European transport operators expect prices to rise

European road transport operators are expecting prices to rise by between one and five per cent this year as a result of driver shortages, according to a survey of 1,000 operators by Transporeon.

The study, entitled Capacity, Pricing & Technology: 2019 European Road Transport Survey, found that 16 per cent of the operators believe Brexit will have an impact on transport prices as well.

Oliver Kahrs, chief executive of Transporeon company Tim Consult, said: “The expected price increases could be related to the development of fuel prices. As shown by our web-based data analysis tool Transport Market Monitor, on monthly price and capacity developments for European road transport, diesel prices rose gradually from January to May 2019. Prices eased slightly in June, although the general price level remained high.

Thomas Einsiedler, chief product officer at Transporeon, said: “It fits with this assessment that the development of diesel and fuel prices is regarded by the majority of carriers (59 per cent) as the most important influencing factor for this year’s business development, followed by concerns about overall economic development (57 per cent). The driver shortage, a topic which dominated the conversation in the first survey in 2018, has lost some of its importance this year.”