Quantify policy price signals on your road and ocean legs

• Road: As of 2024, EU rules require Member States that levy tolls to vary them by a vehicle’s CO2 performance. Countries have been adding a CO2 component to truck tolls, for example Austria from 1 January 2024 and the Czech Republic from 1 March 2024; Germany’s HGV toll rate now explicitly includes “costs for traffic-related CO2 emissions.” These changes raise the marginal cost per road kilometre for higher-emitting fleets and improve the business case for rail or barge on long hauls. Build a lane-by-lane model that swaps in each country’s CO2-classed tolls.
• Ocean: The EU ETS applies to shipping emissions from 2024, with a first allowance surrender due by 30 September 2025 for 40% of 2024 emissions, rising to 70% for 2025 and 100% from 2026. Most carriers have introduced ETS surcharges, passing costs onto shippers. When your intermodal chain includes an EU port call, expect the ocean linehaul price to embed ETS exposure and reflect prevailing carbon allowance prices.

Compare embedded emissions to create a “carbon-costed” baseline

On average, rail and waterborne freight have significantly lower greenhouse-gas intensity per tonne-kilometre than road. Using recognised frameworks in your footprint calculator lets you compare like-for-like door-to-door routings and express a “shadow carbon cost” for each option. As a simple rule of thumb, rail typically emits several times less CO2 per tonne-km than road, with inland waterway also lower than road on most flows. This helps you justify intermodal even before the monetary toll and ETS effects are added.

Stress-test rail slot availability and service reliability

Rail pathing in Europe is improving, but still uneven. The RailNetEurope TTR programme and the Rail Freight Corridors’ One-Stop Shops provide Pre-arranged Paths and Reserve Capacity, yet corridor punctuality remains mixed: combined-transport analyses show national performance ranging from under 60% of trains arriving ≤15 minutes in some large networks to around the high-80s in others. Build reliable ETAs by booking fixed paths where possible and adding schedule buffers where corridor KPIs are weaker.

Overlay seasonal risk on the inland waterway

Barge capacity and draft constraints can swing with river levels. In July 2025, prolonged heat lowered the Rhine and Danube, triggering low-water surcharges and part-loading; late-month rains then restored fuller loads on the Rhine. If your lane depends on the Rhine, Danube or Vistula, track hydrology notices and plan fallback rail capacity or transshipment points for low-water weeks.

A decision framework you can run on any European lane

1. Price the policy exposure
   • Add CO2-class toll components for each road segment by country.
   • Add ETS pass-throughs on ocean legs touching EU ports.
2. Convert emissions to money
   • Calculate gCO2e/t-km for each multimodal routing and multiply by an internal carbon price to get a “carbon-costed” comparison across options.
3. Feasibility checks
   • Rail: confirm slot availability via corridor, Pre-arranged Paths, or Reserve Capacity for your week of operation.
   • Barge: check river notices and historical low-water windows for your month.
4. Reliability uplift
   • Use corridor punctuality reports to size schedule buffers and choose terminals with stronger on-time records.

Sample lane study 1 – Rotterdam to Basel

Problem: A shipper moving palletised chemicals from the North Sea to Switzerland wants to cut costs and exposure to rising CO2-based road tolls in transit countries.

Options assessed:

• All-road via Germany.
• Barge via Rhine to Basel, final-mile trucking.

Findings: In typical conditions, the barge+truck option reduces tonne-km emissions relative to road and avoids multi-country road toll exposure. However, in July 2025 the Rhine’s low water prompted capacity limits and low-water surcharges; several weeks later, rain lifted levels and allowed full loads again. Decision rule: choose barge outside low-water windows or hold rail capacity as a backup during heatwaves; otherwise, road offers faster recovery from disruptions but higher carbon-cost TCO.

Sample lane study 2 – Hamburg to Munich

Problem: A German FMCG shipper faces higher HGV costs after CO2-differentiated tolls expanded and vehicles >3.5 t were brought into scope mid-2024.

Options assessed:

• Direct road haul.
• Domestic intermodal – truck to rail terminal, rail linehaul, truck out.

