from Oleksandr Kulish, Consultant at Transporeon, A Trimble Company
The transportation landscape in Europe represents one of the world’s most sophisticated logistics networks, where over thirty countries intersect in a complex web of trade routes and regulatory frameworks. This comprehensive series examines the key transport markets that drive Europe’s logistics sector, offering data-driven insights and practical market intelligence.
Our analysis combines real-world data from the Transporeon platform with official statistics from Eurostat, focusing primarily on full truckload road transport while maintaining relevance for other transport segments.
The Spanish road transportation market
Let`s examine the key features of Spain´s transport market and their impact on all parties:
Spain stands as one of the EU`s largest economies and has shown robust growth over the past two years. Its GDP is projected to grow by 3.1% in 2024, exceeding both previous forecasts and EU averages. This growth stems from strong domestic demand, increased productivity, job creation, and supportive fiscal and monetary policies, along with government investments. However, some sectors – particularly tourism and housing – face uncertainties about maintaining this growth momentum.
Spain has strong economic ties with neighboring Portugal and France, and is well-integrated into the broader European economy. It also serves as an important transit route connecting Western Europe with North-Western Africa.
Road transport dominates domestic logistics sector in the mainland Spain as the country has virtually no inland navigable waterways and minor rail freight share. Among the EU countries, only Greece and Ireland have lower rail cargo volumes per capita than Spain.
Download the country overview in the highest available resolution including a description of all values: Spain Road Transport Report Download
Let’s explore how Spain’s local road transport market compares to other European countries:
Demand characteristics
Much of the demand for road transport is concentrated in three key industrial areas: the capital region near Madrid, the eastern Mediterranean coast, and in the northern region. The northern region supplies more transport services to the other two areas than it receives. A plethora of ports across lengthy coasts serve as important intermodal hubs, with Valencia, Algeciras and Barcelona handling the largest volumes.
While domestic transportation remains crucial for Spain` s market, international transport demand has grown recently due to strengthening economic ties abroad. s. Cross-border shipments primarily involve neighboring countries, with France and Portugal being the main trading partners for both inbound and outbound transports. Germany, Italy, and the UK also serve as significant trading partners. Our data shows inbound transports comprise 52.4% of international traffic, while outbound transports account for 47.6%.
Spain’s transport demand follows clear patterns, with notable decreases during Easter and Christmas holiday periods, as well as August, during peak season vacation periods.
Toll characteristics
The Spanish road transport network consists of two types of intercity roads: autopistas and autovias. Both are motorways with similar standards, differing mainly in their funding sources. Most autopistas were built by private concessionary companies, regional governments or other special entities, while autovias were state-funded. Often they were tolled with gate systems. Over time, some of autopistas’ ownership transferred to government and they became toll-free, though they kept “AP” designation. Currently, only about 1500 km of motorways are tolled, the rest are toll-free.
This arrangement does not fully comply with the EU Eurovignette directive and other CO2 reduction regulations. In December 2024, the EU issued a call to action and reasoned opinion requiring Spain to fully implement EU rules on road infrastructure tolls and vignettes. These rules mandate incorporating air pollution costs into toll systems based on vehicle CO2 emissions. While Spain must respond within two months to avoid referral to the Court of Justice, expanding road tolls will face significant challenges. The country’s road transport sector is highly organized and unionized, with haulier unions demonstrating their ability to spawn effective protests and strikes, and a proven history of influencing local policymakers.
Infrastructure characteristics
Spain boasts a modern, well-developed motorway network spanning approximately 15,825 kilometers. The density of motorways is ca. 24 meters per sq. km., ranking Spain 8th in Europe. he network handles 344 thousand tons of goods per motorway kilometer, demonstrating high utilization, especially along these key transport corridors:
- A-7/AP-7 (Mediterranean corridor): Two interconnected motorways, connecting France to major Spanish ports and cities along the Mediterranean coast. The A-7 is currently undergoing major reconstruction.
- A-2 (Northeast corridor): Linking the capital to the northeastern industrial regions and the port of Barcelona.
- A-4 (Southern corridor): Connecting Madrid with the southern regions, facilitating the movement of goods to and from Andalusia.
- A-8/AP-8 (“Transcantábrica”): Second major connection to France, running along the north coast. An important Bilbao bypass is being built on this route now.
Other major developments in Spain include several railway network renovation and expansion projects, aimed to increase rail transport´s share and reduce obstacles for European-wide intermodal transportation through Iberian Peninsula.
Capacity characteristics
Spain’s transport capacity remains robust, driven by strong growth in heavy truck registrations. In 2023, nearly 24,000 new heavy truck registrations were registered, marking a 19% increase from 2022, surpassing the European The country’s cabotage share is relatively low at 0.6%, (ranking it 13th in Europe), indicating limited foreign carriers activity. This suggests some fragility in local capacity supply, as external carriers face difficulties accessing the Spanish market.
Statistics show minor activity levels of Spanish carriers in cabotage within other countries, only market where they play a visible role is France. But the exception to this rule lies in refrigerated transports, where several Spain-based specialized temperature-controlled carriers hold prominent market positions.
A distinctive feature of the Spanish market is its extreme fragmentation, characterized by the dominance of small and micro-sized carriers. The majority of registered carriers in the country are self-employed entrepreneurs.
Rate characteristics
Transport rates in Spain are shaped by many factors, including the imbalance between inbound and outbound flows, regional demand patterns, and route-specific toll costs. These elements influence both domestic and international rates in distinct ways:
Inbound vs. Outbound Rates: Inbound rates are generally lower than outbound rates, driven by strong export demand. Local carriers dominate export transport services, creating a heightened need for return loads to their home bases—especially for refrigerated equipment. Regional Variations: Rates vary significantly across regions, with higher costs observed in areas with dense industry and limited capacity.
Spot Rate Fluctuations: The average variation in spot rates is moderate at 6.4%, reflecting the relatively stable capacity environment in the domestic market.
Domestic transport prices remain comparatively low to other European countries. This stems from three main factors: the absence of a nationwide toll system, lower local price levels, and a highly fragmented carrier market. The fragmentation in particular, creates sustained pricing pressure during tender processes and negotiations.
Conclusion
Spain’s road transportation market plays a vital role in driving local economic growth. Cross-border movements significantly shape transport, with international shipments forming a substantial portion of overall traffic. While the country benefits from low toll costs and comprehensive infrastructure, its market faces both opportunities and challenges from economic growth and potential capacity constraints.
For more detailed insights and updates, stay tuned for the upcoming editions of the “Understanding Road Transportation” series.
Thanks for reading Freight Perspectives! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.
