Learn
The law behind every tool
One summary per instrument: what it is, where it applies, the points to know, who needs to know it, and which tools and questions on this site rely on it. With the source and the date of the last review.
- 01International
CMR Convention
CMR
The CMR is the international convention that governs the contract of carriage of goods by road for reward whenever the place of taking over and the place of delivery are in two different countries and at least one of them is a contracting state.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 02European Union
Driving and rest times — Regulation 561/2006
Reg. 561/2006
Regulation 561/2006 sets the driving times, breaks and rest periods for drivers of goods vehicles over 3.5 t and of passenger vehicles with more than nine seats, and it is identical in every EU member state, the EEA and Switzerland.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 03Market convention
Incoterms® 2020
Incoterms® 2020
The Incoterms are eleven three-letter rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce that say, in a sale contract, who arranges and pays for each leg of the transport, where the risk passes from seller to buyer, and who clears export and import.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 04International
ADR — dangerous goods by road
ADR 2025
The ADR is the UNECE agreement that governs the carriage of dangerous goods by road: which substances may be carried, how they are classified, packed, marked, labelled and documented, what the vehicle and the driver need, and what each party in the chain is responsible for.
Last review: Aug 26, 2026→
- 05European Union
Access to the occupation — Regulation 1071/2009
Reg. 1071/2009
Regulation 1071/2009 sets the four conditions an undertaking must meet to be a road transport operator anywhere in the EU: an effective and stable establishment, good repute, financial standing and professional competence.
Last review: Aug 26, 2026→
- 06European Union
Driver CPC — Directive 2022/2561
Dir. 2022/2561
Directive 2022/2561 is the codified text of the driver CPC rules (it replaced Directive 2003/59/EC): professional drivers of lorries and coaches need an initial qualification and then periodic training to keep driving for a living.
Last review: Aug 26, 2026→
- 07National
Weights and dimensions
Dir. 96/53/EC + national
How heavy and how large a road vehicle may be is decided nationally. Directive 96/53/EC harmonises the maximum dimensions for all traffic in the EU and the maximum weights for international traffic only; each member state sets its own weights for national traffic, and many go above the directive.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 08International
CTU Code and VGM
CTU Code · SOLAS VI/2
The CTU Code is the joint IMO, ILO and UNECE code of practice on how to pack and secure cargo in containers, swap bodies and trailers: weight distribution, centre of gravity, blocking and lashing, and the responsibilities of the packer.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 09International
Air cargo — IATA TACT and DGR
IATA TACT · DGR
Two IATA publications shape almost every air shipment. The TACT Rules are the industry’s reference for air cargo procedures, the air waybill and the rating conventions — including the volumetric ratio that decides the chargeable weight.
Last review: Jul 15, 2026→
- 010International
IMDG Code — dangerous goods by sea
IMDG Code
The IMDG Code is the IMO’s code for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea in packaged form: classification, packing, marking, labelling, placarding, documentation, stowage and segregation on board.
Last review: Aug 26, 2026→
Scope
Which rules each tool covers, and for which country
Much of what we calculate is international or European and applies across the EU. When something is national we say so, and we say which country. If yours is missing, tell me and we add it.
| Tool | Rule or convention | Scope | Countries with their own data |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMR deadlines calculator | CMR Convention (Geneva, 1956), arts. 30 and 32 The deadlines are the same in all 58 contracting states. National holidays preloaded for eight countries; for any other, add the holidays by hand. | International | ESPTFRDEITBENLPL |
| Driving & rest hours | Regulation (EC) 561/2006 Identical across the EU, the EEA and Switzerland; outside, the AETR. National exemptions (art. 13) are not included. | European Union | All 27 EU states, the EEA and Switzerland |
| Incoterms® 2020 — costs & risks | Incoterms® 2020 (ICC) Contractual rules: they depend on what you sign, not on the country. | International | Any country |
| Chargeable weight calculator | IATA TACT 1:6000 · express 1:5000 · W/M · LDM Market conventions, editable: every carrier may apply its own. | Market convention | Any country |
| Logistics unit converter | SI and imperial units No legal scope. | Market convention | Any country |
| Load planner | CTU Code · SOLAS VI/2 (VGM) · mass limits per country Placement and VGM apply anywhere. Weight limits are national: Spain (Orden PJC/780/2025), EU for international traffic (Dir. 96/53/EC), US federal and China (GB 1589). Other countries: not yet. | International + national | ESEUUSCN |
| Classroom: live quizzes | Reg. (EC) 1071/2009 Annex I · Dir. (EU) 2022/2561 · ADR · IMDG and IATA DGR The syllabi are fixed by the EU, so the harmonised corpus serves all 27. National module for Spain and Germany; Italy and Portugal play with the harmonised corpus. | International + national | ESDEnational moduleITPTharmonised syllabusWhole EU with the harmonised syllabus |
| Transport assistant (trial) | Auriga Intelligence transport model Answers in general terms and in the language of the question. When a rule is national, tell it the country. Not legal advice. | International | Any country |
Your country is missing? Write to me and I add it. Contact →
An informative summary, not legal advice. Always check the current text of the rule before deciding.