Timocom has been using the transport barometer to analyze the development of transport supply and demand for the freight and cargo space smart apps integrated in the Smart Logistics System since 2009. More than 130,000 users generate up to 750,000 international cargo and freight offers every day.

10 years of the transport barometer

In terms of developments in the UK, the TIMOCOM Transport Barometer reflects the great market uncertainty that prevails in the European economy in the wake of the Brexit debate. While the number of freight offers from EU countries to the UK slumped by 56% in the first two quarters of this year, more freight is currently being transported to the island again. Fecke: "In the third quarter, we are again seeing an increase in stock levels, which shows that companies with a location in the UK are currently preparing for the coming months."

A look at individual EU countries paints a different picture: the heavy rainfall in recent weeks in the Mediterranean region and eastern Andalusia has led to massive crop failures for fruit and vegetables, which have had an impact on truck exports from this region. "The significant growth in exports that Spain's farmers were able to record in the first two quarters of this year has slowed down," observes Fecke. "Added to this is the political blockade in Spain, which is still without a government. This panorama of uncertainty is also having a blocking effect on exports." As a result, vehicles heading back to southern Europe are lacking on the market. "We are therefore seeing a 14% increase in freight supply to Spain and a 12% increase to Portugal compared to the third quarter of 2018," continues Fecke.

"Compared to the previous year, demand for transportation in Germany is weakening," says Timocom's business analyst Tilman Fecke. Nevertheless, the number of all freight offers that have been placed on the freight exchange since January 2019 has stabilized over the course of this year. "The market is currently at 94 percent of the previous year's level," says Fecke.