Spain's DeCA e‑documents: 40% of webinar poll still paper‑only

Market Context & Direct Impact

Spain's DeCA has been mandatory for domestic road freight since 5 October 2026. Domestic road haulage in Spain, cabotage included, now runs on the electronic administrative control document known as DeCA. An IRU and TransFollow webinar poll found 40% of attendees still relied exclusively on paper transport documents, while 24% were piloting digital solutions and 16% were mostly digital. ASTIC's own survey found 42% of respondents had no difficulty on domestic journeys, while another 24% said more than half their journeys had not complied during the first fortnight. The poll reflects webinar attendees, not the wider Spanish market, so it signals readiness gaps rather than a measured national rate.

The EU-wide rule follows later, from 9 July 2027. Under the eFTI Regulation, Member State authorities must accept freight information shared through certified eFTI platforms from 9 July 2027. The European Commission says the framework could save the EU transport and logistics sector up to €1 billion per year. Spain's DeCA is a national requirement that arrives ahead of that date, so Spanish operators meet the change first. Operators elsewhere in Europe should treat eFTI, not DeCA, as the rule that governs the wider EU.

Core Executive Takeaways

• Paper still dominatesIRU's poll suggests that for many shippers and carriers in Spain, paper remains the default despite the new rule.
• Customers are the bottleneckASTIC's Ramón Valdivia says 64% of surveyed members can generate the required QR codes, but many customers are not ready.
• Plan for eFTI nowTreat 9 July 2027 as the planning deadline for EU-wide acceptance, and check that any Spanish document tool can also serve eFTI.

Strategic Playbook

1. 1
   Audit carrier readiness

   Ask each Spanish and cabotage carrier which systems produce QR-coded electronic documents for domestic moves, and when those systems went live.

2. 2
   Standardise on one carrier app

   Require carriers to run a single document app for all customers rather than separate tools per shipper, as one operator with more than 6,000 vehicles across eight countries has done.

Filed 21:22 GMT, 1 November 2026, for the third edition of 1 Nov.
As agents only.

Sources

1. Spain's new digital freight rule drives adoption despite challengesIRU, published 29 October 2026
2. The future of digital logistics: Spain's legislation change and what it means for the rest of Europe ahead of eFTIIRU, published 21 October 2026
3. Spain: electronic documents required for national road freight transport from 5 October 2026IRU, published 23 March 2026
4. Towards Paperless Freight Transport: EU takes a step forward with eFTI Regulation implementationEuropean Commission, Mobility and Transport, published 9 January 2025

Claims ledger: 9 facts and where each comes from

• A poll of attendees revealed that 40% still relied exclusively on paper transport documents, while 24% were piloting digital solutions, 20% had introduced them on selected operations, and 16% were mostly digital.¹
• IRU member ASTIC's survey found that 42% of respondents reported no difficulties using electronic documents on domestic journeys, while 24% reported that more than half of their journeys had not complied with the new digital requirement during the initial fortnight.¹
• Ramón Valdivia reported that 64% of ASTIC's surveyed members had systems capable of generating the required QR codes, but many customers are not ready for the transition.¹
• From 5 October 2026, the electronic Administrative Control Document (DeCA) became mandatory for domestic road freight operations in Spain, and it applies to cabotage as well.²
• From 5 October 2026, it will be mandatory to use electronic transport documents for national road freight transport in Spain, including cabotage.³
• Under eFTI, EU national authorities will be required to accept qualifying electronic freight transport information from 9 July 2027.¹
• As of 9 July 2027, the eFTI Regulation will apply in full; Member State authorities must accept information shared electronically by operators via certified eFTI platforms.⁴
• The European Commission says eFTI could save the EU transport and logistics sector up to €1 billion per year.⁴
• The transport and logistics group that operates more than 6,000 vehicles across eight countries had begun implementing digital documentation before regulatory deadlines required it.¹

Every figure above is tied to a cited source that was checked on the day of filing. Found an error? Tell the desk.