Late invoices and thin margins: the TSL sector slows into the fourth quarter
Transcash's report shows 60% of hauliers have at least half their invoices paid late, and over half of firms fail to reach a margin above 10%.
As many as 57% of hauliers admit that they handle most of their invoices and orders in the last months of the year. Even so, sentiment is far from optimistic: costs are rising, payment backlogs are growing, and companies are not ready for the green transition.
The business confidence index for transport and warehousing fell in August 2025 from +1.1 to –0.4 points, which shows deepening concern about the future.
The industry's biggest problems
- Rising operating costs: over 80% of firms confirm higher spending, and 60% report increases of more than 10%.
- Late payments: 60% of hauliers say that at least half of their invoices are paid late, on average with a two-week delay.
- Payment backlogs: the main source of difficulty for 63% of respondents.
- Thin margins: over half of firms fail to reach a margin above 10%, and many cannot determine it at all.
- Fleet electrification: nearly 60% of firms feel completely unprepared for the transition imposed by the EU's Fit for 55 package.
A glimmer of hope
The industry does not lack good relationships: 65% of hauliers and 80% of freight forwarders rate their mutual cooperation well, and 30% of firms expect their situation to improve in the second half of the year.
How do you assess the current state of the TSL (transport, shipping and logistics) sector? Are your companies ready for the challenges of the fourth quarter?
Source: Transcash (Finansowy Indeks Branży TSL 2025)