The Germany RFT sector - a summary - 2018

Leader in Europe, the German RFT is turning more and more towards its domestic market, giving up on international activity, faced with tough competition from countries in Eastern Europe. The sector is weakened by the shortage of drivers, rising operating costs and ecological constraints. Therefore, its activity stagnates for several years.

German carriers seek to recruit at any cost. As a result, wages are rising, particularly in the eastern Länder. Drivers, requiring better working conditions, ask to return home on weekends. The arrival of drivers from neighboring countries in the East eases some of the tensions in the labor market. The latter, accepting trips of several weeks abroad followed by a week at home, prevent the international activity of Germany from collapsing. In addition, they are significantly less well paid than their German counterparts. Nevertheless, the source is becoming scarce and rising wages in Eastern Europe are encouraging fewer and fewer drivers to leave Germany.

In the end, the cost per kilometer in the German international activity is 94% of that of the French RFT sector despite a driver cost 16% lower in Germany.

CNR invites you to discover this new study dedicated to the German RFT. It is supplemented by a summary in which there are elements of comparison with France.
The summary is also available in English, to share with all your correspondents in Europe.