Abstract

Within this paper, an analysis of the road freight transport and logistics market at EU level is presented. Based on the findings of the AEOLIX project, a preliminary analysis of the market size, volume and share of the logistics sector in Europe is presented herein, along with the respective allocation of costs in differentiated categories. Similarly, the road freight transport sector is examined in terms of volume of transported goods and its evolution in time, number of freight transport operations by commercial vehicles, vehicles’ age and kilometers travelled, distance class, and volume of cabotage in Europe. The paper concludes with a critical analysis of the presented data, delivering key messages for the future of freight transport in Europe regarding world trends, future drivers for successful business options in the sector and the role of SMEs therein, current needs in terms of services and associated environmental concerns.