The Polish fleet is the European market leader and has ranked first in international activity since 2007. In terms of total activity, Poland competes with Germany for first place. However, the trends already reported in 2017, particularly with regard to work organisation, are continuing. Polish transport companies continue to face recruitment difficulties, as Polish drivers are increasingly turning away from this profession. They prefer medium-distance international journeys that allow them to return home every two weeks. The average annual mileage of a Polish driver has thus decreased from 128,000 km per year in 2017 to 126,400 km per year in 2019. It is also worth noting the increase in the minimum wage of more than £6,100 per year over two years. As for the variable portion, it is now calculated based on the number of days spent abroad, with different daily travel allowances depending on the countries visited, rather than per kilometre, in accordance with European regulations. In order to retain this workforce, transport companies do not hesitate to grant the maximum amount of daily travel allowances. Overall, the cost of a driver on a Polish contract increased by an average of +7.4% per annum between 2017 and 2019, with a total cost of £23,575 per annum in 2019.

With a view to retaining their drivers, companies are increasingly turning to full-service financial leasing for their vehicles. This financing method allows them to renew their fleet very regularly and offer the latest heavy goods vehicles. Drivers are not the only ones to have seen inflation since 2017. Toll charges have increased by +7.7% compared to 2017, mainly due to a general increase in tolls across Europe, particularly the Maut in Germany, the main transit country for Polish flag carriers. Vehicle ownership costs have also been affected, rising by +10.7% compared to 2017.

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