If in 2024—2025 you already noticed that the last mile was “getting serious”, 2026 is the year in which many restrictions they cease to be a rarity and become part of everyday life: low emission zones (ZBE) more extensive, finer controls by schedule, and an operational reality that can no longer be ignored: The electric charge (and its real impact on routes, times and costs).

The good news: these restrictions don't just “suffer”. Well managed, they become a competitive advantage. And that's where a tool of route optimization and automatic planning how Routal makes a difference.

What are logistics restrictions (and why in 2026 they affect you more than before)

When we talk about What are restrictions In urban logistics, we refer to all those rules that limit By where, when and With what You can operate:

• Access: streets or perimeters where certain vehicles cannot enter.
• Schedule: stripes where you can distribute/upload/unload.
• Parking and stops: maximum time, enabled zones, controls.
• Emissions and vehicle type: environmental label, weight, dimensions, noise.
• Energy: autonomy, charging times, availability of points.

In 2026, the piece that changes the most on the board are the low emission zones: Law 7/2021 and its subsequent development require ZBE in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (and other cases), with common requirements defined by state regulations.

Operational translation: more cities, more perimeters, more casuistics... and more need to plan well.

1) ZBE in 2026: the “mother” restriction that conditions your route

Low-emission zones: what they have in common (even if each city is a world)

The state framework states that a ZBE is a delimited area where they apply access, traffic and parking restrictions according to the polluting potential of the vehicle, using the corresponding classification (labels).

In addition, the Royal Decree that regulates ZBEs seeks minimum homogeneity: measurable objectives, delimitation, access conditions, and follow-up/monitoring.

Real example: Barcelona (ZBE active with fixed schedule)

In the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the ZBE works on weekdays from Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 20:00, with conditional access to a clean vehicle or authorization/exception.

What does this mean in practice?
That if your operation enters that perimeter, the Route schedule And the type of fleet they become a strategic decision, not a detail.

Real example: Madrid (case studies and moratoriums)

Madrid is a clear example of why “knowing that there is a ZBE” is not enough: there are nuances depending on the type and location of the vehicle. At the end of 2025, the extension of the moratorium for certain unlabeled vehicles was announced. Registered Until the December 31, 2026, with specific exceptions (for example, special protection areas).

Lesson: if you plan “by eye” or with generic rules, you are exposed to:

• unfeasible routes,
• delays,
• sanctions,
• and customers angry about ETAs that aren't being met.

2) Time windows: the silent restriction that burns the most money

Las Time windows (time windows) are the classic “if you are late, you are no longer served” or “it only downloads from 8:00 to 11:00”. And in 2026 they are more critical for two reasons:

1. Cities are ordering space: more control over loading/unloading, access by sections, and even activation of restrictions for episodes (pollution, events, etc.).
2. The ZBE itself usually has schedules (such as Barcelona: 7:00 — 20:00 on weekdays).

Result: Your route no longer competes against traffic alone. Compete against the clock.

3) Electric charge: the new restriction (and the opportunity) in the last mile

Electrifying a city fleet makes sense... until you try to fit in with reality:

• variable range depending on load, temperature, driving style,
• load times that are not “one minute”,
• busy or off-road spots,
• need to plan “power outages” just like you plan deliveries.

And here is an important point: the state regulations of ZBE push to provide charging infrastructure, including minimum objectives for implementing charging points inside and outside ZBE.

Translation: electric charge ceases to be a “topic of the future”. In 2026, it is already a condition of operation and planning.

How to improve your operations in 2026 using Routal (optimization + automatic planning)

The key is not to have “more people coordinating”. It is to have a system that Understand the restrictions and optimize with them.

Here's a practical (very day-to-day) approach to landing it in Routal.

Step 1: Turn restrictions into rules (not reminders)

In many companies, the restrictions live on:

• an Excel,
• the head of a planner,
• or a “remember that we don't enter that area” message.

That doesn't scale.

With Routal, the goal is for restrictions to be planning parameters, for example:

• Zones: defines operational perimeters (ZBE, limited-access zones, conflict areas).
• Vehicles: classify your fleet by capacity, type (diesel/hybrid/electric), and compatibility with certain areas.
• Customers/stops: assign Time windows, service times, and conditions (delivery by hand, with signature, etc.).

Immediate impact: the plan ceases to depend on “remembering”.

Step 2: Plan with real time windows (and reduce “bounce”)

When you seriously model time windows, two good things happen:

1. The optimizer avoids routes that “on paper” are short but operationally impossible.
2. You reduce failed deliveries (and the hidden cost of the second round).

Practical tip:

• If your windows are “soft” (ideal but negotiable), create wider ranges.
• If they're “tough” (if you're late they won't take care of you), keep them strict.

Routal can prioritize window compliance and balance workload between drivers, preventing “always the same one” from the hell of impossible stops.

Step 3: Integrate the electrical charge as one more stop (energy = time)

If you have (or are going to have) electric cars, in 2026 the winning mentality is:

Charging is not an event. It's a part of the route.

What does “get him into the plan” mean?

• Define realistic range per vehicle.
• Estimate charging time (fast/slow) depending on your operation.
• Decide strategy:
  • night charging + closed route,
  • or microcharges planned to extend shifts.

In an optimizer, this translates to restrictions and stops: if you don't model it, the plan will turn out nice... and it'll break at 12:30.

Step 4: Use automatic planning to gain consistency (and not just “make routes”)

In 2026, the difference is in consistency:

• same level of service every day,
• less improvisation,
• fewer “heroic routes” that rely on a skilled driver.

With automatic planning, you can:

• generate routes in minutes with the restrictions already included,
• simulate scenarios (what happens if I close this area? If I electrify this 20% of the fleet?) ,
• balancing workload,
• and adjust quickly to peaks in demand.

Step 5: Monitor and recalculate when the day changes (because it will change)

Restrictions + traffic + incidents = the perfect plan is short-lived.

What you need is:

• route tracking,
• control of compliance with time windows,
• and ability to react without “breaking everything”.

With Routal, the idea is that the plan is not a PDF: it is a living system, with visibility for planner, driver and customer (ETAs and communication).

Checklist 2026: the minimum to avoid suffering (and start to improve)

If you want a “quick win”, check this out:

• Do I have my maps mapped zones critical (ZBE and other urban restrictions)?
• Is my fleet classified by compatibility (which vehicles can enter where)?
• Do my stops have Time windows real (not “throughout the day”)?
• Have I incorporated the Electric charge (autonomy + times) as part of the plan?
• Am I using an optimizer that respects restrictions or am I still “fixing” routes?

FAQs

What are logistics restrictions?

These are rules that condition the distribution: limited access, delivery times, parking regulations, emission requirements and, increasingly, energy needs (electrical charge).

What are low-emission zones?

Son zones delimited by a public administration where access/circulation/parking restrictions apply to vehicles according to their level of emissions, with the objective of improving air quality and mitigating emissions.

Why is 2026 a tipping point?

Because the implementation/operation of ZBE is generalized in more municipalities and operational control is tightened: more perimeters, more schedules, more cases and more impact on daily planning.

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2026 isn't about “more restrictions”, it's about “better planning”

Yes, there will be more restrictions. But the change in mentality is this:

• Companies that continue to plan “as usual” will have more delays, more empty kilometers and more incidents.
• Those that convert restrictions into optimizer rules (ZBE + time windows + electrical load) will distribute better, with less stress and more margin.

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