RMPD for transportation through Poland: What is it, why and how to apply correctly?

Before a truck enters Poland, checking the CMR consignment note and customs documents may not be enough. The carrier may also need to register the journey in RMPD, obtain a reference number and transmit vehicle location data. An error at this stage can interrupt a shipment of ordinary industrial goods, even when the cargo is not classified as dangerous.

RMPD stands for Rejestr Międzynarodowych Przewozów Drogowych, the Register of International Road Transport. Notifications are submitted through PUESC to the SENT register. This requirement covers specified international transport and cabotage operations by foreign carriers. An RMPD notification is neither a customs declaration nor a separate market-access permit. 

Which carriers need an RMPD notification

The assessment depends on where the carrier is established, the transport operation and its legal basis. Foreign registration plates, crossing the Polish border or carrying goods do not, on their own, provide a complete answer.

Since 1 November 2024, the relevant requirements have applied to carriers established outside the EU, Switzerland and EFTA, including Ukrainian carriers. Since 1 January 2025, they have also covered specified operations by carriers from other EU countries, Switzerland and EFTA to or from third countries. A transport-permit exemption under an international agreement does not, by itself, remove the RMPD obligation. Operations governed by Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 must be distinguished from those subject to the permit framework for third-country transport.

For road freight between Poland and Ukraine, make this assessment once the actual carrier has been identified. Replacing the transport company can change the legal assessment of an otherwise identical route.

Avoid the rule of thumb that RMPD applies to every vehicle with a payload capacity of 3.5 tonnes or more. Payload capacity and the maximum permissible mass of a vehicle or vehicle combination are different measurements. For light commercial vehicles, also check the scope of the legislation, the type of operation and applicable exclusions. A small actual cargo weight is not, by itself, an exemption.

Empty journeys and multiple transport operations

An empty trailer does not automatically remove the requirement: Polish road transport law expressly addresses unladen movements. Where the carrier's operation falls within RMPD, the empty leg must be assessed and correctly reflected in the notification. After unloading, the truck should not continue under details from a previous loaded journey that no longer describe the actual operation.

For groupage road freight, the number of consignors is not the sole test for the number of notifications. If one journey combines operations requiring different permits or different legal grounds for permit exemption, Article 28b requires a separate notification for each such operation. Several cabotage operations covered by that provision also require separate notifications.

RMPD and goods-related SENT have different triggers

RMPD concerns a specified transport operation by a foreign carrier. Goods-related SENT notifications depend on the CN code, quantity, direction of movement, procedure and current exemptions applicable to the goods. Both mechanisms use SENT and PUESC infrastructure, but one notification does not replace the other. Where both are required, the same correctly configured locator can be used for both notifications.

A journey without a goods-related SENT obligation may still require RMPD; a journey outside RMPD may still require a goods-related SENT notification. An RMPD number also does not replace a transit declaration or customs clearance in EU countries. These processes need to be coordinated when preparing the shipment documents.

Responsibilities of the carrier and driver

The carrier is responsible for submitting the RMPD notification. An authorised employee or representative may enter the information, but the notification must identify the company actually performing the transport. Appointing an intermediary does not remove the carrier's obligations. 

The consignor and consignee supply correct company details, addresses and documents. The freight forwarder coordinates the route and information exchange. The driver receives the reference number, checks that the notification is current and uses the locator correctly. If the required reference number, or the notification replacement document and its acceptance confirmation under the emergency procedure, has not been provided, the driver must refuse to start the transport operation.

For international road freight, identify who will submit the notification, update it and monitor location-data transmission before the journey starts. A message saying that the application has been sent is not proof that the register has accepted it.

How to register RMPD in PUESC

1 Establish the legal basis of the journey

Check the carrier's country of establishment, the loading and unloading countries and the Polish section of the route. Verify the permit number or the specific legal basis for exemption. Do not select an exemption simply because the vehicle is empty or the goods are not subject to excise duty.

