Data & Statistics·50+ statistics·Updated February 2026·Free to cite (CC BY 4.0)

European Road Freight Statistics 2025

Key data points, market benchmarks, and trend analysis for European road freight. All statistics include sources. Free to use with attribution.

Citing these statistics? This page is published under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. You are free to reproduce with attribution: "Source: Transroad European Freight Statistics 2025 (trans-road.com)". All underlying data references are listed in the Sources section below.

European Road Freight Market — Overview

€380 bnEuropean road freight market size, 2024Source: IRU World Road Statistics 2024Including FTL, LTL, parcel, and express segments
1,870 bnTonne-km moved by road in EU, 2024Source: Eurostat Transport StatisticsBillion tonne-kilometres. Road accounts for 76% of total inland freight
76%Road share of EU inland freight (tonne-km)Source: Eurostat 2024Rail: 18%, Inland waterway: 6%
560,000+Active road haulage companies in the EUSource: IRU 2024Including own-account carriers; majority are SMEs with <10 trucks
3.8 millionProfessional truck drivers in the EUSource: IRU Driver Shortage Report 2024
~220,000Driver shortage in the EU, 2024Source: IRU 2024Expected to reach 745,000 by 2028 without action
€1.10–1.90Typical FTL rate per km, Europe, Q1 2026Source: Transroad Market DataRange across corridors; CH and UK higher
+3.2%YoY road freight rate increase, H2 2025Source: Ti Transport Intelligence IndexAfter −6.1% decline in 2024 on oversupply

Spain Freight Market & Export Rates

#5Spain's rank as EU road freight market by volumeSource: Eurostat 2024Behind Germany, France, Poland, Italy
€52 bnSpain road freight market (domestic + international), 2024Source: ASTIC / Ministerio de Transportes
€32 bnSpain's goods exports to EU by road, 2024Source: Eurostat Comext / INERoad is dominant mode for Spanish exports to EU
340,000+Licensed truck drivers in Spain, 2024Source: DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority)
€140–195/LDMAverage LTL rate, Spain → Germany, 2025Source: Transroad operational data
€100–145/LDMAverage LTL rate, Spain → France/Italy, 2025Source: Transroad operational data
5×Road freight volume to UK vs pre-Brexit (2019)Source: UK HMRC / DfT 2024Volume partially recovered after 40% post-Brexit drop
€175–260/LDMAverage LTL rate, Spain → UK (incl. Channel), 2025Source: Transroad operational dataIncludes Eurotunnel or ferry surcharge

Fuel, Emissions & Sustainability

€1.55–1.75/litreAverage diesel pump price, Western Europe, Q1 2026Source: European Commission Weekly Oil Bulletin
15–28%Fuel surcharge range on European road freight, 2025Source: IRU / TransroadApplied as % of base freight rate, reviewed monthly
80–95 gCO2 per tonne-km for EU road freight (modern trucks)Source: EEA Transport GHG Report 2024vs 15–25g for rail, 10–15g for inland waterway
−27%CO2 reduction target for new trucks by 2030 (vs 2019)Source: EU Regulation 2019/1242 (updated 2023)90% reduction required by 2040
~4%Share of electric/ZEV trucks in new EU registrations, 2025Source: ACEAUp from <1% in 2022; expected to reach 15% by 2028
€0.17–0.31/kmHeavy-vehicle toll range, major EU routesSource: IRU / national toll authoritiesGermany Maut: ~€0.21/km; France: €0.17–0.28/km; Switzerland: LSVA ~€0.31/km

