 or 2034, which mirrors what we saw earlier with VECTO for trucks.

At the same time, parts of the framework are becoming more flexible. Some components already outperform their reference values, generating bonus points, and in certain cases – such as reefers – parameters provide upside without downside risk. In practice, this gives OEMs more room to manage compliance, which may delay part of the cost impact, but also makes pricing less predictable.

For operators, that means more room to plan, but not a reason to delay planning. The big hit in 2030 is delayed with several years but in the end it will still hit hard."

Where will the actual cost pressure land, and how should operators be thinking about it?

"It creates more time to prepare, but also more complexity. Operators need to make clearer planning earlier, especially around fleet specification and lifecycle planning, instead of reacting later.

Tires are the most cost-effective lever for reducing CO2 under VECTO. Low rolling resistance tires – A-label tires – are likely to become standard specification across new trailers. However, they wear around 30 to 35% faster, directly impacting maintenance cycles and total cost of ownership.

This creates a practical trade-off: what improves CO2 performance on paper can increase operational costs and real impact on the planet. As a result, tire strategy becomes a more active part of fleet management rather than a purely technical choice.

Over time, we may also see operators reassess tire choices after the first replacement cycle, balancing cost and durability against CO2 performance.”

Looking ahead, what should fleet operators be doing today to prepare?

Given current lead times, operators looking to renew trailers ahead of 2030 should already be working toward 2029 as their effective deadline.

Beyond that, fleet renewal and lifecycle planning will also play a bigger role, particularly for curtainsiders, vans and reefers. Rather than treating it as a fallback, it should be integrated into lifecycle planning from the start. At TIP, we help customers look beyond the regulation itself and translate the potential impact into practical fleet choices: when to renew, which specifications to prioritize and how to balance compliance, availability and total cost of ownership. The earlier operators start modelling these scenarios, the more control they will have over cost and capacity in the years ahead.

At the same time, operators should not rely too heavily on potential regulatory incentives. Discussions around CO2-based toll reductions suggest high thresholds and limited financial upside, so these are unlikely to offset broader cost increases.

Overall, the regulation is not going away, but it is evolving. While timelines may soften, complexity remains. The focus should be less on reacting to milestones and more on building a clear, long-term strategy.”