Road freight transport statistics - cabotage

Data extracted in October 2021.

Planned article update: November 2022.

Highlights

Cabotage accounted for 4.9% of national road freight transport for hire and reward in the EU in 2020.

Cabotage for the EU increased by only 0.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2020, compared with 0.7 percentage points from 2015 to 2018.

More than half of the cabotage in the EU in 2020 was performed in Germany.

Polish hauliers performed 45% of all EU cabotage in 2020.

Development of road freight cabotage transport, EU, 2015-2020

This article presents the road freight cabotage transport in the European Union (EU) up to and including 2020. The impact of the Covid pandemic was not so visible on cabotage transport as it was for national and international transport. The trends in cabotage are presented both from the perspective of the hauliers performing cabotage in other countries, and from the perspective of the countries where this cabotage takes place. Cabotage is defined as freight transport carried out in one country by hauliers registered in another country. As national transport markets within the EU are not yet fully liberalised, the level of cabotage (together with cross-trade, i.e. transport between two countries that are carried out by hauliers from a third country), may be seen as a sign of market integration.

This article, together with the articles 'Road freight transport statistics', 'Road freight transport by vehicle characteristics', 'Road freight transport by type of goods' and 'Road freight transport by journey characteristics' present a complete overview of road freight transport in Europe.

Full article

Cabotage accounted for 4.9 % of national road freight tonne-kilometres for hire and reward in the EU in 2020

From the perspective of a reporting country and its hauliers, cabotage is considered as international transport as it takes place on the territory of another country. From the perspective of the country in which the transport takes place, it could be considered as national transport for hire and reward since goods are transported by foreign trucks from one location to another within the country.

At EU level, cabotage transport represents only a small share of national road freight transport for hire and reward: in 2020, this share was 4.9 % of the tonne-kilometres (tkm) performed by EU hauliers, up 0.2 percentage points (pp) from 4.7 % in 2019 (see Figure 1).

As road cabotage transport represents only a small part of road transport for hire and reward on the national territory and as data are collected on the basis of sample surveys, the accuracy of data on cabotage is generally lower than the accuracy of other transport variables. The percentage standard error of cabotage transport varies significantly from country to country, both in tonne-kilometres and in tonnes.

The so-called ‘cabotage penetration rate for hire and reward transport’ is the main indicator used to assess the extent of cabotage within the national transport markets in the EU. It is defined as the share of cabotage transport in total national transport of a country (national transport for hire and reward and cabotage transport). Thus, it does not consider any transport that companies do on their own account, using their own trucks and lorries.

The cabotage penetration rate in the EU increased from 3.5 % in 2015 to 4.1 % in 2016 and 4.6 % in 2017, before falling to 4.2 % in 2018. However, as mentioned above, the cabotage penetration subsequently picked up again with 4.7 % and 4.9 % in 2019 and 2020, respectively (Figure 1). Over the whole period 2015-2020, the cabotage penetration rate thus increased by 1.4 pp.

In 2020, the highest cabotage penetration rate among the EU Member States was recorded in Luxembourg with 19.9 %, far ahead of Germany (9.9 %), Austria and Belgium (both 9.2 %). Together with France (8.2 %), these were the only Member States consistently having a cabotage penetration of 5 % or more throughout the period 2015-2020. The cabotage penetration grew considerably also in Estonia; in 2020, at 5.3 %, it was 4.4 pp higher than in 2015.

In stark contrast, Poland, which is one of the major road transport providers in the EU, only recorded a cabotage penetration of 0.1-0.2 % in its own national transport market throughout this period. Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Finland, Croatia, Hungary, Spain, Czechia, Greece and Portugal also recorded cabotage penetration of less than 2 % in their national transport markets throughout the whole period 2015-2020.

Compared with 2019, in 2020 the rate in Luxembourg rose sharply by 9.3 pp, following an increase by 2.8 pp the year before. In Germany, there was also an upward trend in the cabotage penetration rate in these two most recent years, with an increase by 1.4 pp in 2019 and 1.1 pp in 2020. Ireland stood out with a fall of 2.8 pp to 0.3 % in 2020, compared with rates in the range of 2.5 % to 3.6 % throughout the period 2015-2019.

