Market Insights

European bulk logistics reaches turning point

Column by Barry Gruijters, Managing Director at Bulkio

The European bulk logistics market is showing a paradox. On the one hand, production volumes across various industries are rising towards the end of the year, driving increased demand for transport capacity. On the other hand, transport rates remain under pressure while carriers face rapidly rising costs. Volumes are growing, but at what price?

Fuel costs in particular are causing concern. Since March, fuel prices have increased by 40%. Combined with higher labour costs, ongoing driver shortages, rising toll, CO₂-related charges and continued investment in sustainability, this is putting significant pressure on carriers’ margins. It’s no temporary disruption, but an increasingly structural shift in how the market operates.

Capacity is no longer guaranteed

As a result, capacity can no longer be taken for granted. Carriers are making sharper decisions. We are seeing trucks temporarily taken off the road because trips are no longer profitable, greater selectivity in accepting orders, and a clear focus on stable customers and long-term contracts.

Capacity is therefore no longer just a matter of availability; increasingly, it is a matter of willingness.

“Capacity is no longer just a matter of availability; increasingly, it is a matter of willingness”

Sustainable deployment of capacity

This marks an important turning point in the logistics market. For years, the industry focused heavily on efficiency and price pressure. That model is now reaching its limits. As carriers stop accepting structurally unprofitable transport operations, a new market dynamic is emerging in which pricing must once again reflect the true cost of transport. Volume alone is no longer the key factor. The focus is shifting towards profitable, sustainable and balanced deployment of capacity.

From price to value

This development also calls for a different way of collaborating across the supply chain. For shippers, transparent conversations about realistic pricing, flexibility and continuity are becoming increasingly important. Price alone is no longer decisive. Reliability, predictability and partnership are becoming the key differentiators. The market is steadily shifting from short-term optimisation towards long-term continuity.

Key focus areas include:

• Strengthening long-term partnerships
• Increasing flexibility in planning and loading & unloading times
• Improving forecasting and early volume visibility
• Exploring alternative solutions such as intermodal transport

“The question is not whether the market is changing, but how quickly organisations adapt to this new reality”

A new reality

At Van den Bosch, we do not see this development as a threat, but as a necessary professionalisation of the market. A sustainable logistics chain can only exist when every link in the chain remains economically healthy and carriers retain the ability to invest in capacity, sustainability and quality. The question is not whether the market is changing, but how quickly organisations adapt to this new reality. Companies that choose collaboration and realism today, will be the ones securing continuity tomorrow.