Understanding Road Transportation in the Netherlands
Market Monday - Week 2 - Facts, figures and insights into road transportation in the Netherlands
About this series
The transportation landscape in Europe represents one of the world's most sophisticated logistics networks, where over thirty countries intersect in a complex web of trade routes and regulatory frameworks. This comprehensive series examines the key transport markets that drive Europe's logistics sector, offering data-driven insights and practical market intelligence.
Our analysis combines real-world data from the Transporeon platform with official statistics from Eurostat, focusing primarily on full truckload road transport while maintaining relevance for other transport segments.
The Dutch road transportation market
With a GDP of around 1.100 billion US dollars, the Netherlands ranks as the 5th most important economy within the EU. The country has deep roots and current presence in worldwide trade and it is not a surprise that efficient logistics and transportation solutions are vital in such an environment.
The Netherlands has one of Europe's densest and most developed road transport networks. Its strategic location, featuring major continental ports, makes it crucial for European countries - both as an important origin, destination and transit hub for shippers and transport operators.
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Demand characteristics
The Dutch road transport sector is predominantly international, with 69.2% of transport activities involving cross-border movements. This high percentage reflects the Netherlands' position as a key logistics hub with major European ports, facilitating the movement of goods to and from various European countries. Domestic transport, while still significant, accounts for only 30.8% of the total transport activities.
The country shows an outbound transport ratio of 55.3% versus 44.7% inbound. This suggests that the country is a major exporter of goods, leveraging its advanced infrastructure and strategic location to serve international markets. This imbalance stems from the Netherlands' role as both a key exporter and intercontinental gateway within Europe.
Germany (37.4%) and Belgium (30.0%) dominate inbound transport routes, reflecting strong economic ties with these neighboring countries. Outbound transport routes show a more dispersed pattern, though Germany (29.0%) and Belgium (19.1%) remain the primary destinations.
Toll characteristics
The Netherlands currently uses the Eurovignette system, a government-regulated toll system for heavy goods vehicles. The Eurovignette system is set to be replaced by a new toll system in 2027, which certainly brings changes to the toll costs and structure applied.
With a current price of 1250€ for a standard FTL EURO6 truck per year, the toll system does not impose a high cost burden on transport operators, which is beneficial for maintaining competitive transport rates in the Netherlands compared to other countries like e.g. Germany. As recently announced, the intended inclusion of CO2 in Eurovignette tariffs has been postponed to March 25th, 2025.
Capacity characteristics
In 2023, the Netherlands registered 14,000 new heavy trucks, marking a 16% increase from 2022, slightly above the European average of 15%. This reflects the growing demand for road transport services and carriers` focus on fleet modernization for environmental and efficiency standards.
Cabotage in the Netherlands stands at 1.8% (2023), which is below the European average of 4.4% for Western Europe and 0.1% for Eastern Europe (here cabotage refers to the transport of goods within a country by a foreign carrier). The relatively low share of cabotage in the Netherlands suggests that domestic carriers dominate the fragmented and rather short distance domestic market, although there is still a notable presence of foreign carriers. But, the foreign carriers play a vital role for international transportation, where they perform the majority of transports.
The country's low rejection rate fluctuation indicates stable capacity supply throughout the year, ensuring reliable order fulfillment and supporting efficient supply chains.
Infrastructure characteristics
Beyond its famous seaports, the Netherlands leads Europe in motorway network density with 83 meters of motorway per square kilometer. This extensive network enables efficient transport and faster transit times. Despite ranking 9th in goods transported per motorway kilometer, the infrastructure remains well-utilized above European average.
Due to its flat topography, well developed infrastructure and gateway function the Netherlands also owns major and strategic intermodal terminals to connect with intercontinental traffic but also serve as a major hub for inner European trade lanes between Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and France.
Rate characteristics
The Netherlands maintains medium-level rates across all three transport segments compared to other European countries. Rate differences between incoming and outgoing shipments reflect supply chain dynamics, fuel costs, and regulatory changes. Highest rate disparities exist with the UK, France and Poland.
Generally, eastbound transports run at lower rates than westbound ones. This creates cost-effective opportunities for shipping goods to Eastern European countries like Poland and Czechia, as carriers often seek backhaul opportunities here.
The average variation in spot rates in the Netherlands is 12.4%, reflecting moderate market price fluctuations in the spot market driven by seasonal demand and capacity availability. Understanding these variations is crucial for businesses to plan and to budget for their transport needs effectively.
Conclusion
The Dutch road transportation sector excels through its international focus and gateway role for intercontinental goods. It benefits from stable capacity and a well-maintained motorway network. The country's strategic location and efficient transport infrastructure makes it a key player in European logistics. However, the planned changes to the toll system in 2027 and the ongoing rate imbalances will require close monitoring to ensure continued efficiency and competitiveness in the sector. Though infrastructure risks remain minimal compared to countries like Germany, congestion harbors efficiency challenges despite the advanced road infrastructure.
Christian Dolderer
Lead Research Analyst
Transporeon