Poland reaffirmed its status as a pivotal country for road transport in Europe in 2023, accounting for one-fifth of all transport operations, according to Eurostat. Polish trucks, particularly those operating between Poland and Germany, moved the second largest volume of goods within the EU.
Poland’s Dominance in EU Transport
Eurostat’s data revealed that Poland’s share of the EU’s total road transport operations was 20.3% last year. This placed Poland ahead of Germany (15.4%) and Spain (14.2%). Polish carriers were essential in transporting goods between EU member states, dominating 13 out of the 20 key intra-EU transport routes. On four additional major routes, Poland was either the starting or ending point.
Despite maintaining the lead, Poland saw a minor decline in its road transport sector in 2023. Polish trucks performed nearly 377 billion ton-kilometers, down from just over 385 billion in 2022. Eurostat noted that 2022 had seen a surge in road transport across Europe as economies rebounded post-pandemic.
Germany remains the central player in intra-EU road freight, with the largest volume of goods transported between Germany and the Netherlands, totaling 83.3 million tons. The flow between Germany and Poland was the second highest at 69.2 million tons. Despite this, German carriers only managed 3.5% of the transport between Poland and Germany, with Polish carriers handling 95% of these operations.