2015 gives transport sector new hope
TimoCom's transport barometer: More freight in the first quarter of 2015
Erkrath 2015-05-11 - After a surprisingly weak last quarter in 2014, this year begins with the European transport market on the rise again. In January and February the freight volume was higher than it was in the last three years. At the end of the first quarter of 2015, TimoCom's transport barometer indicates a freight to vehicle ratio of 39:61 for the European transport market and gives hope for the future.
You would have to go back several years to find a similarly strong start of a year. Only in 2011, January had higher numbers, both for the freight to vehicle ratio and the total freight volume, than January 2015. "Back then we started the year with an above-average freight share of 53.8%," says Marcel Frings, TimoCom's Chief Representative. "Although this is much higher than in January 2015, the transport barometer shows a freight share of 42%, which is the best start in four years."
Higher total freight volume
As expected, the freight share decreased in February, but only at first glance. Looking closer, TimoCom's transport barometer shows a freight to vehicle ratio of 33:67 but the absolute numbers in Europe's biggest transport platform TC Truck&Cargo® indicate that in the first two months of the year over 700,000 more freight offers were published than in the same period of the year before. At the same time the number of vehicle offers decreased. "We think the reason for this high level of utilisation is the overall positive economic development in Europe," Frings confirms.
The freight to vehicle ratio of 42:58 in March reinforces this, and Marcel Frings expects a further increase: "The second quarter will be booming. That much is clear. The barbecue and gardening season starts off with lovely spring weather and the Easter holidays brought many European countries short working weeks. These traditionally strong weeks continue into May, which means that we can expect a higher freight volume in at least two out of the three months in this second quarter."