DeCA 2026: the digitalization of freight transport

DeCA: the mandatory digitalization of the transport control document

More than a simple replacement of paper, the DeCA is an opportunity to improve operational efficiency, strengthen the traceability of transport services, reduce administrative burdens and facilitate regulatory compliance.

What is the DeCA?

The electronic Administrative Control Document (DeCA) is the digital version of the control document required to carry out public road freight transport in Spain.

It is not a new document and it does not include any additional information compared with the traditional control document. Its purpose remains to prove the existence and legality of a transport operation by identifying essential elements such as:

• Goods data.
• Origin and destination.
• Shipper and carrier.
• Vehicle used.
• Service conditions.

The main novelty is that it must be generated and managed electronically from its origin, ensuring the integrity, availability and traceability of the information throughout the transport life cycle.

Effective date

Law 9/2025 establishes that digitalization will be mandatory ten months after its entry into force, which sets the effective date at October 5, 2026. From that moment on, digital documentation will be mandatory for:

• The administrative control document for public road freight transport.
• The route sheet for public road passenger transport.

Who does this obligation affect?

The implementation of the DeCA affects a large part of the transport and logistics chain: carrier companies, logistics operators, fleet managers, transport agencies, intermediaries and shipper companies that contract transport services.

The obligation applies to domestic transport with origin and destination within Spanish territory and to cabotage operations carried out in Spain. International transport will continue to use the documentation established in the relevant international conventions.

Who must generate the DeCA?

The document must be drawn up by:

• The contractual shipper, when the regulations assign this obligation to them.
• The actual carrier, in the cases provided for by law.

What matters is that the information is turned into an electronic document before the service actually begins and remains available throughout the transport operation.

Technical requirements of the DeCA

The Resolution of June 5, 2026 establishes a series of technical requirements that must be met by both the IT systems used and the electronic documents themselves.

Electronic generation from the origin

The document must be generated natively in electronic format from the transport data. Merely scanning a document previously generated on paper is not considered adequate.

PDF format

The DeCA must be materialized as an electronic PDF file. It must contain the mandatory data of the control document, include creation and modification metadata, comply with the technical specifications set by the Administration, and its maximum size may not exceed 5 MB.

Integrity and authenticity

The systems used must guarantee:

• The integrity of the information.
• The traceability of the changes made.
• The identification of the modifications made.
• The preservation of a verifiable history of actions.

Electronic signature

An electronic signature is not required for the DeCA to be valid. The regulations governing the control document do not require a signature to prove the transport. However, when the document also has a contractual purpose, advanced or qualified electronic signature mechanisms may be used in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation.

Mandatory QR code

Each DeCA must include a QR code that provides access to a unique URL associated with the document.

Secure and accessible URL

The web address linked to the QR code must:

• Use the HTTPS protocol.
• Use TLS 1.2 or higher.
• Allow direct download of the document.
• Be available throughout the retention period.
• Not require a username, password or additional steps that hinder an inspection.

Immediate availability

The documentation must be able to be presented immediately to inspection services while the transport is under way.

Document retention

The contractual shipper and the actual carrier must keep the electronic documentation for a minimum of one year, ensuring its accessibility and integrity.

What must the driver carry?

Although the DeCA must exist in electronic format, the regulations allow the driver to carry an electronic copy accessible from a mobile device or a paper printout.

In both cases, the corresponding QR code must appear to make verification by inspectors easier.

Changes during transport

The regulations provide that certain data may be modified once the service has started. In these cases, different procedures may be used, provided the traceability of the changes is guaranteed:

• Update the existing document while keeping the same URL.
• Generate a new version with a new URL and a new QR code.

The driver must always have the current version of the document.

Grouping of services

The resolution also allows several services or shipments to be grouped into a single electronic document, provided the information for each transport is clearly identified and accessible.

Exception for eFTI platforms

Companies that exchange information through platforms compliant with the European eFTI (Electronic Freight Transport Information) Regulation may avail themselves of the regime provided for by that European regulation, avoiding certain formal obligations of the DeCA format regulated by the Spanish resolution.

A new scenario for document management

The mandatory DeCA responds to the need to modernize transport document management. Processes based on physical documentation tend to generate:

• Administrative delays.
• Duplication of tasks.
• Transcription errors.
• Printing and filing costs.
• Difficulties in searching for and retrieving documents.

Digitalization helps eliminate these inefficiencies and promotes more agile, secure and transparent management.

Risks of delaying adaptation

The obligation to use digital documentation will be fully enforceable from October 5, 2026. Therefore, companies that are not prepared to work with the DeCA may face operational difficulties, regulatory compliance problems and possible penalties for breaching the applicable transport regulations.

Benefits of implementing the DeCA

Greater operational efficiency

Automation reduces manual tasks and minimizes administrative errors.

Cost reduction

Expenses associated with printing, storage and document management decrease.

Complete traceability

All information is centralized and available for immediate consultation.

Greater legal certainty

Electronic records make it possible to prove the document history and facilitate audits and inspections.

Better experience for customers and partners

The immediate availability of information improves communication and responsiveness.

How to prepare your company for the DeCA

Adaptation should be approached as a digital transformation and regulatory compliance project. The recommended steps are:

• Analyze current document processes.
• Identify technology and integration needs.
• Automate the generation of transport documents.
• Implement traceability and document retention systems.
• Train the teams involved.
• Equip drivers and managers with mobile access tools.
• Verify compliance with the technical requirements set out in the BOE resolution.

Digitalize your transport document management with INCENTEA

At INCENTEA we help transport companies, logistics operators and organizations with logistics activity to confidently face the challenges of digitalization and regulatory compliance.

Our solutions make it possible to integrate the generation and management of the DeCA into everyday business processes, facilitating regulatory compliance, reducing the administrative burden and improving operational efficiency.

If you want to prepare your organization for the DeCA coming into force and turn this regulatory change into an opportunity for improvement, at INCENTEA we can help you design a digitalization strategy adapted to your business needs.