Freight to Austria

Short distances, strict rules

Vienna is about two hours from Brno and Linz even closer to southern Bohemia, yet freight to and from Austria needs careful planning. Austria runs one of Europe's strictest regimes for heavy goods vehicles, and ignoring it can easily cost a day.

Main crossings

• Mikulov / Drasenhofen – from Brno to the Austrian A5 and Vienna, then the A4 and A2 to Styria and Carinthia.
• Hatě / Kleinhaugsdorf – from Znojmo into Lower Austria.
• Dolní Dvořiště / Wullowitz – the D3 from České Budějovice joins the S10 to Linz, the shortest way to Upper Austria and Salzburg.
• České Velenice / Gmünd – a smaller crossing for the Waldviertel.

Tyrol and Vorarlberg are usually reached via Germany and Munich rather than across the Alps. The Brno – Vienna and Prague – Vienna routes cover the busiest lanes.

Importing from Austria

• Upper Austria – steel sheet and sections, machine parts, chemicals, plastics and commercial vehicle components.
• Styria – automotive parts and assemblies, electronics, paper, pulp and timber.
• Vienna and Lower Austria – distribution stock, food and drink, pharmaceuticals, building materials.
• Salzburg and Tyrol – sawn timber and timber structures, beverages, sports equipment.
• Vorarlberg – textiles, food and furniture fittings.
• Burgenland and the Weinviertel – wine and fruit.

Czech exports to Austria are dominated by building materials, wood, car parts, metal goods, furniture and food.

Driving bans that affect your schedule

Trucks over 7.5 tonnes may not run from Saturday 3 pm to Sunday 10 pm or on public holidays, with extra Saturday restrictions on transit routes in summer. A night-time ban also applies: only vehicles meeting strict noise limits may drive at night, and some sections impose lower speeds. A truck leaving the Czech Republic in the afternoon may therefore not reach Styria or Carinthia the same evening.

Tyrol meters trucks in blocks near Kufstein on the A12 and applies a sectoral ban on certain goods. This mostly affects transit to Italy but can also delay deliveries within Tyrol.

Tolls and environmental zones

Motorways and expressways carry a distance-based electronic toll by axles and emission class, with special tolls on some tunnels and mountain sections. Several federal states operate environmental zones for trucks that require a specific emission class and sticker, and air-quality speed limits apply on parts of the motorway network.

Transit times and practical tips

Vienna, Lower Austria and Linz are normally same-day by full truckload from Moravia or southern Bohemia. Styria, Salzburg and Carinthia are next working day; Tyrol and Vorarlberg one to two working days. Pallet groupage adds about a day. Austrian consignees often require pre-advice and a fixed slot, and building sites usually need a tail-lift truck. No customs apply; a CMR note and invoice or delivery note suffice, and excise goods such as wine travel with an electronic administrative document. Try the calculator for an indicative price.