In 2024, European road freight transport picked up pace, though only slightly, compared to the previous year. According to Eurostat's report on road transport in EU member states, heavy goods vehicles moved a total of 1,869 billion tonne-kilometres, an increase of 0.6% over 2023. It is a small but meaningful step that confirms the sector has finally moved beyond the levels recorded before the pandemic. Behind this overall figure, however, lie diverging trends depending on the type of transport.
Domestic journeys, which account for just over 61% of total traffic, recovered somewhat with a 0.8% increase, while international routes—roughly a quarter of the total—saw a further decline of 1.5%. Cross-border competition, on the other hand, intensified: cross-trade, referring to traffic merely transiting through a country, grew by 3.5%, and road cabotage increased by 4.8%, with the two modes combined representing 14.1% of the Union's tonne-kilometres.
Poland remains firmly at the top among EU countries in terms of traffic, with 368 billion tonne-kilometres—nearly one-fifth of the entire market—followed by Germany (281 billion tonne-kilometres) and Spain (272 billion tonne-kilometres), while France (174 billion) and Italy (153 billion) follow at some distance. Together, these five countries account for 67% of total traffic, underscoring the highly concentrated nature of European road logistics.
The second tier, however, is showing signs of dynamism. The Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania and the Netherlands—each with volumes between 63 and 70 billion tonne-kilometres—are gaining ground, thanks to advanced intermodal platforms or strategic transit positions. While ten member states faced steep declines—the sharpest in Bulgaria (-18.6%), Portugal (-14%) and Luxembourg (-8.6%)—fifteen countries ended the year with growth. Slovakia (+15.9%), Latvia (+12.9%) and once again the Czech Republic (+8.5%) stood out in particular.
Poland’s case deserves special attention, as more than 64% of its traffic comes from international routes, cross-trade operations or cabotage—evidence of a logistics model oriented towards third-party services along the Baltic-Rhine axis. This model takes full advantage of the TEN-T corridors and the ongoing shift in manufacturing towards Eastern Europe.
As for the goods transported, the ranking remains unchanged. Food and beverages lead with 312 billion tonne-kilometres, highlighting the resilience of essential supply chains that have withstood even the energy crisis. Next come grouped freight (groupage), the mixed logistics backbone of online retail, at 237 billion, followed by agricultural products at 208 billion. Construction materials, minerals, chemicals, metals, paper, transport equipment and waste complete a basket dominated by basic commodities with high specific weight.
The distances covered confirm the dominance of medium-to-long hauls: journeys between 150 and 999 kilometres total 1,126 billion tonne-kilometres—more than half of the overall figure—and rose by 1.5%. In this segment, Poland (219 billion) and Germany (175 billion) once again lead, reflecting extensive domestic networks and a strong export orientation via road.
Nonetheless, concerns over sustainability persist. If the modest rebound of 2024 continues without a significant leap in efficiency—better load optimisation, fewer empty journeys, zero-emission fleets and shifting heavier goods to rail and waterways—emissions may begin to rise again, in direct conflict with Green Deal targets. For European logistics, 2025 opens with a double challenge: consolidating a still-fragile recovery while also accelerating the drive towards decarbonisation.
