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eFTI 2027, guide for road freight

eFTI: what changes on 9 July 2027 for your transport company?

A visual timeline, an 8-point self-assessment, and what you can already do today. For family hauliers in BE · NL · FR · DE.

See the timeline ↓ Take the self-test
Source: EU Regulation 2020/1056 (eFTI) · Last updated: 4 June 2026
Timeline

From publication to deadline, and what comes after.

Six moments that decide what your business looks like on both sides of 9 July 2027.

2020 · August
Regulation (EU) 2020/1056 published

The eFTI ground rules are set: electronic exchange of freight data between market actors and authorities becomes possible under uniform EU standards. No immediate obligation, but the seven-year countdown starts here.

For your business: nothing to do, but the clock is ticking.
2024 – 2026
Member states build national eFTI platforms

Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and other member states roll out their National Access Points (NAP) and connect to NAPCORE/NAPSPAN, the European network of National Access Points for transport and mobility data.

For your business: ask your TMS vendor for their eFTI roadmap. No answer = red flag.
2026 · April
DATEX II mandatory for eFTI data exchange

All eFTI exchange must run on DATEX II standards (the harmonised data language for transport in Europe). The NAPCORE/NAPSPAN ecosystem goes live for production exchange.

For your business: your order data needs to be structured in your TMS by now. You don't start from chaos.
2026 – 2027
Shipper tenders already ask for eFTI readiness

Large shippers (retail, automotive, FMCG) start including "eFTI-data-ready" as a selection criterion in tenders. First commercial tailwind, well before the legal deadline.

For your business: those who handle orders in a structured way today win tenders that competitors lose.
2027 · 9 July, THE DEADLINE
Authority access mandate active

From this date, control authorities (FOD Mobiliteit BE, ILT NL, DGITM FR, BAG DE) MUST accept electronic freight data via eFTI platforms. Market actors MAY choose to deliver data digitally.

Important: no fine for those who don't deliver digitally, but a loss of efficiency, inspection time and commercial positioning.
2028 +
B2B eFTI exchange becomes the sector norm

Shipper ↔ carrier ↔ forwarder ↔ insurer, every chain partner exchanges order data via eFTI platforms. Paper CMRs and email PDFs become exceptions, not the standard.

For your business: only those who participate stay visible in the chain.
8-point self-test

How eFTI-ready are you today?

Eight concrete questions. Count how many "ready" you already have. Score interpretation below.

01

Data completeness at intake

Do orders come in fully digital today, or still partly via fax, scan or paper?

Ready when: ≥ 95% of your shipper orders arrive in machine-readable form (text PDF, Excel, mail, EDI, portal export).
02

Structured TMS export

Can your TMS export order data in a structured format (JSON, XML, or EDI/UN-EDIFACT)?

Ready when: your TMS vendor offers or has committed to an eFTI-compatible export module before Q1 2027.
03

Field mapping to eFTI schema

Do you know which of your TMS fields map to the required eFTI data elements (consignor, cargo, weight, route, waybill…)?

Ready when: you have a one-to-one mapping document, in place or in progress, with your TMS vendor or integrator.
04

Retention + audit log

Can you show per order what was entered when, by whom, and in what version? Do you meet retention (online during transport + archive ≥ 4 years)?

Ready when: every order has a timestamped event log, archivable and retrievable.
05

Accessibility for control authorities

Can a roadside inspector view your freight data in real time via an eFTI platform connection?

Ready when: your order desk has an eFTI platform account (coming to market 2026–2027) and can grant token-based access to authorities.
06

Electronic signatures

Do the electronic signatures on your orders and CMRs comply with eIDAS (EU 910/2014)?

Ready when: your order desk no longer accepts "PDF with scanned signature", only eIDAS-compliant signatures.
07

B2B exchange with shippers

Can you exchange order data with shipper systems via the future eFTI platforms without a manual step in between?

Ready when: your TMS has an API or platform connector that can push order data out in eFTI format, without an export-and-email step.
08

Using the commercial tailwind

Are you ready to bring eFTI readiness as an argument to shippers and forwarders in tenders from 2026?

Ready when: your sales deck, your website and your tender annexes carry "eFTI-2027 data-ready" as a trust mark, with substantiation.

Score interpretation

7 – 8
Gold
5 – 6
On track
3 – 4
Behind
0 – 2
At risk

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What we do

We don't build an eFTI platform. We build the foundation for it.

The eFTI platforms and TMS export modules will arrive on their own, your TMS vendor or a European platform player will deliver them. What they don't do: make sure the data that needs to go in is accurate in your order desk today.

That's where we come in.

We take over your order desk as a managed service. Shipper emails, PDFs and Excel attachments are read, validated and entered structured into your existing TMS, Sphere, Transpas, Cofano, Soloplan, Akanea, or even AS400. When eFTI goes live in 2027, export to eFTI platforms is a vendor button in your TMS, not a rebuild project.

Put differently: you're already moving forward while your competitors are still building. And your shippers see that in tenders.

Request a tailored estimate → Read our service
FAQ

Four questions we get most often.

Will I be fined if I'm not eFTI-ready on 9 July 2027?
No. The eFTI regulation (EU 2020/1056) obliges public authorities to accept eFTI data, not market actors to deliver it. But shippers and forwarders will expect structured data in tenders from 2026–2027, and those who already work in a structured way win those tenders.
Which data must I be able to deliver via eFTI?
The regulation defines mandatory data elements such as consignor, consignee, waybill number, cargo description, weight, route, pickup and delivery location, date, carrier, means of transport and related permits. The full technical schema is delivered through Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1267.
Does eFTI also apply to inland waterways or rail?
Yes. eFTI covers all commercial transport modes (road, rail, inland waterways, maritime, air). The legal deadline of 9 July 2027 applies to all modes, but the practical implementation differs per sector and member state.
Do I need to replace my TMS to be eFTI-ready?
In most cases, no. Existing TMS systems (Sphere, Transpas, Cofano, Soloplan, Akanea, AS400) will get eFTI export modules via their vendors. What is critical: your order data must already be structured in the TMS today, otherwise conversion to eFTI format is unfeasible.

Sources