Despite isolated legal victories for local authorities, Polish hauliers and allied farmers maintained road-block protests at Rava-Ruska, Krakivets and Shehyni checkpoints on 13 December, leaving more than 2,600 trucks idling on the Polish side according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. The backlog includes pharmaceuticals, auto parts and Christmas retail stock bound for Ukrainian markets.
Protesters insist the EU must restore permit quotas for Ukrainian trucking firms, arguing that quota-free access introduced in 2022 allows cheaper Ukrainian drivers to undercut Polish operators across the single market. Marathon talks in Warsaw and Brussels have yet to bridge the divide; demonstrators say they are prepared to “rotate crews and stay for Christmas.”
![2,600 Trucks Still Stranded as Polish Carrier Blockade Grinds On at Three Crossings]()
Amid the upheaval, those scrambling to keep shipments or personnel moving can simplify one variable—travel paperwork—by turning to VisaHQ. The platform’s Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers fast, guided visa and passport services, real-time entry requirement updates and courier options, all of which help drivers, logistics managers and business travelers adapt quickly when blockades force sudden route changes or crew swaps.
For supply-chain managers, transit times between Warsaw and Lviv have ballooned from 24 hours to four days, triggering contingency plans such as rerouting via Slovakia, rail-ferry combinations or emergency air-freight uplift out of Rzeszów. Manufacturers with just-in-time production lines have activated safety stock protocols and instructed drivers to carry winter gear for multi-day waits in sub-zero conditions.
The Polish government so far avoids police dispersal but is considering a fast lane for perishables. Meanwhile, EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean has floated compensation funds for Polish SMEs but reaffirmed that the permit waiver for Ukrainian carriers remains until at least mid-2026.
Protesters insist the EU must restore permit quotas for Ukrainian trucking firms, arguing that quota-free access introduced in 2022 allows cheaper Ukrainian drivers to undercut Polish operators across the single market. Marathon talks in Warsaw and Brussels have yet to bridge the divide; demonstrators say they are prepared to “rotate crews and stay for Christmas.”
Amid the upheaval, those scrambling to keep shipments or personnel moving can simplify one variable—travel paperwork—by turning to VisaHQ. The platform’s Poland page (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers fast, guided visa and passport services, real-time entry requirement updates and courier options, all of which help drivers, logistics managers and business travelers adapt quickly when blockades force sudden route changes or crew swaps.
For supply-chain managers, transit times between Warsaw and Lviv have ballooned from 24 hours to four days, triggering contingency plans such as rerouting via Slovakia, rail-ferry combinations or emergency air-freight uplift out of Rzeszów. Manufacturers with just-in-time production lines have activated safety stock protocols and instructed drivers to carry winter gear for multi-day waits in sub-zero conditions.
The Polish government so far avoids police dispersal but is considering a fast lane for perishables. Meanwhile, EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean has floated compensation funds for Polish SMEs but reaffirmed that the permit waiver for Ukrainian carriers remains until at least mid-2026.