Findings: Because the German toll rate explicitly includes a CO2 cost component and is distance-based, long domestic hauls see a material per-km uplift for older diesel trucks. Intermodal rail’s lower emissions intensity plus avoidance of the full road distance often offsets extra handling and terminal fees, especially on steady weekly flows. Reliability hinges on booking fixed paths and adding modest buffers given corridor punctuality data. Decision rule: once annual road distance on this lane exceeds a threshold, shifting a base-load to rail stabilises costs against future toll adjustments.

How to operationalise the switch

• Build a living “carbon-costed” lane matrix that refreshes CO2-class tolls, ETS surcharges, and corridor KPIs quarterly.
• For rail, request Pre-arranged Paths early and secure Reserve Capacity for contingencies under the TTR timelines.
• For river-dependent lanes, define trigger levels and surcharges that prompt pre-planned diversions to rail.
• Keep procurement flexible – a core intermodal base-load with optional road capacity for volatility often delivers the best 2025 mix of cost, service and compliance.

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Leveraging Unique Advantages

The utilization of diverse transportation modes capitalizes on the unique advantages offered by each mode. For example, cargo leaving from Paris for Eastern Europe can first be transported by road from Paris to a Mediterranean port. This allows for efficient land-based transportation using well-established road networks within Europe. By choosing the most suitable road route, freight forwarders can minimize travel time and ensure a smooth journey to the port.

Upon reaching the Mediterranean port, cargo can be loaded onto a ship for the sea leg of the journey. Shipping offers several advantages, including cost-effectiveness for long-haul transportation and the ability to handle large volumes of cargo.

Once the cargo arrives at the Eastern European port, the multimodal transportation strategy continues by transitioning to rail transport. This model is efficient in moving goods overland, offering a combination of cost-effectiveness and capacity.

Minimizing delays

In addition to capitalizing on unique advantages, with this approach cargo encounters minimal idle time and delays, thanks to the carefully planned and coordinated transitions between different transportation modes. As a result, the flow of goods remains uninterrupted, eliminating the necessity for cargo to wait for the availability of specific transport modes.

Cost-Effective Operations

By enabling the use of different transport modes, multimodal transportation helps to significantly cut costs. This is particularly true for long-distance freight forwarding, where costs can escalate quickly due to fuel consumption, customs fees, and port charges. By combining the use of economical transport modes – like rail and sea – for the bulk of the journey, multimodal transportation makes freight forwarding more cost-effective without compromising on service quality or delivery timelines.

Risk Management

Utilizing multimodal transportation addresses the risks that arise from relying solely on a single mode of transport. In case of unexpected disruptions like port strikes or adverse weather conditions, having alternative transport modes readily available allows for immediate rerouting and ensures continuity in supply chains.

Promoting Sustainability

While the focus on reducing carbon emissions is not new, the role of multimodal transportation in achieving this objective often remains underappreciated. By shifting significant portions of freight transport from road to more environmentally friendly options like rail and sea, multimodal transport helps the European logistics industry to contribute meaningfully towards the EU’s sustainability goals.

Wrapping Up

Multimodal transportation, with its many benefits, is laying the groundwork for a resilient, efficient, and sustainable future for European freight forwarding. It offers an innovative solution to address economic, operational, and environmental challenges, thereby revolutionizing the industry.

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At the same time, logistics operators are facing default and insolvency risk and few have benefited from cash grants and other types of financial incentives.

Default Risk

Freight forwarders throughout Europe and globally are facing very high or high risk of default which can affect their credit rating and increase the cost of borrowing. Risk is particularly high in Europe because of repeated supply chain disruptions. Globally, countries facing a very high risk include the USA, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, and Argentina.

Insolvency

Companies that cannot cover their operational expenses or pay off their loans become insolvent. The main indicators of insolvency risk are real revenue growth, free cash flow, and fixed asset turnover. Operators that face decline in income are unable to pay ongoing charges and invoices. A further problem is the fact that some clients do not make timely invoice payments while suppliers demand cash on delivery.

Government Financial Assistance

Measures targeting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are mainly focused on easing loan repayments, facilitating access to capital, and reducing charges and taxes. The majority of freight forwarders are SMEs but only a few countries have implemented specific support measures such as flexible vehicle leasing.

