Transport: strike in Italy and drone incident in the Black Sea

Market today in figures (CargoNice data)

Diesel in ORLEN data costs 7.28 PLN/l, according to the reading from 29 October 2026. The Polish wholesale price of diesel is 1 781.19 EUR/1000L as of 26 October 2026, while the EU average is 2 146.19 EUR/1000L on the same date. The spot rate on the Poland–Germany route is 2.23 EUR/km as of 26 October 2026, while in the Germany–Poland direction it is 1.66 EUR/km.

On the Germany–Poland route, the rate fell by 0.13 EUR/km compared with the previous reading, while Poland–Germany increased by 0.15 EUR/km. This directional divergence highlights that return-leg pricing and vehicle availability should be negotiated separately, even with more stable fuel costs in Poland.

Italy: strike affects the motorway sector

Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure has announced a nationwide USB strike for 30 October 2026. Action in the motorway sector is due to begin as early as 22:00 on 29 October, so the risk affects not only operations carried out on Friday but also overnight departures and journeys to terminals.

The notice covers the public and private sectors. The original schedule also included industrial action affecting rail services from 21:00 on 29 October to 20:59 on 30 October, but rail operators have reported that it was postponed following a ministerial decision. Local conditions may vary between sectors and areas, so confirmation with the motorway operator, warehouse and subcontractor remains necessary. Source: Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport Source: Trenord

Black Sea: load status on Contship Jet unconfirmed

On 28 October, ZIM reported that the Contship Jet, a vessel chartered by the carrier, had been hit by a drone while sailing to Constanta. The entire crew was safely evacuated, but the carrier is still assessing the condition of the vessel and load.

No timetable has been provided for restoring the schedule or releasing the goods. ZIM says it is contacting the relevant customers, but for freight forwarding operations the immediate priority is to establish which consignment notes are affected and obtain alternative routing options from the carrier. Until the container status is confirmed, fixed truck arrival or delivery times in Constanta should not be scheduled. Source: ZIM

Parcels to the EU: operators are changing products before 1 November

New EU requirements concerning product identifiers in declarations for certain low-value B2C shipments are forcing postal operators to make changes. From 17:00 on 29 October, New Zealand Post is temporarily suspending its business Express service to all EU countries so that its delivery partner can implement the ability to process the required data.

The operator is also suspending selected Economy and Courier services to 16 EU countries where only Delivered at Place clearance is currently available. SingPost, meanwhile, will switch commercial shipments to these 16 countries to a Delivered Duty Paid model from 1 November. The change is not merely a matter of choosing a product: it requires accurate data at individual-item level and confirmation that the consolidator will accept the shipment under the selected customs arrangement. Source: New Zealand Post Source: SingPost Source: Dutch Customs Administration

Short-sea consolidation: Boluda, Samskip, Contship and Tarros

On 28 October, Boluda Shipping signed an agreement to acquire Samskip, subject to regulatory approvals and the fulfilment of closing conditions. Completion is expected on 1 January 2027, and until then the two companies are to operate independently. Ultimately, the combined network is expected to comprise 32 vessels, 18 routes in 28 countries, as well as sea and rail terminals and a fleet of more than 500 company-owned trucks. For connections between northern Europe, Iberia, the Canary Islands and West Africa, this could mean a broader sea-rail-road offering. Source: Samskip

On the same day, Contship, through its Sogemar subsidiary, signed an agreement to acquire Tarros Group. The transaction covers maritime, terminal and land operations, including Med Logistics Malta, and is also awaiting approval. Completion is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026. Tarros operates door-to-door services in 16 countries and 31 ports, serving 2 700 customers. Freight forwarders operating on Italy–Mediterranean–North Africa routes should monitor possible changes to prices, agency arrangements, inland handovers and terminal access, but should not yet treat them as applicable terms. Source: Contship

In brief

• French Groupe Napoly has acquired road carrier SDGT from Carpiquet in Normandy, which handles full truckload and palletised loads. Before accepting new or high-value transport orders, it is worth updating payment details, insurance documents and operational contacts. Source: France Capital Transmission