Dutch hauliers cover 470 million kilometres on Belgian roads

Altogether, Dutch hauliers covered 470 million km in Belgium last year. The introduction in 2016 of a kilometre levy for road usage in Belgium threatens to cost the Dutch road transport sector tens of millions of euros on an annual basis, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

4.8 million road transport trips from, to and through Belgium

In total, Dutch hauliers made 4.8 million trips across Belgium last year. Three-quarters were trips to and from Belgium. After Germany, Belgium is the largest market for international road transport. More than 1 million times, Dutch haulage contractors carried goods across Belgium.

Number of road transport trips to and from Belgium by region, 2014

Most destinations just across the border

Obviously, road transport from the Netherlands to Belgium involves relatively short distances. More than half of all haulage trips to and from Belgium last year were destined for or coming from the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Limburg. Dutch haulage contractors covered more thann 500 million km carrying goods to and from the provinces of Antwerp and West and East Flanders; more than half of the distance was covered on the Belgian road network.

Road transport through Belgium

Dutch transport firms also frequently use the Belgian road network to carry goods to Luxembourg, France, Spain and Great Britain (Calais). To and from France alone, nearly 800 thousand haulage trips were made in 2014. Dutch haulage contractors covered 220 million km carrying goods across Belgium.