Following a rebound in April, the German toll statistics for May and June this year indicated a decline in truck traffic on the German toll road network. However, the figures published by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) for July offer some cause for cautious optimism. In fact, total truck mileage in Germany increased by 10.3% year-on-year.
German trucks outperformed last year’s figures, with a 12% increase in mileage. Polish and Lithuanian hauliers also experienced growth, though slightly less pronounced, with increases of 7.3% and 8%, respectively, compared to July 2023. As a result, the share of German vehicles in total mileage now stands at 58.6%, with Polish vehicles at 18.2% and Lithuanian at 3.4%. Among foreign hauliers, Romanian trucks recorded a 7.9% year-on-year growth, placing them next in line.
Following Poland, Lithuania, and Romania in terms of mileage on German roads is the Czech Republic, which saw a 10% increase in July.
The increase observed in July can be partially attributed to the extension of the toll to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. Until June this year, the German toll was only levied on vehicles weighing 7.5 tonnes and above.
To provide a clearer picture of truck traffic in Germany, BALM also published toll statistics excluding vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes. According to these statistics, German trucks over 7.5 tonnes increased their mileage by 7.4% year-on-year in July, Polish trucks by 5.1%, and Lithuanian trucks by 6.9%.
Overall, the mileage of all trucks over 7.5 tonnes in Germany increased by 7% in July, reaching around 3.5 billion kilometres.