Transport: fuel drives up costs in the Benelux and Germany
Carriers and intermodal operators are increasing fuel surcharges in the Benelux and Germany, while truck activity on German toll roads remains weaker year on year. For European freight forwarding, this means simultaneous cost pressure on pre-carriage and a need for more cautious assessment of carrier availability, particularly on UK- and Germany-related routes.
Prepared by the CargoNice editorial team with AI support, based on the sources listed and CargoNice's own market data. Machine translation of the Polish original. Editorial policy · Read the Polish original
- 12%Maersk surcharge in the Benelux
- 8,50 EUR/10 kmContargo surcharge in September
- 1,70 EUR/kmGermany–Poland rate
- 2 033,14 EUR/1000LEU diesel price
Market today in figures (CargoNice data)
The Orlen diesel price stood at 6,62 PLN/l on 26 August 2026. The Germany–Poland freight rate reached 1,70 EUR/km on 24 August 2026, while the Poland–Germany rate was 0,70 EUR/km on the same day. The load-to-truck ratio stood at 5,70 load/vehicle on 24 August 2026, while the EU diesel price was 2 033,14 EUR/1000L according to the reading from 17 August 2026.
Compared with the previous reading, the Germany–Poland rate increased by 0,31 EUR/km, while the Orlen diesel price fell by 0,07 PLN/l. The market is therefore showing a divergence: local fuel prices may be easing, yet the pricing of some international haulage services continues to rise significantly.
Benelux: Maersk introduces a 12% fuel surcharge
From 31 August 2026 to 14 September 2026, Maersk will apply a 12% Intermodal Fuel Fee to pre-carriage services performed by truck, barge and under the BCO model in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The surcharge will cover IHI/IHE items and is to be reviewed every two weeks.
The shipping line cites high energy prices and pressure on fuel availability linked to the security situation in the Middle East. For shipments subject to FMC rules, the surcharge will apply from 29 September 2026. This short review cycle means that the cost of the domestic intermodal leg in the Benelux should not be treated as a fixed element of the calculation for the coming weeks. Source: Maersk
In practice, it is worth separating the main freight from the pre-carriage cost in quotations and confirming whether existing customer contracts allow the variable surcharge to be passed on. Particular scrutiny is required for quotations involving more than one mode of transport on the inland leg.
Germany: higher Contargo index for September
Contargo has set its Terminal and Truck Fuel Surcharge index for September 2026 at 16. The index stood at 11 in August, with the change resulting from the German average diesel price for July adopted by the operator: 207,09 cents/l, compared with 183,48 cents/l used for the August index.
According to Contargo’s table, the September surcharge will be 8,50 EUR/10 km, compared with 6,00 EUR/10 km in August. This applies to fuel costs for the operator’s terminal and road services, so the increase will be particularly significant for longer pre-carriage and on-carriage legs in Germany. Source: Contargo
August assumptions for terminal pre-carriage should not be transferred automatically to new September quotations. It is also worth checking whether the surcharge is shown separately and on which legs and under which billing method it applies.
Germany and Eastern Europe: fewer kilometres subject to German road tolls
The total mileage of vehicles subject to German road tolls fell by 0,7% year on year in July 2026, to 3,614 billion km. The Germany-registered fleet recorded a decline of 2,5%, indicating weaker activity in the German market.
At the same time, the mileage of some carriers from Central and Eastern Europe increased. Romanian vehicles increased their mileage by 11,0%, to 131,8 million km, while Lithuanian vehicles increased theirs by 7,1%, to 143,1 million km. The mileage of vehicles from Poland rose by 1,6%. From January to July 2026, total chargeable mileage was down 0,2%, but the activity of Romanian, Lithuanian and Polish fleets increased. Source: Trans.INFO Source: BALM
The data do not describe a uniform vehicle-availability market. Weaker activity among domestic German fleets is coexisting with a stronger presence of Romanian, Lithuanian and Polish carriers on routes connected with Germany. When purchasing transport capacity, it is therefore necessary to compare specific carrier groups and routes rather than base decisions solely on the overall picture of the German market.
United Kingdom: Chambers and Cook placed into administration
UK road carrier Chambers and Cook (Eastern) Ltd, which has been operating since the late 1970s, entered administration proceedings on 13 August 2026. The information was published on 25 August in the context of further financial difficulties among UK road transport companies.
The source also points to other operators undergoing creditors’ voluntary liquidation or facing HMRC winding-up petitions. This does not determine the situation of the sector as a whole, but it increases counterparty risk for freight forwarders using UK subcontractors and networks serving Channel crossings. Source: Trans.INFO
Before assigning a load, it is worth rechecking the licence status, insurance cover, payment exposure and the availability of a contingency plan. A carrier’s insolvency can complicate access to semi-trailers, the load and documents, particularly when unpaid subcontractors are involved in the operation.