Additionally, just 18 percent of international freight forwarding businesses have received financial support in the form of grants. About 20 percent of operators report lower vehicle insurance premiums. In about half of the countries globally governments have temporarily reduced charges and taxes.

Economic Forecasts

Experts expect a rebound in transportation demand due to partial economic recovery in mid-2021, resulting in increased trade and freight volumes. At the same time, analysts warn that freight rates will increase with economic recovery due to shortage of drivers and rising fuel prices. The year-on-year increase is in the range of 2.5 – 9 percent, with rates per kilometer from €1.6 to €1.7. In 2020, the drop in average rates was in part due to lower demand caused by the global depression. Lower levels of consumption and the travel and traffic restrictions imposed by many countries also contributed to lower average rates.

One factor that is expected to put pressure on prices is the shortage of drivers in Europe. Lower demand for road freight transport resulted in lower demand for truck drivers. Increased demand and pressure on wages are likely to result in freight rate increases. Finally, fuel prices plummeted in 2020 and remained at very low levels but are expected to increase in 2021 as a result of the upward trend in oil prices.  Prices per barrel increased by 16 percent from 1 January to 4 February alone.

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Reasons for Shipping Price Hikes

The shift to digital and the acceleration in e-commerce have resulted in significant volumes of small shipments that carriers lack the capacity to process, especially in peak periods. As a result of the fact that demand far exceeds supply, some carriers have been forced to invest in space to meet increased demand.

How Shippers Are Affected

Shippers that process residential, heavy, and large packages have been affected the most by carrier rate hikes. This especially holds for forwarders with high volumes which find it difficult to negotiate additional discounts with carriers. In some places, shippers are facing multiple surcharges such as delivery area, residential, and large parcel surcharge deliveries and additional handling. The fact that price increases are implemented with rather limited notice makes long-term planning even more challenging. Some shippers also warn that surcharges that have been implemented as a temporary measure may become permanent, with carriers claiming that e-commerce volumes exceed capacity.

The ongoing pandemic has presented additional challenges that are mainly related to restrictions in request processing and insufficient transport capacities. While forwarders throughout Europe are striving to meet demand, depots and networks are currently heavily utilized. This has resulted in both increased wait times for requests and longer delivery times.

Possible Solutions

Excess demand has resulted in a challenging pricing environment for the shipping industry, especially for businesses with residential profiles. It is therefore important for shippers to diversify their services and logistics options to mitigate and manage risk. They should also aim to negotiate capacity guarantees and peak surcharge discounts to stay competitive. High-volume carriers may have to work with more than one type of carrier, including postal, consolidators, and regional to avoid the risk of carriers implementing volume restrictions.

It is also crucial to diversify last-mile delivery options in order to address the issue of limited capacity. Possible solutions include using curbside pickup, local courier options, crowd-sourced providers, and small parcel carriers.

Container shortages and significant price increases on inbound ocean and international air freight pose further problems for shippers and manufacturers. Companies that are outsourcing might need to assess the risks and costs involved in offshoring.

Going Forward: New Technologies

With technological advances, we are likely to witness the increasing adoption of robotics, delivery lockers, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, and drone delivery, and carriers will also need to rethink their long-term strategies to adapt.

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A representative or person acting on behalf of the owner can also lodge a customs declaration.

 Why Submit a Declaration?

Individuals or legal entities lodge a customs declaration upon export by starting an export procedure and upon import when goods are intended to be shipped to a customs territory.

How to Lodge a Customs Declaration?

There are three ways to place goods or cargo under a customs procedure – orally, in writing, and via electronic data processing. The electronic system has been introduced to speed up clearance, cut administrative costs, and facilitate the export and import of goods.

Before shipping cargo into a customs territory within the EU, the owners of goods or freight forwarders must lodge an entry summary declaration which can be done by using the online ATLAS-EAS procedure or at a customs office. An entry/exit summary declaration can also be lodged online. Carriers that are obliged to submit an entry summary form include railway companies, airlines, hauliers, and shipping lines.

