Turnover fall in transport sector slows down

Turnover in the Dutch transport sector was on average 1.4 percent lower in the first quarter of 2010 than in the same quarter last year. In all four preceding quarters the fall in turnover was more than 10 percent. The lowest point was the second quarter of 2009, when turnover was more than 14 percent down on twelve months previously.

Turnover up again for air carriers and freight forwarders

In the air transport branch turnover was nearly 5 percent higher in the first quarter of 2010 than in the same quarter last year. This sector, which accounts for around 15 percent of total transport turnover, was still suffering hefty turnover losses in 2009.

For freight forwarders, too, turnover started to grow again tentatively after a year of substantial losses. In the first quarter their turnover was nearly 2 percent higher than twelve months previously. Freight forwarding companies account for 20 percent of total turnover in the Dutch transport sector.

Smaller turnover decrease for hauliers

Road haulage companies faced continued loss of turnover in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same quarter last year. But at -4 percent, the decrease was much smaller than in the fourth quarter of 2009, when it fell by 9 percent. Haulage is the largest branch in the transport sector, accounting for nearly 30 percent of total turnover. 

Turnover in the three largest branches of the transport sector

André Weber and Marcel van der Geest