The survey and its results were detailed in a report by Artur Lysionok for trans.iNFO’s Lithuanian-language service.
The research, from March 2023, states that 9/10 Lithuanian haulage companies have faced increased costs due to Mobility Package rules mandating the return of trucks and drivers to base.
Moreover, over a third of hauliers who responded to the survey said that their business costs had increased by up to 15% as a result of the Mobility Package. More than half said the increase had been even more than that.
In order to curtail these costs, road transport companies from Lithuania have been actively establishing branches in other EU Nations. The TTLA survey revealed that Lithuanian hauliers had registered 8,300 HGVs in other European Union countries.
As has been the case in previous years, by far the most popular choices are Poland and Germany. The next most common options are the Netherlands and Denmark.
According to TTLA, the Mobility Package rules also mean Lithuanian hauliers need more vehicles in their fleets. This has resulted in 80% of road transport companies investing in additional lorries.
The TTLA also claims that the Mobility Package has also had a negative impact on the driver shortage:
“All the companies that participated in the survey indicated that due to the fulfillment of the obligations of the Mobility Package, they faced an additional shortage of drivers. According to the IRU, at the end of 2022, the number of job vacancies for drivers in the EU reached 500,000.”
Linava, another major Lithuanian road transport association, adds that more than 800 transport and logistics companies from Lithuania established entities abroad in 2022.
Photo: François GOGLINS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image cropped)
