As of October 5, the electronic administrative control document DeCA required in road freight must be generated in digital format. Although it is already in effect, questions remain about how it should be prepared, stored, and presented during a roadside inspection. The obligation falls on both the shipper and the carrier, and both can be sanctioned if the document does not exist.
For this reason, TeamSystem reviews the main issues that companies should consider with the mandatory rollout of this new document.
Scanning the paper document is not enough
One of the most common questions is whether simply digitizing the document that has been filled out on paper will suffice. The regulation requires the file to be generated directly in digital format from the data entered into a software system, so scanned PDFs or PDFs created from images will not be valid. Other questions that arise:
- Data cannot be added later by hand either. The DeCA must be generated from the outset with all mandatory information: for example, it will not be possible to create the document and then manually enter the license plate.
- On the other hand, the new system does not require the driver to carry only the electronic document. Although the original must be generated as a PDF, with a maximum size of 5 MB and a QR code linked to a unique web address, it may be shown from a mobile device or carried printed during the service.
- The download must be direct, without user credentials or intermediate steps, so that officers can access the document during an inspection. The contractual shipper and the actual carrier must also retain the files for at least one year.
- There will be no single government platform. Nor will it be necessary to send all documents to a government repository. It will be enough to store them in a system from which they can be downloaded and assign each one a unique web address. The company or person who generates the document may choose the domain, without having to notify the Administration in advance.
- The document must be created before starting the service. The DeCA must be generated before the service begins and cannot be prepared once the route has started. In addition, the system must record the date and time of creation and any subsequent modifications.
- Electronic signatures will not be mandatory in all cases. The new regulation does not require electronic signatures for all documents either. The signature will only be necessary when the document also has a contractual purpose or when another regulation requires it.
Furthermore, TeamSystem warns not to confuse DeCA with the electronic waybill or eCMR, nor with the forthcoming European eFTI framework. Since October 5, the control document must be digital for national freight movements and for cabotage operations carried out in Spain. The waybill or eCMR, by contrast, will remain voluntary in digital format, while the European eFTI Regulation will require authorities to accept electronic information starting in 2027.
International transports that traverse partially through Spanish territory will continue to use the documentation provided for by the relevant international conventions.
According to Roberto Soto, Head of Product at TeamSystem Spain, “we are facing a change that goes beyond simply replacing paper with a PDF. The document becomes part of a digital process that must guarantee its generation before service, its traceability, and its immediate availability when needed. For companies, the challenge will be to incorporate these requirements into their daily operations in a simple way, leveraging digitalization to integrate the documentation with the rest of their management processes and to avoid duplications and administrative burden.