Exemptions

Carriers are not required to lodge an entry summary declaration when bringing household effects, items shipped under the Universal Postal Agreement, and electric power. Other exemptions include the following:

• Items shipped by pipeline
• Items onboard sea ships and aircraft temporarily outside the EU and transiting between two points by air or sea in case the ship or aircraft has a direct route
• Military equipment and weapons shipped into the territory of a EU Member State by the respective authorities
• Letters
• Items for which an oral declaration can be lodged under article 136 (1) and article 135 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446
• Items that are not subject to customs duties
• Goods shipped from offshore installations, including non-hazardous products, provisions consumed or used within the territory of installations, and goods that have been incorporated for conversion, maintenance, repair, or construction in offshore installations

Information Required in an Entry Summary Declaration

When shipping goods into the EU, carriers fill in an ESD and provide information such as UN code for hazardous goods, cargo gross weight, seal and container number, number of packages, and package type. Other details to include are consignee, shipper, and transport charges method of payment code. The latter can be account holder with carrier, electronic credit transfer, payment by check or credit card, and payment in cash.

Information required for inland waterways, sea, air, and other modes of transportation also includes person lodging the declaration, transport document number, and conveyance reference number. Additional details to provide are place of unloading code, place of loading, location of goods, and mode of transportation at the border. Shippers also specify time and date of arrival in a customs territory of an EU Member State as well as goods item number and description and commodity code.

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While the list of items to be moved is quite long, ranging from landscaping materials and appliances to plumbing and fixtures, there are some factors to consider, including transportation insurance coverage, permits required, equipment, and securing materials that can be used.Types of Building Materials That Can Be Shipped

European logistics operators transport a variety of building materials for single-family homes, condominiums, townhouses, and other properties. Landscaping materials that are often shipped to new construction sites include water and screening features, pools, retaining walls, patios, and plants and trees. Plumbing and fixtures that are commonly moved include pipes, tubes, toilets, and sinks. Builders also need natural stone slabs such as marble, quartz, and granite as well as masonry materials, ranging from walkways and walks to bricks for exteriors, stones, and concrete blocks. Finally, appliances are also moved to new construction sites, including dishwashers, dryers, washing machines, and other large household appliances.

Construction tools and machines are also shipped domestically and internationally, including equipment such as:

• Utility equipment
• Trench shoring equipment
• Roadwork equipment
• Power generation
• Landscaping and forest equipment
• Screening and crushing equipment
• Work tool attachments

Shipping Considerations

Some materials are heavy and long and require specialized transportation and special arrangements. This is the case with building materials that are used for the structure of homes, including floor joists, roof trusses, headers, and studs. The same is true for natural stone slabs as they are difficult to transport and usually heavy. Stone slabs must be secured firmly in place to prevent them from getting scratched, broken, or cracked. When it comes to masonry materials, they must be stored and transported covered and dry. Roofing materials are some of the bulkiest and biggest, and carriers often use tie-down methods for safe shipping. Roofing products are usually transported by tractors with semi-trailers or open deck vehicles. The choice of vehicle depends on the type of product and load size. The equipment used at off-loading and loading points is a major consideration. Roofing suppliers, for example, usually use trucks with booms and self-contained cranes that can unload products on top of buildings. Fixed construction cranes with telehandlers are also used at building sites to move materials at heights.

A variety of shipping techniques and materials are used to transport bulky goods, including crates and bins fitted with mesh steel and steel, aluminum, plastic, and wood pallets. Telehandlers and forklifts are also used at off-load and load sites as well as trailers and flat-deck trucks with hoisting capabilities. Finally, roll-off and roll-on containers can be used for loose and large items.

What Else to Consider

Permits may be required for heavy equipment and bulky items, especially when shipped overseas. Another factor is what the transportation insurance covers as in some cases, it is best to buy supplementary freight insurance.

