How much does truck freight cost? There is no single price, because the amount depends on the lane and its direction, the vehicle, the goods, the date and how many free trucks are on the market that week.
For orientation, TIMOCOM reported weekly average asking rates of EUR 1.49 to EUR 1.75 per km across Europe in Q1 2026 (TIMOCOM, Transport Barometer Q1 2026, 16 April 2026). That is an average across many lanes, not a quote for yours.
This guide is for companies shipping goods out of Poland. It covers the seven factors behind truck freight rates in Europe, the ones you control as the shipper, and how to lower the price.
Why there is no single price for a truck
A freight rate is the amount you pay to move goods from the loading point to the unloading point within an agreed time. It covers the trip (driver, vehicle, fuel, tolls), time at the dock and the risk of an empty return, while demand and truck supply push it up or down.
Two trips of the same length can therefore cost different amounts. They differ in direction, date, vehicle requirements and whether a next load waits at the unloading point.
A one-off shipment gets a spot rate, the price of the day, and we explain how it differs from a contract rate in contract rate and spot rate.
Price per trip and price per km
A price per trip is one amount for the whole transport, agreed in advance. A price per km is the same amount divided by the kilometres on the route.
So a freight rate per km is the result of a quote, not a tariff the carrier starts from. A short trip with a long wait at the dock can show a high rate per km, even though the trip itself costs little.
Who books the truck: EXW and FCA
If you buy from a Polish supplier, check who books the transport under your sales contract. The Incoterms rules set out the tasks, costs and risks of seller and buyer in the delivery of goods.
Under EXW and FCA the buyer arranges the transport, so the factors below are yours to manage even if your own site is outside Poland (ICC Academy, FCA and EXW in Incoterms 2020). This article is not legal advice, so check the terms of your own contract.
What drives the freight rate: 7 factors
Seven groups of factors make up a freight rate. The market sets some of them, but you control several directly.
| Factor | How it moves the price | What you control |
|---|---|---|
| Lane and direction | Kilometres, driver working time and the chance of a next load | Grouping shipments into regular lanes |
| Vehicle and body | The type of truck, trailer and equipment narrows the choice of carriers | Requirements that match what the goods need |
| Goods | Weight, size, ADR class and temperature decide which truck goes | Accurate cargo details in the request |
| Date and loading window | Urgent orders and narrow windows cut the number of free trucks | Asking early and widening the window |
| Fuel, tolls and route costs | They change over time and differ between countries | Rules for rate changes agreed up front |
| Season and truck supply | When free trucks are fewer than shipments, rates usually rise | A volume forecast shared with the carrier |
| Extra charges | Waiting time, extra stops and fuel surcharges add to the total | Fast handling at the dock and clear terms in orders |
Lane and direction
Kilometres are only the start. A lane into a region with plenty of outbound freight is easier to fill, because the carrier quickly finds a next load there.
When the truck has to return empty, part of the return cost can end up in your price. Read more in our article on backhaul loads and empty running.
Vehicle and body
A tractor-trailer carries a full truckload (FTL), while a rigid truck suits a smaller batch or a site with limited access. A curtainsider, a reefer or a trailer with extra equipment each draw on a different pool of carriers.
List only the vehicle requirements your goods really need, as each one narrows the choice of trucks.
Goods: weight, size, ADR and temperature
Weight, number of pallets and dimensions decide which truck the carrier sends. Dangerous goods need a driver and vehicle equipped for ADR, and temperature-controlled goods need a reefer with a temperature record.
Give these details up front. Any change after the quote means a new conversation about price.
Date and loading window
A next-day order reaches only trucks that happen to be free nearby, while an order sent a few days ahead reaches a larger pool. A loading window of several hours instead of one also lets the carrier fit your shipment into a truck’s route.
Fuel, tolls and route costs
Fuel prices and road charges change over time and differ between countries, so the same lane can cost more next month. See our guides to truck road tolls in Europe and to recalculating the rate per km after a fuel price jump.
Season and truck supply
When free trucks are fewer than shipments, rates usually rise. Public holidays and truck driving bans in Europe also shift trips to neighbouring days.
Extra charges: waiting time, stops and fuel
Waiting beyond the agreed time, extra stops and fuel price changes can add charges. Agree them before you book.
