What each station checks while you keep driving
- Dynamic weighing: sensors embedded in the asphalt measure gross vehicle weight at normal cruising speed.
- Plate recognition: the vehicle is matched against official registers to confirm valid roadworthiness testing, insurance and transport authorisations.
- DSRC antenna: the station queries the smart tachograph remotely, collecting indicators on driving and rest times, card-less driving and possible sensor manipulation.
Where the stations are
| Location | Road | Relevance for international traffic |
|---|---|---|
| La Jonquera | AP-7 | The French border crossing — virtually all road freight entering or leaving Iberia passes here. |
| La Roca del Vallès | AP-7 | Barcelona approach corridor. |
| Martorell | AP-7 | Major logistics and industrial hub. |
| Vila-seca (Tarragona) | AP-7 | Checks in both directions. |
| Llagostera | AP-7 | Girona-Costa Brava axis. |
| C-33 corridor | C-33 | The only station off the AP-7 (exact location not disclosed). |
On top of the fixed network, the Catalan police (Mossos d'Esquadra) received eight additional mobile DSRC readers, bringing their total to 16 remote-reading units that can be deployed anywhere on the road network.
What happens if the system flags you
About two kilometres past the station, a variable message sign displays the flagged vehicle's number plate and directs the driver to a safe control area, where Mossos officers and transport inspectors carry out the physical check.
Legal nuance: remote DSRC reading is a pre-selection tool under Regulation (EU) 165/2014. Penalties are only issued after physical verification of the tachograph data and your 56-day records. What changes is your probability of being pulled over: selection is no longer random — it is data-driven. Note that the DSRC antenna only gets a response from smart tachographs; vehicles with older units are still weighed and plate-checked all the same.
A template other regions will copy
The network also gathers traffic-flow data on heavy vehicles to plan future enforcement. Remote, non-stop screening is the direction all European enforcement is heading under the Mobility Package — Catalonia is simply first with a fixed network in Spain.
How to arrive prepared for a checkpoint you never see
Against a system that reads your data before anyone stops you, the only defence is knowing your data better than the inspector. Run a regular analysis of your DDD files, clear any latent infringements, and make sure your last 56 days of records are complete before entering the corridor.