Collapse of the transport industry? Klacska warns of new toll burden!

Collapse of the transport industry? Klacska warns of new toll burden!

The transport industry in Austria is under immense pressure. Alexander Klacska, chairman of the federal transport and traffic division WKO, recently described the alarming situation in the industry. Companies are faced with rising costs while revenues are falling dramatically. A current economic survey shows that the assessment of the business situation in the second quarter of 2025 is worse than at the beginning of the year. Only 58% of the mobility industry companies surveyed consider their order backlog to be sufficient, a decline of 6% compared to the beginning of the year.

A pressing problem is insufficient demand, which one in three transport operators cite as a primary hindrance to business. The areas of freight transport and forwarding in particular are struggling with unsatisfactory demand - here 40% of those surveyed reported a decline, some of which was significant. Demand expectations for the next three months are also slightly negative and indicate a worrying development.

Rising costs and toll rates

A central factor in the current challenges is the sharp increase in truck tolls, which already account for 3.5 percent of the total cost index. According to the Traffic review The average shipping costs rose by 3.9 percent compared to the same period last year, with toll costs accounting for 83 percent of this increase. Klacska warns of further planned increases in truck tolls of 10 to 13%, which could endanger the economic survival of many companies.

The burden of tolls and mineral oil taxes are not the only factors leading to the cost explosion. The transportation industry is also faced with rising personnel costs, which account for around 50 percent of total costs. Material costs, although they have fallen slightly for the first time in years, are also contributing to the unstable situation. However, a decrease in energy costs was not enough to significantly alleviate the financial burden. Future forecasts indicate that cost increases in general cargo logistics will continue.

Negative trends in transport

In addition to the financial challenges, there is a risk of infrastructural problems caused by railway closures, as in the case of the German railway near Passau and the closure of the ÖBB Tauern Tunnel. These management problems cause additional costs and inconvenience to carriers. Klacska emphasizes that Austria already has the highest mileage-based toll in the EU, which further affects the competitiveness of domestic companies.

A look at new truck and tractor-trailer registrations shows an alarming 21% decline from January to May 2025 compared to the previous year. A trend that was already apparent in 2024, when new registrations fell by 0.5%. This directly influences the future performance and flexibility of the industry. Loud Statista In 2022, a significant proportion of goods transported in Germany would already be carried out by road, which illustrates the dependence on road traffic.

In an industry that traditionally suffers from high costs, experts warn of the impending breaking point. Klacska calls for an urgent review of current toll increases and a fairer distribution of operational burdens to ensure the vitality of the transport sector, which is crucial to the economy.