ACEA’s data reveals a wealth of interesting road freight insights. Let’s dive into them and see what we can uncover:
Firstly, in terms of total trucks on the road, Italy edges past Germany to claim the top spot at the end of 2023 with 978,039 trucks—just 366 more trucks than Germany.
Unsurprisingly, the top five is dominated by Europe’s largest economies: 1) Italy, 2) Germany, 3) Poland, 4) the UK, and 5) France. Notably, the Mediterranean giant Spain is nowhere to be seen, having dropped to 6th place.
Now, let’s look at some of the countries punching above their weight. Per capita, Lithuania leads with 29.1 trucks per 1,000 people, as the country boasted a total truck fleet of 83,666 at the close of 2023. This equates to roughly 34.3 people per truck. If each truck were adapted to pull a 20-foot container modified for passengers, the fleet could easily transport the entire population of Lithuania for one big joint holiday in the Mediterranean.
On a journey from Lithuania to Naples (approximately 2,300 km), each truck would consume about 690 litres of fuel. All 83,666 trucks would together consume roughly 57.7 million litres of diesel. At current Lithuanian diesel prices (€1.57 per litre), the total fuel bill would amount to approximately €90.6 million, or about €31.58 per person each way if divided equally among Lithuania’s entire population.
Poland follows with 22.7 trucks per 1,000 people, while Romania completes the top three with 19.8 trucks per 1,000 people. At the other end of the scale, Switzerland has the fewest trucks per capita, at just 7 per 1,000 people. Sweden (8.1) and Austria (8.2) round out the bottom three.
The UK’s truck fleet has grew the most between 2019 and 2023, adding an extra 172,921 trucks (+28.4%). Brexit has undoubtedly been a huge factor; the end of free movement necessitated the UK building its own fleet separate from the interconnected continental network.
Romania is by far the dark horse in this league table—ranking 3rd per capita, 2nd for growth (between 2019 and 2023), and 7th for total fleet size.
* rankings consider countries with total fleets over 50,000 trucks, not including Slovakia.
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
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
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