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Posted on 28/10/2025
Hello, mate.
Do you ship by road or courier? Then you can expect higher freight costs in the near future - price increases in Europe and the reintroduction of Demand Surcharge.
Let's start by looking at road transport.
Road Transport Price Increases From 1 November | Info
From 1 November 2025, more carriers will be increasing the price of road transport across Europe - and there are several factors behind this:
- Higher labour and operating costs - Carriers are seeing rising costs across Europe, especially for staff and daily operations
- Increased environmental and road tolls - More countries are introducing stricter environmental requirements and higher road taxes
- Capacity challenges - Driver shortage continues to squeeze the market
- Green transition - Investing in emission-reducing solutions and sustainable operations costs
So, there are several factors that are currently putting pressure on carriers, forcing them to raise prices to ensure the capacity and quality that the market demands.
And the price increases, they vary from region to region. Based on data from carriers in the market, the expected increases look like this:
- Denmark (DK-DK): 4-5%
- North (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Baltics): 7-8%
- Europe (other countries and cross trade): 5-6%
Other players report increases of 4.8-8.8% for imports and exportsso the picture is fairly consistent across the market - even for those who haven't released the information yet, but are on a "rumour basis".
In addition to this minor fee adjustments are also expected on environmental surcharges, booking fees and customs handling, among other things.
The capacity fee is back
Major international courier companies reintroduce capacity fees (Demand Surcharge) Majority of carriers starts the fee in October 2025 and expects to keep it at least until the end of Q1 2026.
The reintroduction of Demand Surcharge is to meet the increasing demand and capacity challenges in the global transport chain, especially during peak season.
The fee isn't new, we've seen it introduced before. But it does affect your bottom line, so let's look at the numbers and see what you can expect.
A capacity fee - or Demand Surcharge - is a temporary surcharge per kilowhich carriers use to compensate for the extra costs associated with peak seasons and capacity shortages.
Right now it is Typically between €0.10 and €0.80 per kilo - depending on the service and region. It may sound modest, but it can quickly add up to larger volumes.
Just like the price increases in road transport, Demand Surcharge must also ensure that carriers can continue to provide stable and timely services - even under high load.
3 things you should be aware of
1. Include capacity fees in budgets and tenders for 2026
Capacity fees can significantly change the overall economics of your courier shipments - especially if you ship a lot in Q4 and Q1.
2. Check if the oil/fuel surcharge also applies to the capacity fee
Not all operators handle it the same way. For some, the fuel surcharge is also calculated on the capacity fee, making the actual price higher than it appears at first glance.
3. Follow the development continuously
Surcharges change - often from month to month or quarterly depending on market conditions.
That's all for this round.
As always, let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Sincerely yours
André Lundberg
CEO & Co-Founder