Transport and logistics industry has 1.59 billion PLN debt to repay

Transport and logistics sector has been facing difficulties for several years, resulting in growing debt. The total debt of the industry in April this year reached 1.59 billion PLN, according to data from the National Debt Register. This represents an increase of almost one fifth over the year. The largest portion of this amount is owed by road freight transport, with liabilities amounting to 1.26 billion PLN. The industry's situation is not improved by: extended payment waiting times, which can reach up to 60 days, rising operational costs, and legislative changes.

The debt of the transport and logistics industry is growing higher, and the number of companies with financial problems is also increasing. The amount due for repayment in April this year has already reached 1.59 billion PLN, representing an increase of 19 percent over the year and 37 percent over three years. The number of indebted entities is currently 31,700, while just a year ago there were 29,300. The number of restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings against companies involved in road transport is also increasing. Their share rose from 5 percent in 2021 to 13 percent in 2024.

Several difficult years

Our data shows that financial arrears in the transport and logistics sector have been increasing for several years, but the largest jump in debt – by a quarter of a billion zlotys – occurred between 2024 and 2025. Meanwhile, the number of debtors is currently at its highest in 4 years. The difficult situation in the industry was primarily influenced by the decline in demand for transport services, associated with the economic slowdown in Poland and Europe. It was also affected by higher operational costs, such as employment costs, high and unstable fuel prices, and rising costs of road tolls, as well as expenses related to new legislation, such as the Mobility Package.
- comments Adam Łącki, President of the Management Board of the National Debt Register Economic Information Bureau.

According to KRD data, the largest arrears in the transport and logistics industry are in road freight transport – they currently amount to 1.26 billion PLN and constitute almost 80 percent of the total amount due for repayment. This sector also has the largest number of indebted companies – 23,000 out of 31,700 all indebted enterprises from the transport and logistics industry. The average debt of one debtor from the entire transport industry is 50,300 PLN, and among those engaged in road transport – 54,500 PLN. In second place in terms of the amount due for repayment is the warehousing and transport support services sector (118 million PLN), and in third place: postal and courier activities – 46.7 million PLN.

Infamous records

More than 2/3 of companies from the transport and logistics sector listed in the KRD are sole proprietorships. They also account for the larger part of the total debt, which is 922.4 million PLN. However, the record holder in terms of debt value is a commercial law company from Warsaw, which deals with road transport of goods. It must return 6.8 million PLN to, among others, companies from the insurance, fuel, leasing industries, and suppliers of spare parts.

Among the record-breaking debtors, it is also worth mentioning another transport company from Warsaw, which has a record number of 614 overdue financial obligations totaling 6.75 million PLN. Meanwhile, the company with the largest number of creditors (91) and over 644,000 PLN in debt operates in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.

In terms of regions, the largest debt is held by companies from Mazovia – they owe creditors 325.4 million PLN. Next are companies from Silesia: 211.3 million PLN, and right behind them – from Greater Poland: 195.4 million PLN.

Transport and logistics debts burden other industries

The three largest creditors of the transport and logistics sector are: companies from the debt management industry (waiting for a return of 459 million PLN), leasing companies (338.8 million PLN), and companies from the fuel industry (245 million PLN). In addition, carriers owe 171.3 million PLN to insurance companies, 146.2 million PLN to trading companies, and 142 million PLN to banks and other financial institutions.

The KRD scoring for the transport industry shows that only just under 2/3 of all companies in this sector (65 percent) have the highest payment reliability. One in four transport companies (22 percent) has average reliability, and 13 percent of companies are the least reliable businesses, meaning cooperation with them carries a high risk. Additionally, over the past year, a deterioration in the payment reliability of companies from the transport industry can be observed. The share of entities in category G, i.e., high risk, increased significantly (by 9 percent), as well as in the averaged category – D and E. At the same time, the share of the most reliable companies – A and C – decreased. Such a situation may suggest a shift of a larger number of companies to a medium or high level of risk.

Carriers also wait for their money

In the transport and logistics industry, waiting for payment for a service rendered is often over 60 days. Meanwhile, the needs related to maintaining financial liquidity, especially in micro-enterprises, are constant and require quick reactions. That's why factoring has remained a popular tool among transport entrepreneurs for years, enabling earlier acquisition of funds from issued invoices.
- says Emanuel Nowak, an expert from the factoring company NFG.

Importantly, transport and logistics is also in arrears with payments to companies from its own industry and is its own largest debtor. If debtors from this sector paid off their obligations, the total debts would decrease by 63.2 million PLN. In addition, the sector has to recover, among others, 51.2 million PLN from trade, 27 million PLN from companies involved in industrial processing, and 16.8 million PLN from construction.

Source: KRD