Belgian hauliers say Flanders’ planned truck-toll increase is arriving at the worst possible moment, as new bankruptcy data shows the sector is already under exceptional financial pressure. From 1 July 2026, Flanders will add a CO₂-emissions surcharge to its kilometre charge for heavy vehicles. On its own, that would already be a major cost story. In the current market, however, it is becoming something more serious: a test of how much extra pressure already fragile operators can absorb.
The reform will introduce a new CO₂-based classification system from 1 July 2026. The core structure of Belgium’s truck toll will remain in place, but in Flanders a new CO₂ component will be added on top of the existing parameters. Vehicles first registered before 1 July 2019 are generally assigned to CO₂ emission class 1 by default, while class 5 is reserved for zero-emission vehicles. Operators will also need to ensure that each vehicle’s CO₂ class is properly registered.
Belgian transport federation TLV has warned that the July increase comes on top of an already deteriorating market. TLV chief executive Johan Staes told local press that the decision would weigh heavily on transport companies and described it as a cost increase without a concrete return for the sector. A LinkedIn post added that the kilometre tariff would rise by 40% compared with the current rate and that, according to ITLB figures, this would mean a cost-price increase of more than 3%.
Record bankruptcies at the start of 2026
That concern looks more credible in light of the latest insolvency data. Statbel said on 13 March that Belgium recorded 156 bankruptcies in transportation and storage in January and February 2026, up 20.9% on the previous record for the same period. February alone saw 84 bankruptcies in the sector, the highest February figure on record.
The broader trend is also grim. Trans.info reported in January, citing Belgian transport institute ITLB and TLV, that 413 road transport companies went bankrupt in Belgium in 2025, the highest number since sector-specific records began. More than a third more firms failed than in 2024.
Transportmedia reported that TLV acknowledged the principle of emissions-based differentiation, but criticised the Flemish government for imposing a steep increase without concrete compensation for transport companies. Belgian hauliers say that the new CO₂-linked toll burden may be justified on policy grounds, but it is being imposed at a time when many operators are in no position to absorb it. That is a reasonable inference from TLV’s public response and the insolvency data.
