What you need to know about the EU Road Package

What is EU road pricing, why do you have it and what does it really mean for you?
André Lundberg

Posted

30. June 2023

 - 

Read in

Table of contents

The EU Road Package is a collection of rules. The Road Package aims to ensure a level playing field in the transport industry in different EU countries. In the following, we'll go through what the EU Road Package is and how it can affect your freight costs.

What is the EU Road Package?

The road package contains several elements. This includes a provision that freight vehicles travelling internationally must return to the company's operations centre every 8 weeks at the latest.

 

One of the main reasons the road package was introduced was to ensure more local work for drivers who often drive for long periods without being near the company's operations centre.

More empty runs result in a new surcharge of 8-17%

Unfortunately, the implementation of the new rules has led to capacity issues. This happens because there is now more 'wasted journeys', which ultimately makes transport more expensive. The increased number of empty runs that are now required to fulfil the rules of the road package has resulted in higher costs for transport companies.

 

As a result, transport companies have had to find ways to mitigate these additional costs.

 

One of the most common solutions is to introduce an EU road parcel/mobility surcharge of 8-17%. This surcharge is added on top of the other shipping costs for customers.

 

This surcharge helps cover the additional costs incurred by the new regulations and ensures that transport companies can still provide efficient and reliable services to their customers.

 

While this surcharge may lead to an increase in freight costs for the customer, it will also ensure that drivers get more local work and thus a more sustainable work rhythm.

We are ready to help you

We hope this information has been useful and that you now have a better understanding of what the EU Road Package is and how it can affect your business.

 

If you have any questions or need help, you are welcome to Contact us. We are always ready to help you better manage your freight costs and optimise your business.

FAQ

What is the EU Road Package?

A set of rules for fair competition in the transport industry in the EU. One of the requirements is that cross-border freight vehicles must return to the company's operations centre at least every 8 weeks.

One of the main reasons the road package was introduced was to provide more local work for drivers who often drive for long periods without being near the company's operations centre.

The new rules have led to more wasted journeys and capacity issues, making transport more expensive. Some carriers impose an EU road package/mobility surcharge of 8-17%.

While this surcharge may lead to an increase in freight costs for the customer, it will also ensure that drivers get more local work and thus a more sustainable work rhythm.

Be the first to know what's happening with your freight costs.

The freight market moves fast — new surcharges, shifting rates and signals you should act on before they hit your budget. Our specialists track freight data from 340+ carriers across 18+ markets and share the insights in our newsletter, so you always know what to do. You'll get:


  • An overview of what's moving the freight market right now — and why
  • Benchmarks: where you stand against the market
  • Concrete recommendations on what to do now