General Freight Trucking (Truckload) in European Union 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The general freight road trucking (truckload) industry in the European Union forms the backbone of continental logistics, with road transport accounting for a peak modal share of 25.7% of total EU freight transport performance in 2024, translating to 1,821 billion tonne-kilometres (Eurostat). Despite minor economic headwinds, total road freight performance showed a slight recovery of 0.6% in 2024 compared to 2023, while total tonnage transported marginally contracted by 0.7% to 13.075 billion tonnes (Eurostat). The industry is currently in a transitional phase as it shifts toward zero-emission vehicle compliance and struggles with chronic driver shortages across major transit corridors.

Industry snapshot

Key public data points

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What does the General Freight Trucking (Truckload) in European Union industry cover?

The European Union general freight trucking industry comprises the over-the-road transportation of general, non-specialized commodities using standard heavy-goods vehicles, predominantly in full truckload (FTL) configurations. This scope encompasses national transport within member states, international transport between countries, and specialized cabotage or cross-trade operations executed by foreign-registered carriers. It excludes specialized services requiring highly customized equipment, such as refrigerated transport (reefers), bulk tank logistics, and standard parcel or courier delivery services.

• •Primary operations are classified under the official European statistical classification of economic activities (NACE Rev. 2) under code 49.41.
• •National haulage accounts for the largest operational share, representing approximately 61.4% of total EU road freight performance in 2024.
• •Cross-trade and cabotage, which involve transport between or within foreign member states, comprised 14.1% of the total EU road freight activity in 2024.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The industry features an extremely fragmented market structure dominated by small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and owner-operators alongside a few large multinational logistics integrators. While Western European countries such as Germany, France, and Spain remain the largest domestic markets, Eastern European fleets, particularly from Poland and Lithuania, increasingly dominate international haulage and cross-trade corridors due to competitive cost structures. This geographic distribution of fleets has created a distinct dual-market dynamic within the single European market.

• •Germany, France, Spain, Poland, and Italy together accounted for almost two-thirds (65.7%) of the total tonnage transported by road in the EU in 2024.
• •The Polish fleet stands as the dominant force in international road transport, single-handedly capturing approximately one-third of the total EU international traffic in 2024.
• •Lithuania has consolidated its position as a major transit operator, with cross-trade activity making up 71% of its international road transport operations in 2024.

What drives demand in the industry?

Demand for general freight trucking in the EU is tightly linked to manufacturing output, consumer retail spending, and the broader health of the European single market. Key consumer goods sectors, such as food, beverages, and agriculture, represent the largest stable base of volume for general freight carriers. Furthermore, the regional integration of supply chains across Member States ensures consistent demand for cross-border international shipping, though it remains highly sensitive to localized economic stagnation.

• •In terms of performance, 'food products, beverages and tobacco' was the single largest goods category transported by road in the EU, reaching 312.2 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024.
• •Other major volume drivers include agricultural products (207.6 billion tonne-kilometres) and grouped or palletized goods (236.5 billion tonne-kilometres) in 2024.
• •Industrial activity in the German manufacturing powerhouse remains a primary catalyst, directly impacting traffic volumes across central European corridors.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The competitive landscape features intense price-based competition on high-volume lanes, with profit margins heavily squeezed by diesel price volatility and rising labor costs. Major multinational freight forwarders and logistics providers utilize asset-light or hybrid models to compete, while asset-heavy carriers focus on fleet efficiency and network density. Notable publicly listed European logistics and transport companies active in this region maintain extensive general freight trucking operations across multiple EU member states.

• •DSV A/S, a leading Danish global transport and logistics provider, maintains a massive European road network handling general cargo, groupage, and full truckloads.
• •Deutsche Post AG (operating globally under DHL Group) competes extensively in the European overland freight market through its DHL Freight division.
• •Kuehne + Nagel International AG operates a comprehensive European road freight network, focusing on integrated overland services and full-load management.
• •Schenker AG (operating as DB Schenker), historically owned by Deutsche Bahn, stands as one of the largest land transport providers across continental Europe.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The EU trucking sector is undergoing a profound structural shift driven by digital freight matching platforms, fleet electrification efforts, and severe driver shortages. Operators are increasingly investing in fuel efficiency, route optimization software, and alternative propulsion vehicles to meet aggressive corporate sustainability goals. However, persistent labor shortages and high operational costs continue to challenge the expansion capacity of mid-sized fleets across the continent.

• •European road freight performance in tonne-kilometres recorded a modest year-on-year growth rate of 0.6% in 2024, rebounding from a 3.2% decline in 2023.
• •The overall share of road transport within the EU's modal transport split has steadily risen by 3.3 percentage points over the decade spanning 2014 to 2024.
• •The transition to zero-emission trucks is accelerating as major manufacturers roll out heavy-duty battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to align with EU fleet-wide CO2 targets.

How is the industry regulated?

Road transport operators in the EU must navigate a complex, highly harmonized regulatory framework designed to ensure fair competition, environmental protection, and social welfare. The implementation of the EU Mobility Package remains a defining regulatory force, mandating strict rules regarding driver return requirements, cabotage limits, and the deployment of smart tachographs. Additionally, European environmental directives impose increasingly stringent carbon emission reductions on new commercial vehicle fleets.

• •The EU Mobility Package imposes mandatory rest periods for drivers and requires vehicles used in international transport to return to the operator's operational center every eight weeks.
• •Cabotage regulations strictly limit foreign carriers to a maximum of three cabotage operations within seven days of an international delivery, followed by a mandatory four-day cooling-off period.
• •Under current EU climate targets, manufacturers must reduce the average CO2 emissions of new heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) by 45% by 2030 and 90% by 2040.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Eurostat Road Freight Transport Statistics 2024 ·
• Eurostat Freight Transport Statistics - Modal Split 2024 ·
• CSO Ireland NACE Rev. 2 Classification Directory