Companies in Germany face higher shipping costs for parcels next year due to the impact of a highrise in road tolls.
DHL Parcel Germany and Hermes are the latest two parcel operators to announce that they willpass on the high rise in the German motorway truck roll (“Maut”) to customers. German parceloperators generally add Maut surcharges to their invoices but do not publish these in terms of costper parcel.
DHL Parcel said that it would increase its Maut surcharge with effect from January 1, 2009,and pass on the higher costs to business customers. The rise in Maut charges was a significantincrease in costs for the whole transport industry, and could not be absorbed by internalproductivity improvements.
Hermes, which focuses on the B2C sector, said that while its Maut costs would rise by 58%from January, it would only pass on 44% of these higher costs to business customers. “From ourpoint of view, the Maut increase impacts on both the transport industry and shippers, and willcertainly not help to improve the economic outlook for 2009,” commented Frank Iden, head of sales,marketing and customer service.
B2B specialists DPD and GLS had both previously stated that they, too, would pass on the Mautcosts to business customers.
The Maut, which is charged on trucks over 12 tonnes, is currently an average 12.4 euro centsper motorway km, including 12/13 cents for Euro III and IV class vehicles (depending on axlenumber) and 10/11 cents for Euro V trucks.
From January, Euro III trucks (accounting for 47% of traffic volumes) will pay 19/20.4 centsper km, Euro IV trucks (8% of traffic) will pay 16.9/18.3 cents and Euro V trucks (35% of traffic)will pay 14.1/15.5 cents.
The higher rates per truck class will result in a 50% rise in the average toll to 18.6 cents,according to the German freight forwarders association. The German transport ministry has estimatedthe new average toll charge at 16.3 euro cents.
