In the first quarter of 2025, the German logistics index remains low and the business environment remains challenging for both shippers and transport companies. The decline in the truck mileage index, an important indicator of economic activity, is a cause for concern: in January it fell by 0.1% and in February by 2.5% compared to the previous month, which is 2.8% below the level of the previous year.
According to the ifo Institute, the business climate in logistics continues to deteriorate. In the first quarter, the index fell to 83.2 points, and companies in the trade and industrial sectors report a decline in orders and increasing pessimism about the next six months. At the same time, German industry is losing its competitiveness: particularly noticeable is the decline in exports to China, which has been declining for the third year in a row, turning the largest buyer of German goods into a serious competitor.
The European Association of International Freight Forwarders (ELVIS AG) warns of a reduction in vehicle fleets in its report for the fourth quarter of 2024. Many transport companies have already reduced their fleets by 5-10% due to rising costs and an unstable economic situation, which is putting additional pressure on the country’s logistics sector.