Figure 1: Cabotage penetration rate, 2015, 2019 and 2020
(% share of transport for hire and reward on the national territory, in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott), (road_go_ca_c)

In terms of transport performance measured in tonne-kilometres, cabotage in the EU has been increasing almost continuously since 2015, with only a limited fall in 2018, reaching 47.1 billion tonne-kilometres in 2019 and 49.3 billion tonne-kilometres in 2020. Germany remained the country with the highest level of cabotage performance in its national transport market, rising from almost 12.4 billion tonne-kilometres in 2015 to over 25.6 billion in 2020. France, with the second highest level of cabotage performance, grew slowly from 8.4 billion tonne-kilometres in 2015 to reach 12.3 billion tonne-kilometres in 2020. The level of cabotage performance in other Member States was much smaller, with Italy recording 2.3 billion tonne-kilometres in both 2019 and 2020, and Spain recording 2.1 billion tonne-kilometres in 2019 and 1.8 billion tonne-kilometres in 2020. For all other Member States and years in the period 2015-2020, the cabotage performance was below 2 billion tonne-kilometres (see Table 1).

Table 1: Cabotage, by country where it takes place, 2015-2020
(million tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_c)

In terms of cabotage performed in the national markets of the other EU Member States (in tonne-kilometres), hauliers from Poland continued to carry out by far the largest share of cabotage transport in the EU. In 2019, Poland accounted for 42.4 % of freight cabotage for hire and reward in the EU, rising to 45.2 % in 2020. This was substantially higher than for any other Member State. Lithuania was the second largest provider of cabotage transport, with 10.3 % of total EU cabotage in 2019 and 11.1 % in 2020, followed by Romania in third place with 8.3 % in 2019, falling to 6.6 % in 2020 (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Cabotage in the EU, performed by hauliers from reporting countries, 2019 and 2020
(% share in total EU cabotage, in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

Around one half of the cabotage transport performed within the EU (in tonne-kilometres) takes place in Germany. In 2019, 48.7 % of the cabotage movements in the EU were performed on German national territory, rising to 52.0 % in 2020. Approximately one quarter of the cabotage performance in the EU takes place in France, with 26.1 % in 2019, decreasing to 24.9 % in 2020. The remaining quarter of the total EU cabotage performance was performed in the rest of the Member States, with Italy (4.9 % in 2019; 4.7 % in 2020) followed by Spain (4.5 %; 3.6 %) (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Cabotage in the EU, by country in which the cabotage took place, 2019 and 2020
(% share in total EU cabotage, in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_c)

Cabotage is not always performed by hauliers from neighbouring countries

Tables 2a and 2b show in which countries the top five cabotage performers, i.e. Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands, mainly carry out cabotage transport (in tonne-kilometres); Table 2a presents the data for 2019, Table 2b for 2020. Until a few years ago, most cabotage transport was carried out in neighbouring countries. This has changed in recent years, in particular for hauliers from Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

Almost three quarters of the cabotage performed by Polish hauliers in the other EU Member States takes place in Germany: in 2019, Germany accounted for 72.9 % of Polish cabotage performance, increasing slightly to 73.5 % in 2020. Polish hauliers also carried out some cabotage in France and Sweden, although to a lesser degree. Cabotage in France represented 12.1 % of total Polish cabotage in 2019 and 13.8 % in 2020, while the corresponding shares for Sweden were 2.6 % and 2.2 % respectively.

Lithuania performed most of its cabotage in countries with which it had no land borders. Just over 40 % was performed in France (41.6 % in 2019, 40.8 % in 2020), with somewhat less being performed in Germany (38.1 % and 36.0 % respectively). The other Member States were of less significance to Lithuanian cabotage, with Sweden being the third largest with 3.9 % in 2019, while Italy took over this place in 2020 with 4.7 % .

The same two transport markets, France and Germany, were also the main countries for cabotage for Romanian hauliers. In both 2019 and 2020, France had the highest share at 28.7 % and 27.4 %, respectively, with Germany following closely at 27.4 % and 24.3 % in these two years.

In contrast, for hauliers from Spain and the Netherlands, their neighbouring countries are the main markets for cabotage. For Spanish hauliers, France accounts for around 90 % of all cabotage, with 89.2 % in 2019 increasing slightly to 90.3 % in 2020. For Dutch hauliers, one half (52.5 % in 2019; 53.0 % in 2020) of total cabotage is made in Germany, with close to 30 % being made in Belgium (28.6 % in 2019; 29.5 % in 2020).

Table 2a: Top five cabotage performing countries and the countries in which they carry out cabotage, 2019
(% share in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_hac)

Table 2b: Top five cabotage performing countries and the countries in which they carry out cabotage, 2020
(% share in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_hac)

Tables 3a and 3b show the five countries where the highest cabotage in the EU was performed (in tonne-kilometres) and the nationality of the hauliers that performed the largest parts of this cabotage. Table 3a presents the data for 2019, Table 3b for 2020.

