The country has good transport connections to its neighboring countries. In the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, the Czech Republic was ranked 22nd out of 160 countries in 2018. This puts it in first place in Central and Eastern Europe. Goods are transported via 11,000 rail, road and water routes. The road network covers over 75,000 kilometers, around 1,300 of which are freeways and 50,000 regional roads.

There are around 28,411 transport companies in the Czech Republic. The sector accounts for around 3.4% of all companies in the country and employs around 239,000 people, of which around 120,000 are drivers.

Most goods are transported by road

The majority of freight traffic – over 80 percent – is still transported by road. The importance of truck transportation has even increased in recent years, while the railroads’ share has fallen to well under a fifth. Market experts explain this primarily with the increased demands of the automotive industry. This expects vendor parts to be delivered several times a day exactly when they are needed in production. This reduces the shipment sizes, which are therefore more suitable for truck transport.

The automotive industry plays a central role in the Czech Republic. Photo: Adobe Stock

The transport performance of road freight transport in the Czech Republic in 2022 was around 65.8 billion tonne-kilometres, with a transport volume of around 474 million tons. According to forecasts, turnover in various transport sectors will continue to rise: Moving transportation is expected to generate revenue of EUR 29.67 million in 2025, road freight transportation EUR 11.68 billion and land passenger transportation EUR 1.24 billion. This makes the logistics sector one of the most important and most dynamic economic sectors in the Czech Republic.

What characterizes road freight transport in the Czech Republic

• Central location: The Czech Republic is located in the heart of Europe and is an important hub for transit traffic. This enables efficient connections to other European countries and makes the Czech Republic an important logistics and distribution center.
• Well-developed infrastructure: The country has a dense network of highways and expressways that enable the fast and efficient movement of goods. The infrastructure is constantly being improved and expanded to meet the growing demands of transportation.
• Competitive costs: Compared to Western European countries, the cost of transportation services in the Czech Republic is lower. This makes the country an attractive location for logistics companies and international freight forwarders.
• Innovative spirit: Many Czech transport companies are investing in modern technology and vehicles to improve efficiency and environmental friendliness. Electronic toll collection systems and telematics solutions are widely used to optimize route planning and monitoring.
• Regulation: The Czech Republic has strict regulations and standards for road freight transportation to ensure safety and environmental compatibility. These regulations are often stricter than in some other Eastern European countries, resulting in a higher quality of service.
• Labor market and training: The availability of qualified drivers and logistics professionals is another advantage. There are special training programs and courses to ensure that drivers are well trained and up to date with the latest technology.

Trade surplus

The Czech Republic recorded a surplus of 4.8 billion euros in trade in goods in 2022. Exports amounted to 222 billion euros, of which road vehicles accounted for the largest share at 18.4 %. The most important export countries include Germany (32.8%), Slovakia and Poland. Imports totaled 218 billion euros, led by electrical machinery (12.3%) and telecommunications equipment (9.2%). The main importing countries include Germany (19.8%), China and Poland. In bilateral trade with Germany, the Czech Republic exported goods worth 75.24 billion euros in 2022, mainly electrical machinery and other equipment and machinery. German exports to the Czech Republic amounted to 54.5 billion euros.

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