The transport, forwarding and logistics (TSL) services market in Poland – part 2

The role of road transport in Poland is similar to that in European Union countries; its share in freight transport in 2000 was over 80%, and 25.8% in transport performance. It is assumed that by 2010, the demand for freight transport will increase by 38% (White Paper, 2001), which means at least a 33% increase in road transport, assuming a doubling of rail transport during that time (IRU data).

Domestic transport. The private sector holds a dominant position (95% of transport in 2000). Commercial transport accounts for 35% of transport, compared to 65% transported as own-account transport (tonnage comparison). This testifies to the size of the market. This structure could be shaped quite differently (in favor of commercial transport) if we were to take pallet shipments into account. Inverse proportions are also visible when analyzing transport performance. A high degree of fragmentation of companies can still be observed. Entities with up to 9 employees, which generally have a small number of vehicles, dominate. The number of larger companies remains at a stable level of 1,444 (2000) – 1,447 (1998), which constitutes only 1.6% of all enterprises that have registered transport activities. The number of entities actually conducting transport activities is not fully identified. Based on the register, this number is over 90,000, but in reality, it may reach 50-60,000. The introduction of the requirement to obtain a license for transport activities will also lead to better identification of this sector of the economy. Among large companies, only 10 have more than 100 vehicles, and 216 have between 20 and 99 vehicles (GUS data). In the fleet structure, only 4% have a load capacity of over 8 tons. The age of a significant portion of the vehicles reaches even 10 years or more. They also meet environmental standards to a low degree.