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In Germany, tariffs for road transport have risen to a record high level. This is not the only country where transport has become more expensive.

Last year, tariffs for services in Germany increased by 5.5 percent. The largest growth was recorded in the transportation and storage sector. Road transport has also become more expensive in Spain.

According to the latest data published by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), service tariffs for the whole of 2022 increased by 5.5 percent. compared to 2021. However, the Germans observed the strongest price growth in the transport and storage sector – almost twice as much, by 9.6 percent. Compared to the annual rate jump recorded in 2021 by 19.5 percent, it was significantly lower. However, at the time, the record growth was due to sea transportation, where prices skyrocketed (by 111 percent) due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Destatis explains.

Of all types of transport, road freight transportation grew the most last year – by 13.4 percent. This is compared to an annual growth of 2.6 percent. in 2021. Conversely, in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone, compared to the same period in 2021, road transport tariffs in Germany increased by 15.5 percent, a new record since 2006, when Destatis data collection began.

The department explains this trend by the increase in the cost of fuel and the shortage of truck drivers.

On the other hand, the transport and forwarding industry registered a growth of 12.1 percent. in 2022 compared to the previous year, mainly due to the forwarding of trucks, the department adds. However, it should be remembered that in the 4th quarter of 2022 tariffs began to fall not only in Germany, but also in other EU countries.

In France

Road freight prices in France fell 2.4 percent month-on-month in December, resuming the downward trend seen in the industry since late summer. Only November saw an increase in rates due to diesel prices, according to the Upply Freight Index barometer. Fluctuations in diesel prices tend to be transmitted to transport prices with a one-month lag.

French transport in 2023

Almost a quarter of trucking companies (22 percent) surveyed by the French consulting company bp2r expect a drop in transportation volumes in the first half of 2023.

In contrast, 33 percent companies expect stagnation in the first six months of this year, and the remaining 45 percent. expect growth (compared to 72 percent a year earlier). However, there is no reason to worry about the health of French companies, as only 13 percent reported lower profitability in 2022 compared to 2021, bp2r explains. In addition, despite the less favorable economic situation than a year ago, 78 percent of transport companies plan to hire staff (compared to 76% in 2021). The shortage of drivers is a problem in France, as in other EU countries. According to 65 percent interviewed, the lack of personnel is the reason for the increase in transport prices. This year’s projected rate increase will reach a five-year record high and is expected to average 6 percent. (after 3.5 percent in 2021 and 1.7 percent in 2020).

Transport tariffs in Spain

The Spanish also summarized the last quarter of 2022 in the field of road freight transportation. According to the latest report prepared by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Development, the average price for transportation in the 4th quarter of 2022 increased by 16.16 percent. compared to the same quarter of 2021.

Depending on the length of the routes, the price increase was as follows:

0-50 km – by 17.6% 100-200 km – by 21.8% 200-300 km – by 16.29% more than 300 – by 15.6%.

From an operations perspective, based on a continuous survey that the Ministry of Transport conducts periodically, collecting data from 1,000 carriers, there was a 2.8 percent decrease in freight work expressed in tonne-kilometers in the 4th quarter of 2022. compared to the same period in 2021. In international transportation, however, there was a slight increase in the volume of cargo transportation (by 1.5 percent). Short-distance domestic transportation decreased by 2.1 percent, and long-distance transportation decreased by 6.0 percent.