Bielefeld motorway police (Autobahnpolizei) carried out a special road haulage enforcement operation on the A2 motorway on Thursday 24 September 2026, at the Lipperland Nord and Süd service areas on the section between Bielefeld and Herford, in Ostwestfalen-Lippe. Customs officers and officials from other authorities also took part. Around 130 heavy and light commercial vehicles were inspected, with officers recording 87 offences. The largest category involved driving times, breaks and rest periods, with 35 violations, accounting for around 40% of the total. A single inspection can result in more than one infringement being recorded, so the 35 violations do not necessarily relate to the same number of vehicles. Eight cases involved inadequately secured loads and two vehicles were overloaded, while five vehicles carrying dangerous goods were found to have deficiencies.
In addition to motorway police and Customs, the Detmold district government took part, the regional administrative authority responsible, among other duties, for supervision of transport and safety. The composition of the enforcement team was reflected in the broad scope of the checks, which ranged from tachographs, loads and vehicle condition to minimum wages, employment conditions, dangerous goods, waste and road haulage regulations. Customs is investigating suspected cases of illegal employment, possible breaches of minimum wage rules and improper receipt of social benefits. Checks are also under way into cabotage and market access. The A2 motorway has been described as an "asphalt artery of the Republic" because it connects the Ruhr, East Westphalia, Hanover, Braunschweig and Berlin before continuing towards Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Tens of thousands of heavy and light vehicles use the Ostwestfalen-Lippe section every day.
