According to data from the European Institute of Road Transport (EITD), the European road transport market underwent significant changes in the first quarter of 2026, driven by the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel prices. Analysts note a substantial increase in activity on the spot market, while transport companies’ search activity began to partially recover following a decline earlier in the year.
The most pronounced dynamics were recorded on key Western European routes. In March, the volume of freight offers on the France–Benelux route surged by 102% year-on-year; on the France–Germany route, it rose by 73%; on Germany–Benelux, by 71%; and on Benelux–France, by 72%. Central European corridors also demonstrated growth: the Germany–Poland route saw a 43% increase, while Poland–Germany grew by 37%. According to EITD analyst Michał Pakulniewicz, this represents not merely a seasonal recovery following the winter period, but rather a structural increase in demand driven by a mismatch between contract rates and carriers’ current operating costs.
Concurrently, the growth in freight rates accelerated in March. While January and February saw predominantly single-digit increases, March witnessed double-digit growth on several routes: Poland–Italy rose by 14.1%, Benelux–France by 13.6%, and Poland–Germany by 13.5%. EITD Head Natalia Janiszewska notes that, against the backdrop of rising fuel costs and outdated contract rates, carriers are increasingly shifting to the spot market—a segment that responds more rapidly to cost fluctuations and is emerging as the primary pricing mechanism in the current climate of uncertainty.