Commercial vehicles

On the evening of June 14, Iran's Supreme National Security Council approved the final text of the memorandum of understanding. On June 15, Trump announced: "The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran has been concluded." The US naval blockade is lifted immediately, and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, are halted. The Strait of Hormuz will be fully opened to free navigation on June 19, after the formal signing of the memorandum in Switzerland.

BYD, SAIC and Geely have officially started adapting their electric vehicles to Russian climatic conditions. Key changes: reinforced batteries for operation at -40°C, heat pumps, battery heating. This is a direct response to the main complaint of Russian dealers. The first adapted models will appear on the market in the third quarter of 2026.

Starting from September 1, 2026, changes in the work and rest regime of drivers will come into force. The main thing for cargo carriers is that in some cases the driver will be able to work up to 10 hours per shift more than twice a week, but only if the working day is divided into parts and weekly limits are met. Fines for violations range from 2 to 50 thousand rubles, depending on the subject.

Russia has proposed to the EAEU countries and friendly states to launch joint projects on unmanned cargo transportation on key international corridors. The initiative immediately turns the technological conversation into a practical one — from pilots to regulation and joint infrastructure.

China began to crack down more harshly on the scheme by which new cars were exported as used: a large batch of cars for Russian buyers was detained at the border in Suifenhe. It is based on the "180 days" rule and increased control over the export of "zero used goods". For the market, this means increased risks of gray imports, longer deadlines, and a gradual shift to more transparent supply chains.

China ended 2025 with historic highs: car production exceeded 34.5 million, sales — 34.4 million. The driver was the growth of the segment of cars powered by new energy sources, which approached 16.5 million sales, and exports of vehicles exceeded 7 million units. In fact, the market is simultaneously expanding domestically and strengthening external expansion — and this is already noticeably changing the requirements for logistics, freight and supply infrastructure.

The import of new trucks to Russia decreased by almost tenfold by the end of 2025. According to analysts, the market is undergoing structural changes: demand is declining, and a significant part of it is blocked by domestic production, inventory, and equipment returned by leasing companies.

Russia plans to return airships as an element of the transport system of the future. The project is included in the strategy until 2035 and is focused on transportation in hard-to-reach regions where traditional logistics is facing restrictions.

The federal highway M-12 Vostok is becoming a new testing ground for the development of unmanned cargo transportation in Russia. A successful test of an autonomous truck has shown that the technology is already capable of significantly speeding up delivery and improving logistics efficiency, creating the prerequisites for the large-scale introduction of unmanned vehicles on key highways in the country.

Heavy snowfall and blizzard in the Urals led to the suspension of freight traffic on a number of key routes. Multi-kilometer traffic jams from trucks, blocked roads and heating points for drivers were the result of a sharp deterioration in the weather, which coincided with the beginning of the high season of transportation.

A Moscow court has banned the dissemination of information about the sale of devices that lower the fare for heavy trucks on federal highways.

Delo Group is considering the opening of a container line between Mormugao and Novorossiysk, and is also exploring the option of shipping fertilizers to the Indian port in containers.

The Russian trucking market is rapidly moving into a zone of turbulence: costs are rising faster than tariffs, the leasing burden is putting pressure on fleets, and almost 7,000 companies are already in bankruptcy. The industry is approaching a point where a mass departure of carriers could escalate into a systemic crisis.

The Russian heavy truck market is rapidly declining, but in October there was a statistical surge due to a one-time large purchase of Chinese Sitrak insulated vans. The growth is not related to a recovery in demand and reflects a temporary supply effect.

The largest all-electric cargo ship, Gezhouba, has been launched in China. The vessel is equipped with an intelligent control system and will become a symbol of a new generation of ecological shipping.

Resolution No. 969, which regulates the equipment of vehicles with video surveillance systems, has been extended until September 2026. We tell you what this means for carriers and how to make the most of the extra time.