The freight share increases slowly but steadily
TimoCom's transport barometer closes the year with optimism
Dusseldorf 2014-01-14 - equilibrium, little fluctuation and on the whole the TimoCom transport barometer 2013 shows a positive progress in comparison to the previous year. The same applies in the fourth quarter. With a freight - vehicle ratio of 49:51, a small capacity surplus was noticed, but nonetheless the freight share was only four percentage points above last year's reference value.
As already predicted in the quarterly report no. 3/2013, "We are currently expecting from a stable to an increased volume in freight for the 4th quarter". And so it was: the freight share in the European transport market descended slightly at the beginning of the final quarter but remained above the average with 53%.
Prolific autumn
In November the TimoCom transport barometer showed a freight - vehicle ratio of 48:52. At a first glance just a sustained decrease in the freight share, yet Marcel Frings, TimoCom's Chief Representative, sees the evolution positive: "When analysing the figures, we must bear in mind the times behind us. In the past year, the transport barometer value in November was 38:62 causing a lousy Christmas spirit in the transport service providers industry across Europe. If we are now 10 percentage points above, this is an impressive step towards a positive future."
Altogether, we can speak about a sound autumn-business - the shops were replenished for Christmas and still plenty of vehicles full of presents where on European roads in mid-December. That brought this Christmas season month to a good freight - vehicle ratio of 47:53.
A positive evolution continues
The bottom line is that 2013 will go down in history as another year of consolidation towards economic recovery. The overall result for this year amounted to a freight - vehicle ratio of 47:53 and was better than in 2012 (45:55). Marcel Frings continues to see the future with optimism: "At the moment we expect further improvement in the European transport market. It is of course still too early for reliable predictions, but in general the situation will continue upward. Whether this positive tendency begins in the first quarter of 2014 depends on how the weather conditions affect the business."
That is, if this winter shows its bitter side, certain difficulties cannot be discarded. Afterwards, no obstacles will be in the way for an increase in freight and transport jobs.