Sharply rising fuel prices as a result of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are placing a significant burden on the transport industry. At the same time, the situation is accelerating a trend that has been emerging for years: companies are increasingly looking for alternatives to conventional diesel.
What’s becoming clear is a complex mix of economic pressure, technological opportunities and operational constraints.
Fuel costs push operators to the limit
How tense the situation currently is is illustrated by a report from Nordkurier on the Heinrich Gustke haulage company from Rostock. Managing Director Stephan Gustke describes the impact clearly:
“We consume around 250,000 litres of fuel per month. With an increase of €0.40 to €0.50, you can do the maths: we quickly end up with €100,000 in additional costs per month, which we can’t recover 100 percent from the customer like this.”
The result: routes are being reviewed, and in some cases even rejected. According to Gustke, smaller companies in particular are coming under increasing pressure:
“If a company has certain reserves, at some point those reserves are used up. Then, for the managing director, there’s really only one option: go to the local court and file for insolvency.”
LNG is gaining importance – mainly for cost reasons
In parallel, more and more companies are turning to gas-powered trucks. According to Volvo Trucks, haulage companies in Germany and across Europe are increasingly opting for vehicles running on LNG or bio-LNG.
One example is Hilker GmbH & Co. KG from Lower Saxony: of 100 tractor units, 70 already run on gas, and more vehicles have been ordered.
Managing Director Stefan Hilker explains:
“With the decision in favour of LNG and especially bio-LNG, we are relying on a sustainable, high-performance and reliably available fuel.”
He also sees economic advantages:
“I can’t confirm the myth that LNG is permanently too expensive. Looking at the overall picture, since 2020 we have been operating more economically with LNG than with diesel-powered vehicles.”
According to Volvo, bio-LNG models in particular can offer cost advantages over diesel depending on the operating profile. Added to this are more stable pricing structures and a growing infrastructure; Germany now has around 200 LNG filling stations.
Electrification is moving forward – with clear limits on use cases
While LNG is gaining importance primarily in long-haul transport, a different trend is emerging in regional distribution: electrification.
The Dutch logistics service provider Simon Loos has recently ordered 75 additional Mercedes-Benz eActros 600. This brings the company’s e-truck fleet to 210 vehicles, which it says is one of the largest in Europe.
Fleet manager Wim Roks reports that the vehicles have proven themselves in real-world operation. The new e-trucks are intended primarily for food distribution. This makes it clear: electric drivetrains already work today – but mainly in predictable, regional operating profiles.
“Anyone calling for e-trucks now doesn’t understand reality”
However, assessments from the field also highlight the limits of current developments. Gustke says:
“I do think that e-mobility and hydrogen will become increasingly important in the coming years. But right now, you have to be honest: if someone tells me, ‘then just buy e-trucks’, they haven’t understood the situation.”
This assessment reflects the reality for many transport companies: investing in new drivetrains is strategically necessary, but in the short term it’s often difficult to implement.