The highest number of tkm of cabotage was performed in Germany in both 2019 and 2020. Polish hauliers performed two thirds of all cabotage in Germany in both years, with 66.7 % and 66.9 %, respectively. Lithuania was the second largest cabotage provider, but with far lower shares: 8.5 % in 2019, 8.1 % in 2020.

France recorded the second highest volume of cabotage, measured in tkm. The two largest cabotage performers in France, Spain and Poland, switched positions from 2019 to 2020: in 2019, Spain accounted for the highest share (21.3 %), ahead of Poland (20.7 %); in 2020, Poland performed the highest share (26.2 %), ahead of Spain (20.2 %). Not too far behind these two came Lithuania, with a share of cabotage in France of 17.3 % in 2019 and 19.1 % in 2020.

For cabotage in Italy, Polish hauliers retained the highest share from 2019 to 2020, with 19.0 % and 16.1 %, respectively. Behind Poland, Romania fell from second place in 2019 (13.5 %) to third in 2020 (13.9 %), while Slovenia rose from third place in 2019 (12.9 %) to second in 2020 (15.2 %). In Spain, Romania and Portugal each accounted for around one third of the cabotage, with Romania performing the highest share (34.3 %) ahead of Portugal (33.8 %) in 2019, while Portugal performed the highest share (33.1 %) ahead of Romania (29.8 %) in 2020. Poland was the third largest cabotage performer in Spain both years. In Sweden, Polish hauliers accounted for around 30 % of all cabotage (31.9 % in 2019; 29.6 % in 2020). Together, the shares of Latvian hauliers (16.2 %; 14.0 %) and Lithuanian hauliers (11.4 %; 13.4 %) were almost at the same level as for Poland.

Table 3a: Top five countries with most cabotage performed and the main countries performing it, 2019
(% share in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_hac)

Table 3b: Top five countries with most cabotage performed and the main countries performing it, 2020
(% share in tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ca_hac)

Strong relative growth in cabotage by Croatian and Lithuanian hauliers since 2015

From 2015 to 2020, cabotage performance grew in 11 of the 25 Member States for which data are available. The highest average annual growth rates in cabotage performed were observed for Croatia (+58.2 %, although at a low level in absolute terms), Lithuania (+35.7 %) and France (+20.2 %), ahead of Poland (+16.0 %) and Romania (+11.7 %).

In contrast, the highest average falls 2015-2020 were recorded for Denmark (-17.0 %), Sweden (-8.3 %), Germany (-5.1 %), Estonia (-4.6 %) and Belgium (-4.2 %) (see Table 4).

Table 4: Cabotage performance by hauliers' country of registration, 2015-2020
(million tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

For seven Member States, in 2020 cabotage activity reached its lowest level since 2015: Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden. Indeed, for hauliers from Denmark and the Netherlands, the cabotage tonne-kilometres fell every year from 2015 to 2020. Overall, cabotage levels were also lower in 2020 than in 2015 for Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Luxembourg and Finland, although some increases were recorded in the individual years.

Figure 4 presents the five Member States that recorded the highest increases in cabotage performance in tonne-kilometres over the period 2015 to 2020. The highest increase, by 13.7 billion tkm, was recorded by Polish hauliers, followed by Lithuania (+4.8 billion tkm) and Romania (+1.6 billion tkm, despite a fall by -0.7 billion tkm from 2019 to 2020). Among these five countries, Lithuania recorded the strongest increase in terms of percentage (+524 %), followed by France (+202 %) and Poland (+144 %).

At the other end of the scale, Figure 5 presents the five Member States that recorded the highest falls in cabotage performance for the same period. Generally, these falls were much more moderate than the increases seen in Figure 4. The largest fall was recorded for German hauliers, with cabotage performance in 2020 being 486 million tkm lower than in 2015. Similar falls were also noted for the Netherlands (-368 million tkm), Belgium (-345 million tkm), Luxembourg (-301 million tkm) and Denmark (-259 million tkm). In terms of percentage, this represented a decline of -67 % for Denmark, followed by Germany (-27 %), Belgium (-23 %), Luxembourg (-20 %) and the Netherlands (-16 %).

Figure 4: Cabotage performance increase, selected countries, 2015, 2019 and 2020
(million tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

Figure 5: Cabotage performance decrease, selected countries, 2015, 2019 and 2020
(million tonne-kilometres)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

Polish hauliers carried by far the highest share of tonnes in cabotage

The trends in volume (tonnes) of goods transported in cabotage was similar to the trends in tonne-kilometres. Polish hauliers carried by far the largest volume of goods in cabotage in 2020, followed by Dutch hauliers (see Figure 6). While there was a slight decrease in the volumes transported in cabotage by Dutch hauliers since 2015 (-12 %), Polish hauliers more than doubled their cabotage performance (+139 %). The highest relative rise between 2015 and 2020 was registered by Lithuanian hauliers (+439 %), while Romanian hauliers (+91 %) also almost doubled their cabotage volumes over this period.