E-Commerce & Digital Logistics

€958 bnEuropean B2C e-commerce market, 2024Source: Ecommerce Europe / RetailXIncludes goods and services
31%E-commerce share of total retail sales, EU27, 2024Source: Eurostat Digital Economy Report 2024
€48 bnEuropean B2B cross-border e-commerce logistics spend, 2024Source: McKinsey Global InstituteOf which road freight: ~€28 bn
+18% YoYGrowth in B2B cross-border e-commerce freight (EU), 2024Source: DHL / Roland Berger
61%E-commerce retailers citing shipping cost as top conversion barrierSource: Shippit EMEA Shipping Report 2024
48 hoursExpected delivery time for B2B e-commerce orders, EU benchmarkSource: Gartner Supply Chain 2024Vs 3–4 days average in 2020

5 Key Trends Shaping European Road Freight (2025–2026)

01

Driver shortage accelerating

The EU truck driver shortage reached 220,000 in 2024 and is projected to hit 745,000 by 2028 (IRU). Average driver age in Western Europe: 47 years. Fewer than 5% of new HGV licences are granted to under-25s. The shortage is the primary structural upward driver of road freight rates.

220,000 drivers short · avg age 47 · <5% youth entrants
02

Freight digitalisation

Adoption of eCMR (electronic consignment notes) passed 15% of international road freight in 2025 (IRU eCMR tracker). Real-time freight APIs and embedded rate calculators are increasingly expected by B2B buyers. AI-assisted load planning tools reduce empty running by 8–12%.

15% eCMR adoption · 8–12% empty-run reduction via AI
03

Green freight pressure

The EU's updated CO2 standards require 90% emission reduction for new trucks by 2040. Euro 7 standard (applicable from 2028) tightens NOx and particulate limits. Shippers are increasingly requiring CO2-per-shipment reporting from carriers.

90% CO2 reduction by 2040 · Euro 7 from 2028 · 27% interim target 2030
04

Nearshoring boosting Iberian freight

European supply chain nearshoring accelerated post-2022 (Ukraine war + post-COVID). Spain and Portugal benefited disproportionately: manufacturing investment in the peninsula grew 12% in 2023–2024 (Eurostat). This is increasing Spain-origin LTL volumes on all major corridors.

+12% manufacturing investment ES/PT · 2023–2024
05

Schengen expansion reduces border delays

Romania and Bulgaria joined Schengen land borders on 1 January 2025. This eliminated passport checks at the Hungary–Romania and Bulgaria–Greece borders, reducing transit time on these corridors by an estimated 2–4 hours per crossing.

Romania + Bulgaria Schengen land: 1 Jan 2025 · −2–4h per crossing

Data Sources

OrganisationWebsiteCovers
IRU (International Road Transport Union)iru.orgDriver shortage, market size, regulatory standards
Eurostat Transport Statisticsec.europa.eu/eurostatModal split, tonne-km, employment
ASTIC (Spain road transport association)astic.netSpanish market data, carrier statistics
ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers)acea.autoNew truck registrations, ZEV share
EEA (European Environment Agency)eea.europa.euCO2 emissions, transport GHG
Ti Transport Intelligenceti.insight.gartner.comRate indices, market intelligence
European Commission Oil Bulletinenergy.ec.europa.euWeekly fuel prices
Transroad operational datatrans-road.comSpain-origin LTL rates, Q1 2026

Transroad operational rate data is based on actual quotes issued Q4 2025 – Q1 2026 on Spain-origin LTL lanes. Third-party statistics are cited as published; always verify with original sources for regulatory or investment decisions.

Related Resources

Europe Rate Benchmark 2025Live rate table: 12 corridors, economy / standard / express tiersFreight Glossary A–ZLDM, CMR, ADR, FTL, groupage — 70+ terms definedLDM CalculatorConvert cargo dimensions to loading meters instantlyLTL Groupage ServiceHow groupage works, rates from €80/LDM, 30+ countriesPress & Media KitJournalist resources, on-record quotes, data citation policyCost per km — EuropeRoad transport price-per-km benchmarks by corridor

Get current LTL rates for your corridor

The statistics above are market benchmarks. For an exact rate on your specific shipment, use our live calculator.

Calculate freight rate →View rate benchmark