Fines for companies providing road freight transport services have increased nearly tenfold in less than a year since ANTT (National Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Agency) implemented and strengthened electronic inspections of minimum cargo floor plans.
According to the study ‘Inspecting the lowest cargo floors’ conducted by the Institute of Logistics and Supply Chains (ILOS), the number of violation notices rose from 4,000 throughout 2024 to 37,000 by October this year, an 825% increase.
The national policy on minimum floors for road freight transport was established in 2018 by Law 13,703, which created a table of minimum cargo floors. According to Mauricio Lima, Managing Partner of ILOS, this measure is in line with the interests of self-employed drivers who seek better remuneration for the services provided.
The law requires remuneration for road freight transport to be at least a minimum amount set by ANTT, reflecting all operating costs, and prohibits the transport of freight below this amount. If you fail to comply, you must compensate the carrier twice the difference between the amount you paid and the minimum floor. Fines vary between R$500 and R$10,500.
Violations include sub-minimum fare agreements, announcing sub-minimum fares, and obstructing inspection activities.
Lima said the law has been in place since 2018, but it was only in April of this year that ANTT began monitoring the table more closely, and the monitoring was further strengthened in October 2025.
“There were some Coordination and advances in inspection of the intersection of electronic data from large databases such as the Manifest Electronic Financial Document (MDF-e), the Transport Operations Identification Code (CIOT), the National Register of Road Freight Carriers (RNTRC), and other government agency systems have made it possible to detect violations without the need for a physical approach. ”
Discussion at STF
Lima criticizes some of the obstacles the law has created for some businesses. He said that Brazil’s logistics operations are complex and diverse, and that the law must take into account all scenarios so that its activities are not impaired.
“Fare card requirements are not in line with most domestic logistics operations. These requirements must meet all types of loads, routes, vehicle models and distances,” said ILOS Managing Partner.
“As it stands, many businesses are facing difficulties in complying with current laws, even though they do not take into account the needs of the business as a whole,” he added.
There is currently a movement in this area for the STF (Supreme Federal Court) to define the constitutionality of laws.
Link exists: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access it for free up to 7 times a day from any link. Click on the blue F below.
About The Author
