The diesel crisis has made empty kilometres unaffordable

When diesel cost 1.50 euros per litre, driving an empty truck back from a delivery was an inconvenience and something to optimise over time. But when it costs 2.26 euros per litre and rising, it is a direct hit to the bottom line on every single trip. 

The diesel crisis hitting European carriers this 2026 is not a temporary spike. According to the International Road Transport Union (IRU), EU pump prices are exceeding their previous 2026 records on 17 September, up 38% since February. In Germany, Europe's largest freight market, diesel now costs EUR 2.50 per litre, 43% above where it stood eight months ago. In Poland, Bulgaria, and Czechia, the increase is close to 50%. On top of this the International Energy Agency (IEA) is unambiguous about the outlook: diesel markets "will remain undersupplied in the coming months, unless demand softens rapidly." 

For an industry where fuel accounts for around 40% of operating costs, that is not a margin issue anymore, but a structural threat. 

The crisis has structural roots and no quick exit 

The price surge is not driven by a single event but by a convergence of supply disruptions that are unlikely to resolve quickly: traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely constrained, Russian refineries have been further damaged by strikes in September; and EU refineries are running near capacity.  

Experts are expecting tight supply conditions to persist into 2027 even if the conflicts ended immediately. And facing this context, IRU's conclusion for transport operators is direct: a sustained decrease in diesel prices is highly unlikely in the short term, and measures need to be taken now. 

According to the latest Eurostat data, 19.8% of all distances travelled by EU road freight vehicles in 2025 were driven by empty vehicles. Here is the calculation that every carrier now needs to run: almost one kilometre in five generates zero revenue while consuming full amounts of fuel. 

With the diesel going over the 2 euro per litre barrier, the cost of every unloaded return leg has risen sharply, with no corresponding increase in revenue to offset it. That’s why if a carrier can reduce their empty running by even a fraction, the fuel savings at current prices are significantly larger than they would have been twelve months ago. The business case for eliminating empty kilometres has never been stronger. 

Freight exchanges are the practical response 

The challenge carriers face most of the time is finding a load for the return leg when they need one, in the geography where they happen to be. However, that is the problem freight exchanges exist to solve. 

A well-functioning freight exchange matches available truck capacity with available freight in real time, across lanes where a carrier might otherwise have no existing relationships to call on. The result is fewer empty legs, better utilisation, and fuel costs spread across more revenue-generating kilometres. 

Alpega's freight exchange network — covering 80,000+ carriers across 80 countries, with more than 350,000 daily freight and vehicle offers — gives carriers access to that matching at scale.  

For Western and Central Europe, Teleroute connects carriers across France, Italy, Germany, Benelux and Eastern Europe. In Spain and Portugal, Wtransnet leads the market for secure freight exchange. In Romania and the Balkans, BursaTransport/123 cargo provides daily load availability across the region.  

The network's backhaul matching technology reduces empty running by up to 25%, a figure that translates directly into diesel savings at a moment when those savings are worth more than at any point in recent history. 

The carriers that will come through the current price environment in the strongest position are the ones who look hardest at the kilometres they are paying for that generate nothing — and do something about them.