Ti is pleased to announce that the latest edition of its best-selling report, European Road Freight Transport 2016, is now available to purchase. As with previous years, the report provides industry leading analysis of Ti’s bespoke market size data, forecasts and analysis of the domestic and international road freight markets from both a regional and country-level perspective.
Ti Economist, David Buckby, explained, “Both 2015 and 2016 appear to be years where the European road freight market has once again grown in the low single digits. The underlying demand environment appears to have been a little better in 2015 and 2016 than in 2014, though lower diesel prices have curtailed overall growth.”
The main driver of change in road freight pricing is the cost of fuel. Buckby continued, “It is perhaps surprising that cheaper fuel has not had more of a negative impact on market growth, though other costs continue to rise and in any case there is no guarantee that lower overall costs translate perfectly to lower rates, in the short run or otherwise.”
As well as the recent impact of diesel prices, European Road Freight Transport 2016 examines alternative fuels and their potential to transform the industry. Although governments around the world have invested heavily in the concept of alternative fuel strategies, using alternative fuels in engines designed for petrol-based fuel is not straightforward. For example, if bioethanol makes up more than a certain percentage of the fuel by volume, its corrosive nature means that engine components must be replaced.
Several competing alternative fuels are being developed and although not competitive against fossil fuels at the moment, they have the potential to transform the industry in the near future. Other technologies examined in the report include Transport Management Systems, autonomous vehicles and the potential impact of drones.
Source: Transport Intelligence, November 29, 2016
Author: Transport Intelligence
