Many actors on the market

Industry and retail want flexibility and, given the current economic situation, are not as willing to commit to large, fixed investments with long-term contracts. Smaller volumes per shipment strengthen the competitiveness of trucks in the short run. Price competition is also increased as haulage companies apply more flexible pricing schemes. Foreign haulage companies with freight destined for Sweden often drop their prices dramatically in order to fill their vehicles on the return trip and price competition is therefore toughest north-to-south, from Sweden to Europe. Even if the environmental performance of transports within and to Sweden is growing in importance, particularly for companies in close contact with end consumers, environmental performance is less important for companies purchasing transports in the opposite direction.

For example, we can see that freight prices for sea transports have fallen considerably. These prices are often motivated by short-term incentives and are only intended to cover variable costs. The general assumption is that road and sea prices will rise in the long run due to rising fuel prices once the economy picks up and efforts are made to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Several rail operators and freight forwarders are expanding into international intermodal shuttle arrangements. These trains start from various locations in Sweden and Norway and are heading towards different destinations in Germany and connections to the intermodal network on the Continent. This development will continue partly thanks to advantageous price levels but also partly due to the tailored lead times for this type of solutions. Rising ferry prices, traffic congestion on the roads on the Continent and truck driver fees for are also driving this development forward.

Many actors on the market

Transport share in percent