What is behind the motorway sign abbreviation GVZ?

Traffic signs can sometimes cause more confusion than clarity. The shorter GVZ is a mystery to many drivers. But there is an important facility behind it.

There are a large number of traffic signs along the German motorways. While the information about the locations and numbers of the highways is clear to drivers, others cause confusion. These include a red dot with an arrow and a blue sign with a wrench. And the inscription GVZ on a white box is not familiar to everyone either.

Mysterious abbreviation explained: GVZ refers to goods distribution centers

This is an abbreviation that stands for “freight traffic center.” In other words, it is a facility that is of crucial importance for the logistics industry. Freight traffic centers are complex logistics transfer points that optimize the transport and distribution of goods.

In these centers, goods are not only stored, but also transferred from one mode of transport to another – for example from truck to rail or vice versa. This multimodality makes the freight villages efficient interfaces in freight transport.