1,869bn
EU road freight tonne-kilometres in 2024
Eurostat recorded a 0.6% increase from 2023, showing the scale of road freight that workforce plans must support.
Eurostat road freight data ->European Road Freight Workforce Planning Brief 2026
A source-backed brief using Eurostat, IRU, ELA and EU evidence to connect European road freight activity with practical driver manpower planning.
European road freight workforce planning brief 2026
Evidence at a glance
Published: 13 July 2026
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026
67%
of EU road freight carried by the five largest registered-fleet markets
Poland, Germany, Spain, France and Italy together represented about two-thirds of 2024 EU road freight performance.
Eurostat road freight data ->368bn
tonne-kilometres attributed to Polish-registered vehicles
Poland represented nearly one-fifth of EU road freight performance in 2024, the largest national contribution.
Eurostat road freight data ->281bn
tonne-kilometres attributed to German-registered vehicles
Germany accounted for 15% of the EU total, reinforcing the need to separate depot, domestic and cross-border route requirements.
Eurostat road freight data ->Methodology
Logistics Manpower combined Eurostat's 2024 road freight activity with IRU driver-shortage findings and European Labour Authority workforce evidence. We then reviewed official EU material on professional driver qualifications and third-country driver pathways. The planning commentary is an editorial synthesis for transport operations teams; it is not a forecast model or a live vacancy count.
How to read the evidence
Freight performance is reported by vehicle registration country and does not reveal where every driver worked or where vacancies arose. IRU figures are survey estimates, while Eurostat figures are official transport statistics. Use the evidence to frame route, licence, shift and sourcing questions, then validate the details for the actual operating country and depot.
Five national fleets accounted for 67% of EU road freight performance
| Vehicle registration country | 2024 tonne-kilometres | Share of EU total | Workforce planning question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 368 billion | Nearly 20% | Which international, bilateral or domestic lanes need C or C+E cover? |
| Germany | 281 billion | 15% | Which depots, shifts and route countries create the manpower requirement? |
| Spain | 272 billion | 15% | Does the work involve long-distance, cross-border or national distribution routes? |
| France | 174 billion | 9% | What language, regional route and customer-contact requirements apply? |
| Italy | 153 billion | 8% | Which regions, trailer types and cross-border lanes shape driver fit? |
The first three columns reproduce or calculate from Eurostat's published 2024 figures. The workforce planning questions are Logistics Manpower's editorial interpretation. Review the Eurostat release ->
Primary sources
The brief uses public institutional and industry sources. Each link opens the original publisher page so the evidence can be checked directly.
- 01Open source ->
Operators deeply concerned by worsening driver shortage: new IRU report
International Road Transport Union (IRU) | 30 June 2026
Reports the 2025 global driver shortage survey findings, including the European shortage rate, unfilled positions, operator concerns and expected retirements.
- 02Open source ->
EU road freight transport saw 0.6% increase in 2024
Eurostat | 9 July 2025
Provides EU road freight tonne-kilometres for 2024 and the contribution of the five largest national registered-fleet markets.
- 03Open source ->
European road freight transport methodology
Eurostat | Official metadata
Explains the scope, concepts, data collection and comparability limits behind European road freight statistics.
- 04Open source ->
Labour shortages and surpluses in Europe 2024
European Labour Authority | 2025 publication
Documents persistent shortages in transport and storage and describes qualification and language barriers that can limit cross-border matching.
- 05Open source ->
Bus and truck drivers from third countries
Publications Office of the European Union | 2026 study
Reviews conditions, procedures, skills and certificates affecting third-country bus and truck drivers across EU and selected non-EU countries.
- 06Open source ->
Directive (EU) 2022/2561 on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers
EUR-Lex | Official consolidated legal source
Primary EU source for the professional driver qualification framework covering relevant C and D licence categories and periodic training.
Turn freight evidence into an operating brief
Freight statistics describe market scale. A workforce plan becomes useful when that context is translated into the lanes, vehicles, licence categories, shifts and depots that are exposed in the employer's own network.
Separate national and cross-border work
Domestic distribution, bilateral transport, EU transit and multi-country long-haul routes can require different experience and language readiness. Name the route countries and the work pattern instead of relying on a broad country label.
Distinguish C and C+E requirements
Rigid truck cover and articulated trailer work should be planned separately. Add trailer type, loading routine, tachograph context, CPC or ADR expectations, night-outs and customer-contact requirements where they matter.
- C category rigid truck and distribution work
- C+E, CE or Category CE trailer and articulated vehicle work
- Specialist, refrigerated, tanker or ADR context
Use route pressure to time the request
Repeated uncovered shifts, subcontractor pressure, seasonal peaks, new lanes and planned fleet growth are useful triggers. Starting with those operating facts helps distinguish urgent cover from a phased manpower requirement.
Compare sourcing routes against one requirement
Europe-ready drivers may suit immediate discussions, while India, wider Asian and Gulf-experienced channels can support planned phases. Compare each route against the same licence, language, document, mobility, training and start-readiness questions.
Workforce planning details to record
Keep one operational record covering the country, depot, routes, shift pattern, vehicle, licence, driver count, language, document support, accommodation, training and target start timing.
- Route and shift pressure
- Vehicle, trailer and licence details
- Driver volume and hiring phases
- Language, document, mobility and onboarding needs
Useful next steps
Use these pages when your team wants to move from a general driver gap to a specific service, country or request path.
Related page
Request truck and trailer drivers
Send country, vehicle, licence, route, language, documentation and start-date details.
View details ->Related pageEurope-ready driver pool
Prioritise Europe-based or Europe-ready truck and trailer driver profiles.
View details ->Related pageDriver documentation and visa support
Add documentation, visa, mobility and candidate training readiness needs.
View details ->Related pageIndia and Gulf driver manpower
Plan India, wider Asian and Gulf-experienced driver manpower for European transport routes.
View details ->Related pageThird-country driver manpower planning
Prepare India, Asia, Gulf and wider third-country driver manpower details before the first call.
View details ->Related pageCorridor-based driver manpower
Plan EU transit, bilateral long-haul, national freight and depot-to-depot truck driver manpower.
View details ->Questions transport employers ask
How much road freight did the EU record in 2024?
Eurostat reported 1,869 billion tonne-kilometres of EU road freight in 2024, an increase of 0.6% from 2023.
Which national fleets accounted for most EU road freight activity?
Vehicles registered in Poland, Germany, Spain, France and Italy together represented 67% of EU road freight tonne-kilometres in 2024.
Can freight volume be used as a driver vacancy figure?
No. Tonne-kilometres measure freight activity, not vacancies. Use them as market context, then define the employer's actual route, depot, vehicle, licence, shift and timing requirements.
What belongs in a road freight workforce plan?
Record the operating country, depot, routes, vehicle and trailer type, licence category, driver count, shifts, language needs, document support, sourcing preference, training and target start timing.
Driver request
European Road Freight Workforce Planning Brief 2026
Keep the request close to the real transport problem. Clear lane, vehicle, licence and timing details make it easier to discuss driver options that fit your operation.
Country, depot and operating region
Truck or trailer driver volume and shift cover
C, C+E, CPC, ADR, tachograph and language requirements
Documents, visa, travel and candidate training details