The Federal Highway Police (PRF) kicked off its annual “Operação Dia do Trabalho 2025” on 30 November, but the most disruptive measures for mobility managers and supply-chain teams came into effect this week as Brazil heads into a four-day Labour Day long-weekend.
From 16:00–22:00 on Wednesday (30 Nov), 06:00–12:00 on Thursday (1 Dec) and again from 16:00–22:00 on Sunday (4 Dec), trucks that normally need an Autorização Especial de Trânsito (AET/AE) are barred from using BR-163 and other federal corridors that slice through the agribusiness state of Mato Grosso. The restriction covers over-dimensioned, hazardous-materials and police-escorted loads; regular commercial vehicles may circulate as usual.
![Police holiday blitz halts oversized cargo on Mato Grosso’s main highways]()
PRF agents have set up mobile checkpoints equipped with breathalysers, radar guns and licence-plate cameras to enforce speed limits and alcohol laws. Officers will also inspect logbooks and AET paperwork, issuing fines of up to R$ 17,000 and impounding non-compliant vehicles until the ban lifts.
For multinational companies moving machinery to soy-processing plants, or relocating heavy equipment for construction projects, the sudden ban means rescheduling delivery windows, re-routing via secondary roads or warehousing freight until Monday. Mobility teams responsible for expatriate project staff should anticipate last-minute changes to ground-transport plans and factor in potential hotel over-stays.
The PRF argues the clamp-down reduces accident risk during one of Brazil’s busiest road-travel weekends; critics in the logistics sector counter that repeated holiday bans erode just-in-time supply chains and raise costs—as each day of delay can add R$ 5,000–8,000 in demurrage and driver overtime for a single heavy-haul convoy. Companies with live cross-border projects are being urged to brief clients and insurers, adjust inventory buffers and reconfirm Monday delivery slots as soon as the embargo expires at 22:00 on 4 December.
From 16:00–22:00 on Wednesday (30 Nov), 06:00–12:00 on Thursday (1 Dec) and again from 16:00–22:00 on Sunday (4 Dec), trucks that normally need an Autorização Especial de Trânsito (AET/AE) are barred from using BR-163 and other federal corridors that slice through the agribusiness state of Mato Grosso. The restriction covers over-dimensioned, hazardous-materials and police-escorted loads; regular commercial vehicles may circulate as usual.
PRF agents have set up mobile checkpoints equipped with breathalysers, radar guns and licence-plate cameras to enforce speed limits and alcohol laws. Officers will also inspect logbooks and AET paperwork, issuing fines of up to R$ 17,000 and impounding non-compliant vehicles until the ban lifts.
For multinational companies moving machinery to soy-processing plants, or relocating heavy equipment for construction projects, the sudden ban means rescheduling delivery windows, re-routing via secondary roads or warehousing freight until Monday. Mobility teams responsible for expatriate project staff should anticipate last-minute changes to ground-transport plans and factor in potential hotel over-stays.
The PRF argues the clamp-down reduces accident risk during one of Brazil’s busiest road-travel weekends; critics in the logistics sector counter that repeated holiday bans erode just-in-time supply chains and raise costs—as each day of delay can add R$ 5,000–8,000 in demurrage and driver overtime for a single heavy-haul convoy. Companies with live cross-border projects are being urged to brief clients and insurers, adjust inventory buffers and reconfirm Monday delivery slots as soon as the embargo expires at 22:00 on 4 December.
