The landscape across European Truck Tolls is undergoing a transformation shaped by a combination of sustainability ambitions, regulatory reform, and economic pressure. In recent years, there has been a shift towards aligning toll charges with carbon emissions, in an effort to encourage logistic operators to transition to more environmentally friendly fleets. This shift is part of a broader trend as nations attempt to modernise infrastructure while simultaneously driving down emissions. This approach ties in with the EU’s Green Deal agenda, which places decarbonising road freight at its core.
Rather than flat rate charges, many countries are now adjusting tolls to reflect CO₂ output, thereby rewarding low-emission vehicles with reduced fees. Higher toll rates are being introduced, particularly in heavily congested city centres, both as a tool to discourage unnecessary traffic and to fund the ongoing upkeep and development of transport infrastructure. These congestion charges are designed not only to ease traffic congestion but also to mitigate against environmental destruction in city centres by discouraging high-emission vehicles from entering.
In order to more closely track these trends, Ti calculated a toll index that measures changes in truck toll rates across Europe over time. The index reveals that the most significant increase occurred in 2023, with a 13.2% spike. This was followed by a smaller rise of 2.1% in 2024 and a modest 0.7% anticipated for 2025. However, country-specific figures for 2025 shows moderate increases with Spain reporting a 4.6% rise, followed by 3.3% in Poland, 1.8% in Italy, 0.9% in France, and 0.4% in the United Kingdom. Czechia has introduced a notable 5.0% hike. Germany stands out with a substantial increase of 11.5% based on the tolls rates for Herren Tunnel and Warnow Tunnel.
These toll reforms are driven not only by inflationary trends but also by governments’ need to recoup infrastructure investments and internalise the environmental costs of road freight. Further, these reforms are more than the price increases, it is a change in structure regarding how tolling is being governed.
In 2025, Denmark made headlines by withdrawing from the Euro vignette system and shifting from time-based vignettes to a distance-based tolling model. This move reflects a growing preference for the “polluter pays” principle, where charges are based on kilometres driven and emissions produced, making the system more equitable and environmentally aligned. Bulgaria, too, has taken steps to modify its tolling structure in accordance with the updated Euro vignette directive, adjusting rates to account for CO₂ emissions.
The revised Euro vignette directive itself aims to harmonise toll regulations across EU member states by establishing a framework that links road charges to environmental impact. However, adoption remains uneven. While countries like Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Czechia have implemented these CO₂-based updates, others—such as Poland—are still lagging behind. This inconsistency creates a patchwork situation for international hauliers to navigate through a maze of disparate toll systems with their own sets of rules and economic consequences.
For road freight operators, awareness and adaptability in dealing with these changes are now imperative. Failure to address this could lead to unbudgeted costs, lost time at toll stations, or even fines due to non-compliance with evolving rules. Advance route planning, accurate emission classification of vehicles, and investment in digital toll monitoring solutions are becoming the go-to tools to guarantee cost-effectiveness in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Supply chain strategists can use GSCi – Ti’s online data platform – to identify opportunities for growth, support strategic decisions, help them stay abreast of industry trends and development, as well as understand future impacts on the industry.
Visit GSCI subscription to sign up today or contact Michael Clover for a free demonstration: [email protected] | +44 (0) 1666 519907
For your logistics and transportation management needs
Providing high frequency logistics and supply chain data and analysis for all those invested in the industry.