Road haulage accounts for 6–7 percent of Poland’s GDP and plays a key role in the national economy. However, the sector is being hit simultaneously by what operators describe as unfair competition, a shortage of drivers, and the costly transition expected under the EU Green Deal.
Alvin Gajadhur, adviser to President Karol Nawrocki and former head of the Road Transport Inspectorate, told Wnet.fm radio:
“The situation of Polish hauliers is tragic. Such a crisis has not been seen for almost 25 years. Companies are going bankrupt.”
From 200,000 to one million: Ukraine’s expanding role in EU haulage
According to Gajadhur, the main source of the problem is the agreement liberalising road transport between the European Union and Ukraine, which abolished bilateral permits. Before the war, Ukrainian hauliers carried out around 200,000 truck journeys annually; today that figure may have risen to about one million.
Ukrainian trucks often enter Poland empty, load there, and then distribute goods across Europe. Gajadhur argues this constitutes unfair competition that deprives Polish and other EU transport companies of revenue.
At the beginning of the war, the agreement was adopted as a gesture of solidarity, but Gajadhur stressed that the priority now must be protecting Polish hauliers. The permit exemption has already been extended several times, most recently from 1 July until the end of this year.
“If this situation continues, Polish companies will go bankrupt one after another. A blocking coalition should be formed to prevent the agreement from being renewed,” he said.
Visa delays block efforts to fill 150,000 driver shortfall
Another major challenge is the lack of drivers. It is estimated that around 150,000 lorry driver are missing in Poland. Many are recruited from non-EU countries, but visa procedures can drag on for months, further exacerbating the problem.
Green Deal: a looming burden
Additional pressure comes from planned EU regulations under the Green Deal. If the proposed ban on registering internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035 comes into force, Gajadhur warned it would be disastrous for the sector.
The obligation to introduce electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles into fleets would require massive investment, while many companies are already struggling to stay afloat.
“The costs are unimaginable,” Gajadhur added.
Adapted from a report by Agnieszka Kulikowska-Wielgus
