The Italian market for trailers and semi-trailers with a gross vehicle weight above 3.5 tonnes ended 2025 on a positive note. According to analyses by the Centro studi e statistiche of Unrae, based on registration data from the ministero dei Trasporti (Ministry of Transport), a total of 15,425 units were registered between January and December 2025, up 14.7% compared with the 13,445 units recorded over the same period in 2024. In absolute terms, the increase amounts to around 2,000 units, confirming a strengthening of demand in the towed vehicles segment. The annual figure reflects an overall favourable trend, with registration growth recorded in ten months of the year. According to Unrae, this outcome points to a structural recovery of the market, supported by the gradual renewal of the vehicle fleet and expectations linked to incentive schemes for freight transport.
Within this context, December 2025 showed a further acceleration. Registrations of trailers and semi-trailers over 3.5 tonnes reached 1,098 units, compared with 883 in the same month of 2024, representing an increase of 24.4%. The year-end result made a significant contribution to consolidating annual growth and confirmed a positive demand trend in the final part of the year.
According to Unrae, the signals coming from the market reinforce the need to make operational, as quickly as possible, the resources already allocated for fleet renewal. The association refers in particular to the €6 million earmarked in the previous financial year and to the launch, already in the first months of 2026, of measures linked to the extraordinary €590 million fund for freight transport. The multi-year nature of the fund is identified as a key element in providing companies with greater stability and predictability, encouraging continuous investment planning.
Unrae also underlines the importance of allocating a significant share of the resources to the towed vehicles segment from the very first year. The aim is to strengthen the effectiveness of incentives by broadening the range of eligible categories, increasing the intensity of contributions and introducing rewarding criteria linked to the scrapping of older and obsolete vehicles, which are still widespread in the national fleet.
Alongside financial incentives, the association also draws attention to the regulatory framework. Looking ahead to 2026, it calls for the adoption of the implementing legislative decrees for the revision of the Codice della Strada (Highway Code), recently extended, in order to allow the updating of the implementing regulations and the application of rules extending the maximum length of articulated vehicles from 16.50 to 18.75 metres. According to the association, such an adjustment would allow Italy to align with standards already in force in several European countries, with potential effects on freight transport efficiency and demand for new vehicles.
