The freight transport market in France

Freight transport refers to all activities involving the movement of goods from one point to another, whether agricultural, industrial or manufactured, by land, sea or air. In Europe, this market continues to enjoy sustained growth, estimated at +3.6% per year over the period 2016-2028, driven by the globalization of trade, the rise of online commerce and the sophistication of logistics chains.

In France, road freight transport (TRM) remains the mainstay of the sector, accounting for almost 89% of land-based activity in 2023, far ahead of rail(8.9%) and river(1.8%). This predominance is due to the flexibility of the road mode, capable of adapting to the diversity of flows and the imperatives of the "last mile". Most domestic traffic is handled by the French flag, which accounts for 93.3% of tonne-kilometres, while foreign cabotage accounts for just foreign cabotage accounts for only 6.7%, a sign of the relative resilience of the national flag despite intra-European competitive pressure.

The profile of French TRM reflects a long-distance economy: 77% of business is carried out over distances of more than 150 km, confirming the weight of inter-regional transport and specialization on structuring logistics links. At the same time, short distances, often linked to urban distribution or e-commerce, are gaining in relative importance, imposing new constraints in terms of planning, productivity and decarbonization.

In economic terms, the cost price of the French flag (an average of €13.8 per 100 tonne-kilometres) remains much higher than that of competing flags, such as Spain (€1.8 per 100 tonne-kilometres) and France (€1.8 per 100 tonne-kilometres). spanish(€9.2) and Polish(€8.9) flags, accentuating the pressure on margins and the need for technological and organizational modernization.

Lastly, the human factor remains a central but fragile link in the sector: truck drivers work an average of 44 to 47 hours a week, depending on whether they operate on short or long haul routes, with a daily amplitude of 9.51 to 11.06 am. These figures reflect a high work intensity in a context of chronic labor shortage and accelerated transformation of logistics models.

At the crossroads of economic competitiveness, environmental change and social issues, French road haulage is undergoing a profound transformation: more connected, more fragmented, but also more constrained, it remains a strategic vector of national industrial performance.