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Modes of Transportation

Watkins Rogers at AZA Animal Transport for Animal Care Professionals explains that the most humane and fastest way to ship zoo animals is by air as they are kept in crates. Some animals, however, require specialized transportation, as is the case with rhinos and venomous species. Some carriers also organize chartered services to move wild species to their destinations. Setting cabin pressures at adequate levels is also important so that animals adjust to high altitudes. The standard practice is to ship crates in the forward holds where pressure and air temperature are similar to what flight decks maintain.Challenges to Shipping Zoo Animals

The challenges involved in transporting wild species depend on distance, age, and type of species. Giraffes, for example, are usually shipped in crates and containers that are custom made. When moved by road, freight forwarders use trailers that are fitted with adjustable roofs. Lions also offer specific challenges because they are dangerous animals, and some carriers choose to move them by land and not by sea. Custom vehicles can be used that are specially fitted with shock and suspension absorbers. Aquarium species also present specific challenges, including seals, whales, and killer whales. According to curator of marine birds and mammals for Mystic Aquarium Laurie Macha, everything required to move wild species is custom made. What is more, the mixing of animal species is not allowed, for example, transporting rhinos and marine mammals. Some shipments also require intermodal logistics which is the case with aquarium animals. While they are moved by air, planes land at airports and not aquariums, and containers are then transported by trucks. Specialized equipment is also used at airports and onboard planes, including forklifts, flatbeds, and straight box vans. Trucks are fitted with thermometers and cameras to track air temperature and monitor animals.

Protection of Animals during Transport

According to Council Regulation (EC) 1255/97 when animals are shipped over long distances, they must rest at control posts for 12 hours or longer. Such posts must meet all hygiene and safety criteria and comply with operational rules and building standards. Measures span a variety of activities related to unloading and loading equipment, animal litter, bedding, and the treatment of transported species. Control posts must also comply with acting animal health legislation and are subject to regular inspections. They serve to dispatch, care for, rest, water, and feed animals.

When transporting animals within EU, all carriers must carry documentation that is required under Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005. Shippers are asked to specify expected duration of journey, place of destination, time and date of departure, place of departure, ownership, and origin.

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Why Use Intermodal Transport

One of the main benefits of using intermodal transport is that freight trains have the capacity to ship large quantities of goods across Europe. Controlled and fixed routes will be used to protect the health of train staff that will also be easily controlled. Cargo trains will also need more limited personnel to operate.

A letter by cargo associations in Italy notes that twenty pairs of trains running daily will only need 60 crew members. In contrast, the same amount of cargo can be shipped by 800 truck drivers. The letter emphasizes that rail transport is an essential component of intermodal transport in Europe, and any blockade should not be allowed.

Touchless Terminals, Seamless Collection, and other Measures

Different countries across Europe have implemented measures to enable social distancing. Touchless terminals are already under development in Italy to help limit physical contact. The Busto Arsizio-Gallante terminal, which is found at a short driving distance to Milan, asks drivers to stay in trucks as much as possible.

Most of the required documents have also been digitized to protect drivers and personnel. Document reception points are now equipped with glazing. When documents are exchanged, no more than 3 persons can be in one room at the same time. Customers are now able to collect goods seamlessly. Restrictions have also been imposed at other terminals, including Pordenone and Piacenza.

In Russia, the state-owned train operator has already established a procedure for remote interaction to enable social distancing. The contracts between private railway owners and cargo owners have been extended by 3 months. The documents required for unloading and loading operations have also been extended. Trains are no longer required to carry illustrated diagrams that are showing wagon layout. This holds for cargo shipped in covered wagons as well as wagons carrying cereals such as buckwheat.

Centre of Corporate Transportation Services Director-General Alexey Shilo pointed to the fact that the new certifications for cargo owners involved in unloading and loading as well as new cargo schemes and their remote coordination help improve transparency and quality of services. The same holds for email and electronic document processing. These measures help limit contact and thus reduce the risk of infection.

According to the Russian Railways, more and more customers choose to use electronic document management. In fact, since March, over 4.5 million documents have been submitted online, which makes for some ¾ of all documents. Electronic document processing helps minimize interaction with railway personnel and other shippers.

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Transload Terminals

Transload terminals operate as distribution facilities for bulk products such as petroleum, grain, and lumber. The goal is to transport commodities between different types of carrying equipment. Transload facilities are equipped with cranes to lift and move and load and unload ships and railroad cars. Conveyors, loaders, car dumpers, cranes, and other types of equipment are used.

