The Croatian RFT sector- a summary - 2018

Croatia, a small outlying country and the latest entrant into the EU, is best known as a popular tourist destination. But many other economic sectors contribute to a healthy overall picture. RFT is one such example in an economy that is 70 % service-oriented. Croatian hauliers have earned a respectable place for themselves in the European market.

The Croatian pavilion ranks 20th in terms of international activity in Europe. Its cross-trade activity, for example, is twice that of Belgium and 9 times that of France. Another fast-growing area of activity is cabotage (mainly in Germany and Austria), which went from being non-existent before EU entry to 161 million tonne-kilometres in 2017.

Croatia enjoys several comparative advantages that make it competitive with other European flags: high annual mileage per vehicle (around 134,000 km) and a low cost per hour of driving (€ 10.66, inclusive of salaries, bonuses, charges and travel allowances), which is explained by a national minimum wage of € 506 per month and very low employer contributions (16.8 %).

Total cost for vehicles operating internationally is estimated at € 0.705/km, i.e. approximately 63 % of the cost of a French HGV (excluding structural costs).

Have a look at the new CNR study dedicated to Croatian MRT. It is accompanied by a summary which includes some points of comparison with France.