From Chaos to Resilience: European Road Logistics Amid the Pandemic

Bulgaria’s haulers rode the wave of a turbulent economy, capitalising on pandemic-created opportunities. The country’s haulers benefited from the growing economy, transporting more goods both nationally and internationally with a standout 72% upsurge in international routes, and a rediscovery of freight forwarding (+44%).

While Czechia reported modest GDP growth, their haulers managed an impressive 70% surge in international freight. Despite comparably lower goods export-import levels, they likely benefited from geographical advantage to expand into neighbouring territories. However, they struggled with a declining fleet size, marked by a 10% drop in trucks and a substantial 80% decrease in new truck registrations.

However, Romania focused on improving national freight, reporting a 26% increase, as its international shipments took a slight dip (-3%). This suggests a strategic shift to domestic routes, likely a response to an aging fleet, which saw a 6% increase in trucks over a decade old and a reduced rate of new truck registrations (-14%).

Hungary and Slovenia led the group with a 21% hike in using their own trucks for freight. Hungary’s haulers significantly invested in their capacity, marked by an 8% increase in new truck purchases. Conversely, Slovenia recorded one of the steepest declines in new truck registrations (-15%), but limited involvement in freight forwarding (3%) led to a shift towards prioritising their own fleet.

Bulgaria emerged as a frontrunner with a 44% jump in forwarding freight, signalling an increase in outsourcing transportation to meet the growing logistics demand. However, a decline in new truck registrations (-2%) and fleet size (-5%) suggests reliance on external transportation resources has been a must rather than an option.

Poland’s haulers saw a strategic expansion in their capacity, reflected in a 13% fleet size increase to accommodate growing freight volumes. The 26% increase in new truck registrations and a decrease in fleets younger than two years (-8%) demonstrate Poland’s strategic emphasis on fleet modernisation to ensure operational efficiency and competitiveness.
Despite not leading the group, Latviawitnessed a 19% increase in new vehicle registrations. On the other hand, Lithuania, though registering a slight decline (-3%) in new truck growth, was the only country to invest in LNG-powered trucks (143), with other countries adding fewer than 10 alternative fuel-powered trucks to their fleets.

None of the countries succeeded in increasing the number of trucks under two years old, but Poland and Hungary outshone their neighbours, reflecting significant investments in new trucks. Estonia notably reduced the number of decade-old trucks in its fleet, a move complemented by increased use of its own transport (17%) and a thriving economy marked by a surge in exports and imports.

The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the logistics industry, but road haulers across twelve nations embraced the chaos, seizing opportunities. From Bulgaria’s impressive surge in international routes and freight forwarding to Poland’s strategic fleet modernisation for operational efficiency, these nations demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and the sheer tenacity to weather the storm and position themselves for a robust post-pandemic future.