Intermodal Terminals

Intermodal terminals are used to transport air and marine containers and truck trailers between different modes of transportation, including air, road, rail, and sea. These intermodal logistics facilities operate to transfer goods between inland and sea transport, including short sea shipping and inland ferries. Intermodal terminals usually feature parking tracks, driving and loading lanes, transshipment or handling tracks, and gates or check-in/-out areas. Many facilities have 2 – 3 buffer or interim storage lanes and rail-mounted gantry cranes. They offer multiple services such as container repair, trucking service, storage of hazardous goods, and storage of temperature-controlled products. They also offer terminal handling services such as security check and check-in/-out and transshipment of loading units.

Port Facilities

Ports operate as hubs for export and import of goods by water and air and are managed by businesses and quasi-public and public organizations. Ports often have hangers or berths for aircraft or ships as well as warehousing facilities and terminals for management and storage of commodities. There are specialized ports for different types of commodities such as automobiles, bulk products, petroleum, and containers. Ports fall in two categories – inland ports and foreign trade zones.

Integrated Logistics Centers

These are basically industrial parks that feature hub or intermodal terminals and offer multiple services related to distribution and transportation. Integrated logistics facilities have different functions, including distribution, manufacturing, and light assembly. Supporting services are also offered.

City Terminals

The main functions of city terminals include delivery and pickup and consolidation of loads and intramodal sorting. Depending on function and location, they can be used for transfers of railcars between intercity road and local trains or between air containers and city vehicles. City terminals also offer different services to bulk truck fleets, including maintenance and cleaning of equipment and customer service. Other services offered by city terminals include load and goods storage, driver services, and equipment storage. Usually storage is offered for a limited amount of commodities. Some facilities function as intermodal terminals while others operate as mini-hubs for loads that are moved between major hubs and terminals in small towns.

Other types of warehousing facilities include e-fulfillment centers, urban logistics depots, cold storage facilities, and multitenant facilities. By function, freight facilities can be divided into fabrication, distribution, and storage. Some have more than one function. Heavy manufacturing facilities, for example, are mainly used for fabrication and distribution while urban logistics depots are used for distribution and storage.

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Parcel Shipments

Parcels include items of up to 50 kg that are shipped in small boxes. They are also referred to as ground shipments and are either packaged by the carrier or the shipper. Parcels are usually transported by rail or road and travel up to 1,100 km a day. Shipping times vary and in some European countries, delivery is divided into guaranteed domestic, economic domestic, and next day domestic parcel delivery. When posting a parcel to another EU member-state, customers can choose from three-day guaranteed, economic, and next-day delivery. Prices vary based on the destination, delivery option, and weight and size of the parcel.

Express Shipments

Personal and business items such as documents and letters are typically shipped in envelopes. They are referred to as express or overnight express letter shipments. Express shipments weigh up to a few kilograms and are packaged by the carrier. They are shipped by air or land and include items such as promotions, business offers, client mail-outs, and urgent items. Customers receive a tracking number so that they can track delivery in real time. IFA members specialize in express shipments that need to be expedited and delivered overnight or on the same day.

Household Goods

Household goods are also shipped across Europe and include items such as small and large appliances, furniture, and personal belongings. This category includes diplomatic shipments, corporate relocations, and personal moves. The chosen mode of transportation depends on factors such as urgency and location. Depending on size and weight and whether it is a time-critical move, household goods are transported by air or sea.

Freight Shipments

Freight shipping refers to moving cargo and goods by air, sea, or land. It can be divided into international and domestic freight shipping depending on the location. Freight shipping sometimes requires combining intermodal transportation services so that more than one mode of transportation is used. In this case, containers are typically used which can be moved between different modes, including truck, air, rail, and sea. When shipping freight cargo, exporters pay costs such as costs to stow, secure, lash, and load the cargo. Freight must be protected against damage and slipping in ships as to ensure safety and minimize costs (refunds).

The main modes of shipment include expedited freight, intermodal, partial truckload, less than truckload, and full truckload. As the term suggests, expedited freight is used for faster shipping which makes it more expensive compared to other modes of shipment. Partial truckload is another mode whereby carriers share the costs. Less than truckload is used for cargo weighing between 45 kg and 6,800 kg while full truckload refers to shipments of over 6,800 kg. The shipping rates depend on factors such as negotiated and tariff rates, fuel cost, mode of transportation, and freight classification. Other factors include distance to destination, and density and weight of the cargo.

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