Slowdown in turnover growth road goods transport

Turnover growth in the sector road goods transport has been above 4 percent for many years, but dropped to under 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. 

Turnover growth more than 4 percent in 2008

Although turnover over the whole year 2008 in goods transport by road increased by 4.3 percent, growth was distinctly below the level of the preceding years. 

The 2008 increase in turnover was reduced by nearly half relative to 2007, when a turnover growth of 8 percent was achieved. Last year‘s decrease in turnover growth was caused by the reduced demand for transport capacity. This is the result of a decrease in business activities and poorly filled order books.

Turnover goods transport by road

Medium-sized businesses account for 45 percent of turnover

Last year, 45 percent of total turnover in road goods transport was achieved by medium-sized businesses. The entire sector comprises 9 thousand businesses. One quarter are in the category medium-sized. Small businesses, constituting three quarters of the total sector, accounted for approximately 15 percent of turnover. Large companies (2 percent of all businesses) accounted for nearly 40 percent total turnover in the branch.

Turnover and businesses by size class

Many bankruptcies

The reduction of activities in the sector road transport has led to a considerable growth in bankruptcies to a total of 125 in 2008, an increase by 36 percent in one year.

Robbert de Ruijter and Marcel van der Geest