Highway freight operators throughout Europe are persevering with to face rising toll prices as EU member states introduce new charging constructions designed to help environmental targets and shift the sector towards lower-emission transport.
Analysis from Transport Intelligence (Ti), Upply and the Worldwide Highway Transport Union (IRU) exhibits toll-related bills rose throughout most European markets in Q2 2025, with Latvia being the one exception. Girteka estimates that tolls now account for round 14% of freight prices and as much as 23% on sure single-trip routes, influencing planning, procurement and pricing.
A number of nations, together with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Slovakia, are transitioning from time-based vignettes to digital, distance-based tolling programs. Some now additionally incorporate CO₂ emissions into pricing formulation. Underneath the revised Eurovignette Directive, time-based tolls for heavy items autos (HGVs) on the Trans-European Transport Community should be phased out by 2030.
Nevertheless, the sector continues to face constraints in shifting to zero-emission autos because of vary limitations and charging availability. As Mark Mulder, Chief Industrial Officer at Girteka Logistics, notes:
“We provide battery-electric vehicles to prospects, together with check initiatives and even electrical truck supply simulations, earlier than they decide. The whole lot is there to go forward and trial. But when we take a look at demand at present, it’s merely not there at a scalable stage. Most purchasers are nonetheless cautious about integrating BEVs into their common flows.”
Latest reform examples present differing ranges of disruption. Denmark’s shift to a CO₂-linked kilometer toll in January 2025 created operational uncertainty for carriers required to put in new onboard units.
Oksana Tomaševičienė, Gas and Toll Features Staff Lead at Girteka Transport, commented:
“These modifications have introduced us many obstacles, as we now have a big fleet of vehicles and had little time to formulate a transparent motion plan… The scenario highlighted the truth that readability, well timed data from authorities establishments, and buffer time are crucial for carriers when nations are introducing new toll rules.”
By comparability, Germany’s toll enhance in late 2023 was adopted extra easily because of earlier discover, enabling logistics suppliers to arrange and regulate pricing.
Because the EU accelerates its push towards greener transport, operators are more and more counting on digital route optimisation and planning instruments to handle price publicity whereas sustaining service ranges. The problem forward shall be balancing regulatory momentum towards decrease emissions with the operational realities of long-haul freight.
