The change is expected not only to remove long-standing obstacles for users but also to provide a boost to the pickup truck market after a period of sluggish growth.

At the seminar "Pickup Trucks: From Practical Demand to Policy Improvement" held recently, representatives of regulatory bodies, technical experts, and the pickup truck user community all highly evaluated the positive impacts of Decree 241 after about one week of taking effect.

Le Hong Diep, Head of the Traffic Management and Organization Department under the Vietnam Department of Roads (Ministry of Construction), stated that as of March 2026, there were approximately 291,000 double-cab pickup trucks in circulation nationwide; Hanoi alone had more than 40,000 vehicles, and HCMC 45,000 vehicles.

Article 25 of the Road Law assigns local authorities the responsibility for traffic management. To avoid inconsistent implementation across the country's 34 provinces and centrally governed cities, the government introduced a provision allowing double-cab pickup trucks and vans with a gross vehicle weight of no more than 3.5 tonnes to be managed in traffic the same way as passenger cars.

"The difficulties we have seen in recent years mainly stemmed from inconsistent interpretation by enforcement agencies when organizing traffic, rather than from shortcomings in the law itself. Decree 241 was issued to resolve this issue nationwide," Diep said.

The Vietnam Road Administration stated that local authorities need to review all traffic signs restricting truck movements during specific hours.

"Truck restriction signs will be exempted for double-cab pickup trucks and vans with a gross vehicle weight of no more than 3.5 tonnes. On roads or lanes where pickup trucks are currently prohibited, authorities will have to adjust the traffic signage to comply with the new regulations," Diep added.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Long of the Ministry of Public Security, agreed that the new regulation makes it easier for pickup truck owners and drivers to travel from July 1 onward.

According to the Traffic Police Department, the new rules provide several important benefits that many drivers may not yet be aware of.

"First, pickup trucks are no longer required to use lanes designated exclusively for trucks on roads with separate lanes, and they can travel at the same speed limits that apply to passenger cars. In addition, pickup trucks are no longer subject to local truck curfews and are exempt from traffic signs prohibiting trucks," Long said.

However, he emphasized that Decree 241 changes only the way traffic is organized and does not alter the legal classification of vehicles under existing regulations.

Pickup truck market expected to gain momentum in H2

Market analysts and automakers believe the new policy could provide a significant boost to the pickup truck market.

Dao Cong Quyet of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA), said double-cab pickup trucks and light trucks under 3.5 tonnes play an increasingly important role in modern logistics, particularly in last-mile delivery for e-commerce.

According to Quyet, eliminating truck curfews allows businesses to transport goods continuously, reducing warehouse time, lowering operating costs, and improving logistics efficiency. This not only helps reduce product costs but also strengthens business competitiveness. The benefits are even more significant for small businesses and household enterprises.

"In the past, many businesses needed separate vehicles for passengers and cargo. Now a single pickup truck can serve both purposes, significantly reducing investment and operating costs," Quyet said.

The VAMA representative added that removing restrictions on vehicle use is also likely to improve consumer confidence. Many customers who previously liked pickup trucks but were discouraged by traffic restrictions may now reconsider purchasing one.

That is why VAMA expects pickup truck sales to improve significantly and potentially surge during the second half of 2026. Higher sales would enable manufacturers to maintain production capacity, stabilize supply chains, preserve jobs, and generate additional tax revenue.

The Government Relations Manager of an automaker operating in Vietnam praised the Ministry of Construction's proposal and the government's timely issuance of Decree 241.

According to him, the policy recognizes the nature of pickup trucks while bringing Vietnam's approach closer to practices already adopted in markets such as Thailand, Australia, and the US, where midsize pickup trucks are widely recognized for their practical uses.

He said the new regulation helps optimize resources in two ways. It enables business owners to maximize the utility of their vehicles while reducing operating costs. 

Hoang Hiep