According to CLEAR International, demand for heavy semi-trailers in Western Europe is expected to increase between 2026 and 2028, reaching the record levels previously seen in 2008 and 2018.
Last year fell below expectations
Both the demand for new trailers in France and Germany was slightly lower than expected in 2024. As a result, the forecast for Western Europe has been reduced by 3.4 percent for 2025. However, demand for semi-trailers in Spain was stronger than expected in 2024, leading to an improved forecast for the Spanish market.
During the forecast period, the anticipated growth will bring semi-trailer sales close to 2022 levels by 2027. Experts predict that 2027 will see an economic recovery in Western Europe, along with an increase in semi-trailer registrations. Demand for these vehicles is expected to rise by 10 percent, following two years of declines (2023 and 2024), during which demand fell by a total of 20 percent.
The company notes that after a strong revival in trailer production in 2021-22, driven by the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, a downward trend became apparent in the following years. Not only was the number of registrations in Western Europe in 2024 more than 10 percent lower than in 2023, but exports of Western European trailers to Russia and Belarus were also significantly reduced or completely suspended. Another factor contributing to the decline in trailer production was the shrinking demand for road transport in Western Europe, with transport volumes (measured in tonne-kilometres) decreasing by 4 percent in 2023. According to CLEAR International’s estimates, transport demand remained unchanged in 2024, but 2025 is expected to bring an improvement.
“After falling by just over 20 percent in 2023/24, trailer sales will recover just over half of that loss in 2025,” said Gary Beecroft, director of CLEAR International.
“The following years will remain close to the expected market trajectory, ultimately matching the historic peaks of 2008 and 2018,” he added.