Spanish road freight transport (RFT) stands out in Europe due to the multiple collective agreements that exist within the country. In total, there are 55 collective agreements, equivalent to one collective agreement per province. Of these 55 collective agreements, 30 are currently in force. Depending on the collective agreement applied, there are significant wage differences between provinces. In 2020, the gross annual salary of a driver ranges from €27,498 in the province of Vizcaya (Basque Country) to €13,034 in the province of Orense (Galicia), i.e. a twofold difference. Due to these significant disparities, the CNR decided to focus its analysis on two autonomous communities: the Basque Country and Catalonia. There are two reasons for this choice: their geographical proximity to France and their competition with the French flag. 

This new study highlights several developments. The cost of driving in Catalonia has increased by 9.7% since 2015, rising from €37,890/year to €41,565/year in 2020. This is mainly due to an increase in the legal minimum in collective agreements for both gross base salary and travel allowances. The driver's position is not the only one to have experienced inflation since 2015. Tolls have increased by +25% compared to 2015, mainly due to a generalised increase in tolls in Europe, particularly in Germany, and Belgium's switch to a kilometre-based tax. Maintenance and repairs have also been affected, rising by 18.2% compared to 2015, as have ownership costs, which have risen by 8.2%. Conversely, insurance costs have fallen by 13% compared to 2015.

Ultimately, according to CNR calculations, the cost per kilometre of a 40-tonne Spanish heavy goods vehicle operated by a Catalan carrier on long-distance international routes, excluding structural costs, stands at €0.89 compared with €0.84 in 2015, an increase of 6.1% since the last study. 

The CNR invites you to discover this new study dedicated to Spanish TRM.