Before you accept a quote, check what the price covers:
- the trip on the whole route, fuel and tolls included,
- free time at loading and unloading, during which waiting costs nothing,
- the rate for each hour of waiting beyond that time,
- the charge for an extra stop for loading or unloading,
- the fuel surcharge rules, if the carrier applies one.
What market indicators show in 2026
Three sources show where European road freight rates are heading, as of 5 November 2026.
Rates on the TIMOCOM platform. In Q1 2026 the per-km rates hauliers asked for on pan-European routes were on average 9.5% higher than a year earlier (TIMOCOM, Transport Barometer Q1 2026, 16 April 2026). In the same release, TIMOCOM writes that high energy prices lead to declining truck capacity.
Lanes out of Poland in Trans.eu data. In March 2026 freight rates from Poland to Germany were 13.5% higher than a year earlier, and from Poland to Italy 14.1% higher. Freight offers from Germany to Poland grew by 43%, against 37% from Poland to Germany.
This is an analysis by the European Road Transport Institute (EITD) of Trans.eu platform data, reported by Trans.info on 13 May 2026 (in Polish).
The Ti, Upply and IRU index. In Q2 2026 European contract and spot rates rose together, with spot rising faster as carriers passed higher fuel costs through to prices (Ti, Upply and IRU, European Road Freight Rate Benchmark Q2 2026). The two rates do not always move the same way, which we cover in our article on long-term carrier partnership.
All three sources give averages across many lanes, not the rate on your lane. They show the direction of the market, and your price comes only from a quote.
What to put in a quote request to get a real price
The cost of shipping by truck on your lane depends on the data in your request, and the full list of fields is in our guide on what to include in a transport order. When something is missing, the carrier adds a margin for the unknowns or comes back with questions.
Add any site restrictions up front, for example delivery slot booking, no loading dock or no access for large trucks. They change the choice of vehicle, so leaving them out can change the price after the order is accepted.
Before you accept an offer from a new company, go through the checklist on how to vet a carrier before booking freight.
How to lower the freight rate as a shipper
The market sets part of the price, but three levers on your side need no negotiation.
Short handling time at the dock
The carrier also prices the time the truck spends at your site and at the consignee. Goods ready to load, documents prepared and a free dock at the agreed hour cut that time.
If you collect from a supplier, agree its dock hours before you ask for a quote.
One full truck instead of several small shipments
Several small shipments on one lane mean several trips, each with its own handling cost. If you can, combine them into one full truck.
Flexible delivery date
If the consignee accepts the goods within two days rather than in one window, say so in the request. The carrier can then fit the shipment to a truck already heading that way.
Example: Poznań–Hamburg and Wrocław–Lyon
Two examples show which factors weigh most on a lane. We give no amounts, because they change weekly.
Poznań–Hamburg
A German distributor collects a full curtainsider load near Poznań for its warehouse near Hamburg. On this busy corridor the carrier has many chances of a next load.
The date decides most here. A next-day order or a one-hour loading window pushes the rate up, while a whole-morning window gives the carrier room to fit the truck in.
Wrocław–Lyon
A French retailer books the same type of tractor-trailer from a supplier near Wrocław to its warehouse near Lyon. The trip is longer, crosses several countries with different tolls and takes more working time.
Here the price depends more on whether the carrier has a next load out of France. If not, part of the return cost can end up in the rate.
Treat a quote as the price for a specific lane and day, not a fixed rate.
Freight rates in ONYX: you set the maximum rate
ONYX transport orders currently cover freight loaded in Poland only. You set the maximum rate for the transport, and the system may find a carrier for less, never for more.
The carrier receives the full amount you pay, because ONYX takes no commission. We keep adding more countries and regions.
Set the maximum rate from market indicators and the prices of earlier transports on the same lane. Post a transport order in ONYX.
Summary
- A freight rate depends on the lane, vehicle, goods, date, fuel and tolls, season and extra charges. You control the date, vehicle requirements and handling time.
- You get a real quote when your request gives the route, time window, cargo details, vehicle type, stops and site restrictions.
- For freight loaded in Poland, you set the maximum rate in ONYX, and the carrier receives the full amount you pay.
Still looking for a company to move your goods? Read how to find a carrier and book road freight.
