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The Pattern of Road Freight Transport Services in Europe: The Role of Central and Eastern European Countries

Author

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  • Łukasz Matuszczak
  • Jan Jakub Michałek
  • Rafał Woźniak

Abstract

This paper analyses the factors shaping the structure of European road freight transport (RFT) services exports. The RFT sector, primarily composed of small firms, is vital to the European economy. We employed Poisson regressions to provide a pioneering estimate of a structural gravity model for RFT services from 2012 to 2019. Our findings indicate that RFT exports are strongly correlated with gravity variables such as the GDP of trading countries, distance, contiguity, and road infrastructure. Exports are also linked to business cycles, personnel cost differences, the size of RFT firms, and the Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). Our analysis focuses on Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, which have maintained a high share of the RFT market since joining the EU, as evidenced by their high Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA). The strong position of CEE countries can be attributed to lower personnel costs, the expansion of Global Value Chains (GVCs), and the significant potential of RFT firms operating in these countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Łukasz Matuszczak & Jan Jakub Michałek & Rafał Woźniak, 2025. "The Pattern of Road Freight Transport Services in Europe: The Role of Central and Eastern European Countries," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 15-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:sgh:gosnar:y:2025:i:4:p:15-29
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    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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