Dutch freight sector faces lower activity and upcoming zero‑emission bans for vans

In 2025 Dutch freight trucks transported 620 million tonnes of goods, a 3.7 % decline from the previous year. The drop was most pronounced in construction‑related cargo, which fell 8 % to 197 million tonnes. Professional carriers moved 509 million tonnes (down 3.4 %), while own‑company transport fell 5.2 % to 110 million tonnes.

From 1 January 2027 the national exemption for Euro 5 diesel vans ends, meaning that around 24 % of delivery vans in Roosendaal will no longer be allowed in city centres, with an additional 12 % in a transitional age group likely excluded as well. Zero‑emission zones are already active in major Dutch cities and will expand to Alphen aan de Rijn and Venlo in 2027 and to Almere and Deventer in 2028. Entrepreneurs face a new 12 % annual tax on the catalogue value of fossil‑fuel vehicles, driving a push toward electric vans, though cost and range constraints remain for many businesses.