Brazil’s Federal Highway Police (PRF) activated its annual holiday road-safety drive on 30 November, but the most disruptive element kicked in this week: from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday night (4 December) trucks that need an Autorização Especial de Trânsito (AET) are barred from BR-163 and parallel corridors across Mato Grosso. The restrictions target over-dimensioned, hazardous-materials and escorted convoys that slow traffic during a long weekend that floods highways with holidaymakers. Non-compliance carries a R$ 1,467 fine and three demerit points; police escorts are withdrawn for non-essential hauls.
For exporters and project-cargo shippers, the timing is awkward. Soy processors in Sorriso and meat-packers in Rondonópolis typically dispatch end-week consignments to reach coastal ports before Monday futures cut-off. Logistics firms are diverting loads to storage yards near Cuiabá or rerouting via the Ferrovia Norte-Sul rail line, though rail capacity is tight.
![Federal Highway Police ‘Holiday Blitz’ Bans Oversize Loads on Mato Grosso Export Corridors]()
Global-mobility managers supervising expatriate drivers or engineers must verify that transport partners have contingency plans and confirm that any AET-exempt cargo carries documentation proving eligibility. PRF hinted the clamp-down could be extended if outbound traffic remains heavy—worth monitoring for teams relocating equipment ahead of Carnival construction projects.
Practical advice: book roadside accommodation early; past blitzes have seen unscheduled lay-overs sell out along BR-163 within hours. Firms moving household goods should warn assignees of potential delays and storage costs if shipments are caught en route during the ban period.
For exporters and project-cargo shippers, the timing is awkward. Soy processors in Sorriso and meat-packers in Rondonópolis typically dispatch end-week consignments to reach coastal ports before Monday futures cut-off. Logistics firms are diverting loads to storage yards near Cuiabá or rerouting via the Ferrovia Norte-Sul rail line, though rail capacity is tight.
Global-mobility managers supervising expatriate drivers or engineers must verify that transport partners have contingency plans and confirm that any AET-exempt cargo carries documentation proving eligibility. PRF hinted the clamp-down could be extended if outbound traffic remains heavy—worth monitoring for teams relocating equipment ahead of Carnival construction projects.
Practical advice: book roadside accommodation early; past blitzes have seen unscheduled lay-overs sell out along BR-163 within hours. Firms moving household goods should warn assignees of potential delays and storage costs if shipments are caught en route during the ban period.
