Customers sometimes ask: “Why does the same transport cost more today if the route is exactly the same?”

It is a very good question.

In road transport, the number of kilometres is important, but it is not the only factor that affects the price. The cost of transportation depends on many factors that can change even from one week to another.

Below, we explain the most important ones.

1. Vehicle Availability in a Particular Region

One of the most important factors is the number of available trucks.

Imagine a shipment from Poznań to Munich. One week, there may be many available trucks in the Poznań area looking for loads heading towards Germany.

The following week, the situation may be completely different — there may be plenty of loads but very few available vehicles.

The route remains exactly the same.

What changes is the relationship between the number of available loads and the number of available trucks.

And this has a direct impact on the price.

2. Seasonality Makes a Big Difference

Transport is also affected by seasonal demand.

There are periods when demand for trucks increases significantly. This can be caused by increased production, a busy season in a particular industry, the period before Christmas, the end of the month or the end of a quarter.

When many companies want to ship their goods at the same time, the number of available trucks quickly decreases.

As a result, transport prices can increase even though the length of the route remains exactly the same.

3. Transport Direction and the Possibility of Finding a Return Load

Not every kilometre is the same from a transport company’s perspective.

What happens to the truck after unloading is very important.

If a truck travels to a region where it is easy to find another load, the carrier can plan the next part of the route more efficiently.

If, however, the truck arrives in an area where there are very few available loads, it may have to travel a long distance without cargo.

These are known as empty kilometres.

That is why two transports covering a similar distance can have completely different prices.

4. Fuel Prices

Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs in the transport industry.

When fuel prices increase, the cost of carrying out a transport operation also increases.

For a single journey, the difference may seem relatively small, but for trucks travelling thousands of kilometres every month, changes in fuel prices can have a significant impact.

This is why the situation on the fuel market can also affect transport rates.

5. Delivery Time

Timing also plays an important role.

A transport planned several days in advance gives the carrier considerably more options than a last-minute request such as:

“We need a truck today at 3:00 PM.”

With a very short lead time, the freight forwarder or carrier has fewer options for finding a truck that is in the right location and able to carry out the specific transport.

The more flexibility there is regarding the schedule, the greater the chance of planning the transport efficiently.

6. Type of Goods and Transport Requirements

The price also depends on what is being transported.

Important factors may include:

• cargo weight and dimensions,
• number of pallets,
• required trailer type,
• loading method,
• required cargo securing,
• pallet exchange requirements,
• specific booking or loading time slots,
• additional requirements from the recipient or shipper.

The more restrictions there are, the smaller the number of trucks that may be suitable for carrying out the transport.

7. Public Holidays, Truck Restrictions and Other Disruptions

Transport costs can also be affected by circumstances that are not always immediately visible.

These may include public holidays in individual countries, truck driving restrictions, increased traffic, difficult weather conditions or other limitations affecting drivers’ working time and route planning.

International transport is particularly affected by this because a truck may travel through several countries during a single journey, and each country may have different restrictions and regulations.

The Cost of Transport Is More Than Just the Number of Kilometres

The simplest way to look at it is that the transport price is the result of several factors:

route + vehicle availability + demand + carrier operating costs + timing + the possibility of using the vehicle for its next load.

That is why the same route carried out on a Monday and again two weeks later can have a different price.

This does not mean that one of the transports is “more expensive for no reason.”

It simply means that the situation on the transport market is constantly changing.

What Can the Customer Do?

The best way to obtain a good quotation is to provide the carrier or freight forwarder with as much complete information as possible and, whenever possible, plan the transport in advance.

It is worth providing:

• loading and unloading locations,
• the exact transport date,
• cargo weight and type,
• number of pallets or cargo dimensions,
• required vehicle type,
• warehouse opening hours,
• all additional requirements.

The more information we receive at the beginning, the easier it is to choose the right solution and plan the transport properly.

Transport is not simply about getting from point A to point B. It is primarily about planning the entire route, the vehicle’s working time and the next stages of its operation.

And that is exactly why the same number of kilometres does not always mean the same price.