The Polish transport sector is undergoing a severe downturn. Data cited by „Rzeczpospolita” indicates that in just three months, nearly as many businesses have ceased operations as did in the entire preceding year.
According to information published in the Monday edition of the newspaper, data from the Association of International Road Carriers (ZMPD) shows that 1,234 transport companies ceased trading in the first quarter of 2026. The rate of closures in such a short period highlights the extreme difficulty currently facing the entire sector. Experts quoted by „Rzeczpospolita” have no illusions that this is merely the beginning of the issues.
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Piotr Mikiel, director of the ZMPD transport department, presented a pessimistic outlook. He believes the trend will intensify due to the industry’s dire condition.
„This is almost as many as in the entire last year. I believe this will worsen, as the situation in the industry is bad,” Mikiel commented in an interview with „Rz”.
Middle East Conflict Impacts Carriers
As „Rzeczpospolita” noted, the war in Ukraine was previously the primary challenge for Polish companies, but the situation in the Middle East has now become the key factor destabilizing the market.
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The daily recalled warnings from PKO BP analysts in March, who suggested that economic slowdown in Europe triggered by the conflict could lead to a more severe and prolonged decline in demand for transport services.
The newspaper’s report indicates that this scenario is now unfolding. Adam Nafalski, co-owner of the company Aldo, emphasizes that in recent months, most carriers with fleets of several dozen or more vehicles have opted to reduce their size. A lower volume of orders, coupled with an oversupply of services, is intensifying competition for contracts.
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A Battle for Survival in the Order Market
The circumstances are forcing companies to accept terms that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Carriers are beginning to forgo profitability calculations for individual orders, simply to keep their fleets operational.
„Situations arise where the only concern is that the vehicle doesn’t sit idle but goes out on the road, regardless of its profitability,” Nafalski told „Rz”.
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