Marcin Haładuda, Managing Director Enterprise Europe Trans.eu: Polish companies are restarting investments

For many years, Poland has been the country with the most important international freight transport fleet in Europe. Marcin Haładuda, Managing Director Enterprise Europe at Trans.eu Group, recently spoke to Radu Borcescu, the editor-in-chief of Ziua Cargo, a top transport & logistics publication in Romania, about the current situation of the Polish transport market and the forecasts for the future.

You can read the English translation of the interview below or check out the original interview in the March issue of the magazine 👉 here.

Radu Borcescu, Ziua Cargo: How has the Polish transport market evolved in recent years?

Marcin Haładuda: In recent years, many challenges have emerged globally. The European Union introduced many new regulations, but we also had COVID-19, and then the war in Ukraine broke out. All of this has affected the way the Polish market looks, and especially the transport market. 

We have demonstrated resilience to these challenges, but that does not mean that transport and logistics companies have not felt the pressure, and small and medium-sized companies have been affected the most. Large logistics operators have seen revenue declines during this period, falling short of their targets, but they have not been hit as badly. Figures from the General Inspectorate of Transport show that in 2024 the number of Polish companies holding Community licenses for international transport fell for the first time in history. Around 500 such companies closed, but they only account for around 2% of the market.

What is the main reason for this decline?

The pandemic and the war played the biggest role and we are still feeling their effects, such as the disruption of supply chains. Transport and logistics companies have had to adapt to new realities and are now realising the importance of cost reduction. The cost of fuel has increased due to the war, and in addition, the Polish government has amended the legislation on wages, and the cost of employees has increased.

What is the current minimum wage in Poland?

From January 1, 2025, it is 4,666 zlotys gross, about 1,100 euros. Over the past eight years, the minimum wage in Poland has more than doubled. There were also times when the inflation rate was unusually high. It was a challenge for the government to solve the problem, and now the inflation rate is around 5%. A challenge for loans and mortgages, which are not cheap.

What are your expectations for the next period?

For the future, we are waiting for the moment when we can say that this situation is over. The end of the war could help, we hope, and the cost of fuel will decrease. The forecasts for the Polish transport market are optimistic. According to market research, in the next 5 years, 75% of Polish fleets plan to expand, 54% to digitalize their processes, and 28% to develop new logistics services. Companies are waiting for this uncertain period to end and have realized how important it is to invest in technology. If they do not make these investments now, their competitors will. Maybe American digital logistics companies will come to Europe and it will be very difficult to compete with them, especially now, when AI will become more and more accessible.

The activity has become increasingly global, after the pandemic, and the transfer of knowledge and technologies is much easier than in the past. Forwarding workers are afraid of being replaced by technology, but managers see investments in AI not as a way to replace them, but to help them do their jobs better.

How is the situation on spot/transport platforms?

I think all public exchanges have slowed down a little, because many small companies have closed down, or have concluded individual agreements directly with forwarders. But at the same time, all of these companies, including Trans.eu, are taking steps forward to develop more private solutions, to support frequent cooperation, based on relationships. Because in difficult times, it has become very visible how important the quality of carriers is. Freight forwarders are now looking not only for capacity, but also for reliable carriers.

You mentioned reliable carriers. Is security also an issue?

Of course. Illegal activities are on the rise and have become more and more well-planned. Those who try to steal cargo have fleets of trucks, several companies, they try to build a reputation, they work well for a while, half a year or a year, before showing what their ultimate goal was. They are becoming more sophisticated and, for example, manage to avoid GPS monitoring solutions. That is why many forwarders prefer trusted relationships with carriers that they have known for many years.

What were the effects of the war on the Polish market?

One of the effects was the reduction in the number of drivers from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, somewhere around 30-40% compared to the pre-war period. There were also competition problems with carriers from Ukraine, which, however, do not seem to change after the war. And transport costs have increased significantly, especially due to the price of diesel. Added to this is the impossibility of using traditional routes, and alternative routes, via the Baltics or the Adriatic, are more expensive. The reduction in the volumes of transported goods, such as steel, was also important. The only positive aspect was the growth of online commerce, and delivery companies developed very well.

Is the driver shortage a problem in Poland?

Yes, transport companies are still looking for drivers in different parts of the world. The problem is already old, from before COVID, when the market was growing very quickly. I think the driver shortage can only get worse, because the new generations no longer dream of becoming drivers. In the 90s, this profession was a much more attractive option.

And this, even though a truck driver for international transport earns somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 euros per month. Wherever you go in Poland, on the highways, you see posters with such job offers. Usually, higher salaries are for companies based in Germany and working several weeks abroad.

The Mobility Package pushed some Polish companies to set up headquarters in Germany, as well as in western Poland, in order to reduce costs. There were large investments, because of these decisions, which are very unpredictable. 

What do you think will happen this year in the market?

After two difficult years, 2023 and 2024, Polish companies have budgeted investments for digital solutions and fleet expansion. Everyone is waiting for a change, but the change is the effect of small measures taken by each of us, or each of those companies.

Are Polish carriers open to alternative fuels?

This segment is not developing as quickly as many people thought. There is great interest in adopting these alternative solutions, such as LNG and electric vehicles, but more notable is the frequency with which intermodal transport is used as a method of reducing emissions. New technologies are not cheap, and logistics companies are very careful with expenses. There are some projects with electric trucks, but the investments are mainly from forwarders. We are not ready with the infrastructure either.

What problems do you foresee in the future?

Some of today’s problems will become bigger, such as the driver shortage. The volume of cargo will increase in the coming years, so the shortage of drivers, and even carriers, will become more acute. Also in the future, I see a danger for small and medium-sized companies, because large players could cooperate more often, gaining even greater power in the market. The only way to counter these giants is to do your business smarter, and that is why investments in technology are so important.

We emphasize flexibility, ensuring easy and secure cooperation between forwarders and carriers, despite fluctuations in cargo volume.