The need for regulating the traffic of freight vehicles in inner city areas arises from a number of problems. The two-way interaction between freight and other traffic is a source of congestion and inefficiencies for freight operations. Freight vehicles contribute significantly to air pollution due to the dominance of diesel propulsion. Freight traffic may also limit the attractiveness and liveability of city centres. The paper addresses measures aimed at regulating access, parking, loading and unloading of freight vehicles. Measures can be differentiated among vehicles. The role which differentiation might play is the focus of the paper. The potential of differentiation for creating incentives and considering the specific needs of various user categories is highlighted. Incentives relate to the switch to less polluting vehicles, third account operation, smaller vehicles, and higher load factor. The conceptual insight is illustrated by an empirical analysis of the regulation measures existing in the Italian cities of Rome and Milan.