Figure 6: Tonnes of freight transported in cabotage operations, by haulier's registration country, 2015, 2019 and 2020
(thousand tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

Figure 7 shows the development of road freight cabotage transport in the EU in terms of tonne-kilometres, tonnes and vehicle-kilometres (vkm), as indices based on 2015=100. Since 2015, cabotage transport has grown continuously and with similar trends for the three units, with the exception of a temporary decline for all three indices in 2018, although the changes have been slightly less pronounced for tonnes compared with tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres.

Cabotage transport measured in tonne-kilometres and vehicle-kilometres reached index values of 62 % and 60 % above the 2015 figures, respectively, while the transport measured in tonnes increased by 45 %. This may be a reflection of changes in the supply chain, involving cabotage movements over longer distances.

Figure 7: Development of road freight cabotage transport, EU, 2015-2020 (index 2015=100)
(2013=100)
Source: Eurostat (road_go_ta_tott)

Source data for tables and graphs

Road freight transport - cabotage

Data sources

Croatia: While Croatia had no obligation prior to accession in 2013, it started reporting data for the reference year 2008.

Malta: Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 does not apply to Malta, so long as the number of Maltese-registered goods road transport vehicles licensed to engage in international transport does not exceed 400 vehicles.

Finland: National and international surveys have been harmonised and follow a common methodology from Q1 2011 onwards, leading to a break in time series in 2011.

Sweden: A break in series was produced in 2014 following a change in methodology. On the basis of a specific survey, Sweden corrected the European road freight survey results for trucks participating in the sample which were not in use over the surveyed period.

EU totals calculated in this publication refer to road freight transport reported by the EU Member States, excluding Malta which is currently exempt from reporting road freight statistics.

Total transport

Total transport includes national transport, international transport of goods loaded in the reporting countries, international transport of goods unloaded in the reporting countries, cross-trade and cabotage

Cabotage

Definition and history: Cabotage is declared by Member States for hauliers registered in their country that performed transport on the national territory of another country. From the point of view of the reporting country, it is considered as international transport, from the point of view of the movements of goods, it could be considered as national transport.

With the aim of increasing transport efficiency and reducing the number of empty journeys, cabotage transport was gradually introduced in 1990 through authorisation quotas (quantitative restrictions) and further liberalised in 1998 in the EU-15 (hauliers are allowed up to three cabotage operations within 7 days following an incoming international carriage). The cabotage regime was extended to the EFTA states (except Switzerland) following the creation of the EEA (European Economic Area). Cabotage between EU-15 and the Member States that joined the EU in 2004 was liberalised in May 2009 and in January 2012 for Bulgaria and Romania. Cabotage for Croatian hauliers is allowed in some EU Member States since July 2015 and was then extended to all Member States.

Cabotage penetration rate: Share of cabotage transport in total national transport, where total national transport is the sum of national transport (for hire and reward) and cabotage transport (in that country).

Data reliability: As road cabotage transport represents only a small percentage of total road transport and as data are collected on the basis of sample surveys, the importance of cabotage could sometimes either be over- or underestimated. Percentage standard error (PSE, 95% confidence interval) of cabotage transport is typically 5-40% for tonnes and 5-30% for tonne-kilometres. Furthermore, variability in cabotage transport performance often occurs due to ‘haulage contracts’ that have a limited validity. A haulier might thus perform cabotage transport operations in one year and lose this market to a transport operator registered in a different country the next year.

Data availability: The figures presented in this publication have been extracted from Eurostat’s free dissemination database and reflect the state of data availability on 25/10/2021.

In this article:

1 billion = 1 000 000 000
"- "not applicable
": "not available

Context

Data presented in this publication were collected in the framework of Regulation (EU) No 70/2012 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road (recast). These data are based on sample surveys carried out in the reporting countries, i.e. the EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and Montenegro, and record the freight transport undertaken by road vehicles registered in these countries.

Reporting countries use their own national surveys for the collection of data based on returns from road hauliers. The results are microdata referring to vehicles and their linked journeys, providing detailed information on goods transported. At the European level, common aggregation procedures that might diverge from national practices have been used. Differences might therefore occur between the figures in this publication and national values. For the distinction between national and international transport, journey related information is used at European level, which might cause differences in corresponding values from those countries that are using goods-related information for these statistics.