2 Prepare the information and account access

Prepare the carrier's, consignor's and consignee's details; loading and unloading countries; locations and dates for the start and end of transport in Poland; loaded or unladen status; the transport document number where required; permit or exemption details; registration details for the vehicle and trailer or semi-trailer; and the locator's business number. A phone number or the serial number of an ordinary GPS tracker is not a substitute for the required locator identifier. [1][3]

For this service, PUESC provides for an individual user account with basic access; an account with extended access can also be used. Permissions for other procedures, such as a consignor's actions in goods-related SENT, can differ. Start with the information a logistics specialist needs to calculate freight costs, then add the registration details required for RMPD.

3 Select the correct form

4 Obtain the reference number before the Polish leg begins

Submit the notification and wait for confirmation with the reference number. For a journey originating abroad, do this before transport begins on Polish territory; for an operation starting in Poland, do it before that operation begins. Save the confirmation and give the number to the driver. The public PUESC service is free; any fee charged by an appointed representative is a separate commercial arrangement.

5 Check location-data transmission

Use e-TOLL PL configured for SENT, or appropriately registered ZSL/OBU equipment. Having GPS in the cab does not prove that coordinates are reaching the register. Check the business number, power supply, mobile data and latest position through RMPD406. Transmission must cover the entire Polish section of the transport operation subject to notification. Paying road tolls does not replace RMPD registration.

6 Keep the notification current throughout the operation

Changes to the vehicle, locator or other information subject to updating must be reflected in the register. In curtain-sided truck transport, even a routine tractor-unit replacement following a breakdown requires the notification and location-data setup to be checked.

The reference number is valid for 10 days from the date it is issued. Once it expires, continuing the journey requires a new notification and number, with the previous number and the location where transport resumes recorded. Updating the details should not be treated as automatically extending the validity period.

PUESC outages and locator failures

These are different situations. When the register is unavailable because of an outage or maintenance, use the official RMPD emergency procedure. Complete the notification replacement document electronically using Latin characters and send it as a PDF to awaria.zezwolenia@gitd.gov.pl. Obtain confirmation of acceptance and provide both documents to the driver. The current template is available on the GITD RMPD page. An individual user's loss of internet access is not, by itself, an outage of the register.

If a locator or external positioning system has been faulty for more than an hour, the stopping requirements in Article 10c of the SENT Act apply through Article 28b of the Road Transport Act. The driver must stop without delay at the nearest car park or parking bay; ADR movements require additional consideration of the relevant parking rules. Transport may resume once transmission is restored or under another procedure expressly permitted by law. Merely informing the dispatcher is insufficient. 

A practical journey-planning example

Consider an illustrative shipment: a Ukrainian carrier collects machinery in Germany and transports it to Dnipro through Poland. Before entering Poland, the carrier must establish the legal basis of the operation, register RMPD, provide the number to the driver and check that coordinates are being received. The fact that the machinery is outside the goods-related SENT catalogue does not remove those steps.

If the tractor unit is replaced before the Polish border, the responsible employee checks and updates the registration and locator details. If a new empty journey through Poland is planned after delivery, it is assessed as the relevant subsequent operation rather than being covered by an unchecked old notification. Include this process when arranging freight transport from Germany to Ukraine. This is a hypothetical example, not a claim about a specific shipment completed by SPS.

What to agree before the truck is dispatched

Identify the actual carrier, the legal basis for the operation, the person responsible for notification, a working locator and the process for reporting changes. Check that the driver has a valid reference number and that the vehicle, route and document details agree. Missing mandatory notifications or inaccurate information can lead to penalties and interruption of transport. Registering after a breach has been detected does not retrospectively make the earlier journey compliant.

Planning commercial road transport through Poland? Send Save Pro Solutions the route, cargo description, weight, dimensions and readiness date. These details allow the transport solution to be assessed and the required steps agreed with the carrier before the Polish leg begins.