Traffic info about Road Transport

Important information about transport worldwide

Here you will find important traffic information on Road Transport in Denmark and Europe. You are, of course, always more than welcome to reach out to your local Blue Water contact for further information.

24 October 2024

Continued capacity challenges for road transport in Europe  

In line with our August 2024 market update, which focused on capacity challenges and rising prices, we will provide a follow-up update on road transport in Europe.   

Large fluctuations in supply and demand are driving significant price increases, while inflation is affecting operating costs. The geopolitical situation and continued driver shortages create additional challenges.    

While hauliers have previously looked to Eastern Europe to recruit drivers, the war in Ukraine has put a damper on this. Instead, recruitment is now coming from the Caucasus, Asia, Africa, Saudi Arabia and South America. The driver shortage is making it increasingly difficult for hauliers to maintain operations, resulting in more companies going out of business. This leads to reduced capacity, which in turn causes hauliers to increase prices. At the same time, hauliers expect the spot market to remain high until Christmas, which also contributes to keeping rates high.

A comparison between 2023 and 2024 also shows that trucks are taking longer to cover similar distances in Europe this year compared to the previous year. This is due to factors such as congestion, border controls, bad weather and roadworks, which combine to keep capacity on the low end. However, it seems that the German border controls introduced in September are not causing any significant problems in terms of congestion and delays, as experts had feared. 

Fees and legislative changes    

In recent years, we have seen several European countries introduce road taxes and charges. From 1 January 2025, Denmark will introduce a kilometre-based charge for trucks based on the amount of CO2 emitted by trucks over 12 tonnes. The amount of the kilometre-based charge has not yet been decided.

Environmental taxes, introduced as part of necessary climate action, put significant pressure on the logistics sector. Companies that rely on road transport should include these rising costs in their budgeting and prepare for further increases in transport costs in the future, including administrative costs. On vejafgifter.dk it is possible to read more about the Danish road tax and the different emission classes.

Another environmental tax is the ETS, which was introduced on 1 January 2024 on ferry services within the EU/EEA. ETS, which is a CO2 emission tax applicable to commercial ferries, i.e. ferries carrying goods and passengers of at least 5000 gross tonnes, will gradually increase over the coming years. From 1 January 2025, 70% (compared to 40% in 2024) of emissions must be covered by purchased emission allowances according to EU requirements. Therefore, the ETS surcharge on road transport using commercial ferries will increase.

We are always open to discuss your needs  

We expect these factors to continue to put pressure on the market in the near future. Despite these challenges, the team at Blue Water is working hard to manage the situation and we are committed to providing our customers with the best possible service. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your usual Blue Water contact person. 

October 2024

Christmas and New Year departures

Check the scheduled departure days for standard road transport during the holiday period, including consolidated and FTL freight. If you require an alternative option, such as a special delivery, your local freight forwarder will be happy to assist. For more information, including transport costs and any special conditions, please contact us.

Explore Christmas Departures

August 2024

Capacity challenges put pressure on market

The road transport market is currently under pressure. We would like to update you on the current challenges affecting capacity and pricing.

Along with other operators, we have seen increasing pressure on prices and a growing concern among hauliers, leasing companies and other operators in the road transport market. These factors have begun to affect the market in ways that are evident today and are likely to continue for some time. 

Large fluctuations in supply and demand are causing prices to rise rapidly, and inflation is also affecting operating costs. The geopolitical situation combined with a continued driver shortage adds to the challenges. These factors are making it increasingly difficult for hauliers to stay in business, leading to more bankruptcies. As a result, capacity is decreasing, causing carriers to raise prices.

We expect these factors to continue to put pressure on the market in the near future. Despite these challenges, the Blue Water team is working hard to manage the situation and we are committed to providing the best possible service to our customers. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your usual Blue Water contact.

November 2023

Significant increase of CO2 maut (German road tax)  

At the end of October, the German parliament approved the increase in the CO2 maut as of 1 December 2023. For 5-axle EURO-6 vehicles, the increase amounts to 83.2%. From 1 December, the new EU Road Tax rates will be available on our website.

Where does the maut increase apply?

• Freight to and from Germany
• Transit through Germany e.g. Poland to Belgium 

If you have any questions regarding this, please reach out to your usual Blue Water contact who will be happy to help. 

September 2023

EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)

From January 1, 2024, the ETS will be introduced, affecting ferry traffic within the EU/EEA collaboration. ETS is an emissions tax (CO2) applicable to commercial ferries i.e., ferries of minimum 5000 gross tonnage with freight and passengers. The implementation will be phased in as follows:

• Payment of 40% reported emissions by January 1, 2024
• Payment of 70% reported emissions by January 1, 2025
• Payment of 100% reported emissions by January 1, 2026

ETS will affect freight costs to/from the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic countries. We are following announcements from the shipping lines and will provide more information later this year. 

January 2022

Consequences of the EU Mobility Package phase two 

As from 2 February 2022, the EU Mobility Package phase two becomes effective. At Blue Water, we always follow the current legislation, and we demand the same of the hauliers driving for us.

Fundamental elements changed in the Mobility Package phase two are among others:

• Return to home
  Any driver must return to home every 4th week and truck every 8th week, causing lost days of production calling for further compensation.
• Stricter rules for cabotage
  Foreign haulier must drive no more than 3 cabotage trips within 7 days – followed by a waiting period / pause for 4 days. Driving related to combined transports is also regarded as cabotage.
• Minimum wage
  Remuneration of foreign haulier by cabotage, combined transport or international third country driving must take place referring to the minimum wage in the EU country of operation. Example of third country driving: Lithuanian haulier driving between Norway and Germany.
• Requirements of registration
  Demands of registration is enforced at cabotage, combined transport or third country driving in the European IMI system.
• Tightened requirements of documentation
  Any driver must at roadside controls be able to document their movements at any time, for instance by presenting consignment notes for a period of 7 days as a minimum.
• Penalty and sanctions
  If registration and documentation is missing, the penalty is increased, and the second time this occurs, the penalty is doubled.
• Changed taxation for Polish, Rumanian and Bulgarian hauliers
  In these countries, taxation of driver’s salaries is changed, meaning increased gross expenses by up to 40%.

If you have any questions regarding your transport, please reach out to your regular contact at Blue Water.