Road Freight Gains EU Market Share While Other Modes Decline

Road freight has become the sole transport mode to increase its market share across the European Union over the past ten years, a development that reflects structural changes in logistics networks and supply chain preferences. While rail, inland waterways, and intermodal solutions have faced headwinds, the resilience and flexibility of road transport—particularly for last-mile delivery and time-sensitive shipments—have driven shippers to rely more heavily on trucking. This trend has important implications for infrastructure planning, carbon footprint targets, and capacity management across European supply chains.

The modal shift underscores growing e-commerce volumes, just-in-time manufacturing demands, and the competitive advantages of road networks in reaching distributed customer bases. However, the concentration of freight volume on roads raises concerns about congestion, driver availability, and alignment with EU sustainability goals. Supply chain professionals must balance cost and service objectives against emerging regulatory pressures and labor constraints in the trucking sector.

This decade-long trend suggests that logistics networks have been optimized around road transport capabilities rather than alternative modes. Organizations should reassess their mode mix strategy, evaluate opportunities to shift non-urgent cargo to rail or inland waterways, and prepare for potential regulatory interventions aimed at rebalancing modal choice across the continent.