Report

Italy Road Freight Transport Market Analysis

Italy road freight transport market size in 2026 is estimated at USD 41.17 billion, growing from 2025 value of USD 39.83 billion with 2031 projections showing USD 48.59 billion, growing at 3.36% CAGR over 2026-2031. Rising e-commerce volumes, a gradual rebound in export-oriented manufacturing, and European Union infrastructure funding underpin demand even as GDP slipped 0.1% quarter-over-quarter in Q2 2025. Domestic freight retains a 63.94% share, yet international corridors grow faster as Italy maximizes its gateway role along TEN-T routes upgraded through a EUR 1.8 billion (USD 1.98 billion) EIB facility. Consolidation reshapes the competitive field after DSV closed the EUR 14.3 billion (USD 15.78 billion) DB Schenker acquisition in April 2025. Parallel advances in AI-enabled routing, fleet electrification, and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) adoption position technology-centric carriers to capture emerging opportunities across the Italy road freight transport market.

Italy Road Freight Transport Market Trends and Insights



Surge in E-Commerce and Last-Mile Demand

Italy's e-commerce boom propels structural change as omnichannel retailers push parcel volumes into dense urban networks. Wholesale and retail trade therefore record the fastest segment growth at a 4.14% CAGR between 2025-2030. Poste Italiane deployed 27,900 low-emission vehicles and expanded its Piacenza and Caserta hubs to boost parcel capacity. DHL strengthened reach via the Locker Italia venture, capturing pickup-drop-off demand spikes. A Rome pilot combining autonomous robots with public transit cut last-mile costs by 7.5%. These dynamics accelerate less-than-truck-load service uptake as retailers seek consolidation to relieve congestion and emissions limits.

Manufacturing Export Rebound Post-COVID

Despite a 1.8% industrial production dip in March 2025, Italy's high-value subsectors regained momentum. Food exports grew 9.8% and pharmaceuticals 9.5% in 2024, lifting temperature-controlled freight volumes. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan channels EUR 100 billion (USD 110.36 billion) into logistics upgrades that sharpen export competitiveness over 2025-2026. International corridors consequently show a 4.14% CAGR (2025-2030) as plants restore overseas orders. Cargo mix shifts toward higher-value and time-sensitive loads that reward carriers with compliance expertise and modern fleets.

Driver Shortage and Aging Workforce

Vacancies stand near 17,000 and 45% of drivers are older than 50, capping fleet availability at peak periods. Northern regions feel the pinch most acutely as factories ramp shipments yet struggle to schedule outbound slots. Wage increases of 3-4% failed to draw sufficient entrants during 2024. EU training mandates lengthen qualification timelines, while lifestyle alternatives in construction and services lure potential recruits. Carriers respond with signing bonuses, modular schedules, and in-cab technology that lowers fatigue to stabilize retention.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

EU-Funded Road-Bridge Megaproject PipelineOEM Fleet Modernization and HVO AdoptionDiesel and Power Prices

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

Manufacturing maintained a 34.12% share of the Italy road freight transport market in 2025 despite a 3.4% sector turnover decline that year. The Italy road freight transport market size attached to manufacturing is expected to expand at a muted CAGR from 2026-2031 as producers prioritize value-added exports such as pharmaceuticals and specialty foods. Wholesale and retail trade is the fastest-growing end user, registering a 4.02% CAGR between 2026-2031, buoyed by e-commerce and omnichannel distribution strategies that intensify parcel flows.

Specialized freight niches fortify margins: temperature-controlled hauls for drugs and food leverage GDP and HACCP compliance to secure premiums. Construction demand lags amid residential weakness following tax incentive withdrawal, yet public infrastructure works provide offsetting volume. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry maintain steady northbound flows of Mediterranean produce, while oil, gas, mining, and quarrying shipments retreat alongside refining throughput. Logistics providers such as DHL pivot to life sciences and energy segments to defend revenue diversity.

Domestic lanes accounted for 63.55% of the Italy road freight transport market size in 2025, supported by dense internal consumption corridors. International freight, however, posts a 4.03% CAGR between 2026-2031 as carriers exploit upgraded Alpine links and growing U.S. trade surpluses totaling EUR 34.7 billion (USD 38.29 billion) in 2024.

Cross-border operations experience higher compliance costs from e-CMR and toll changes but benefit from superior yield per kilometer. DSV's acquisition of DB Schenker broadens network density, offering shippers seamless trans-Alpine coverage. Domestic freight advantages include predictable scheduling and lower paperwork, yet carriers must adapt to urban emissions caps that raise fleet upgrade necessities.

Full-truck-load services represented 81.92% of the Italy road freight transport market in 2025, reflecting direct-route cost advantages. Less-than-truck-load values are forecast to rise at 3.82% CAGR (2026-2031) as e-commerce fragmentation increases palletized movements. The Italy road freight transport market share for LTL therefore climbs gradually through 2031, buoyed by AI routing that matches loads and backhauls in real time.

FTL carriers battle driver scarcity and rising road tolls but leverage manufacturing rebound for steady outbound utilization. LTL providers invest in hub-and-spoke consolidation, IoT tracking, and API integrations to satisfy retailers' next-day expectations. Consolidation accelerates as mid-tier fleets seek cost advantage via shared networks and digital dispatch platforms.

The Italy Road Freight Transport Market Report is Segmented by End User Industry (Manufacturing, and More), Destination (Domestic and International), Truckload Specification (FTL and LTL), Distance (Long Haul and Short Haul), Goods Configuration (Fluid Goods and Solid Goods), Temperature Control (Non-Temperature and Temperature Controlled), and by Containerization. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

Alpina Italiana SpA Arcese Trasporti SpA DACHSER DHL Group DSV A/S (Including DB Schenker) Fercam SpA (FERCAM HOLDING Srl) Fiege Logistics GEODIS Girteka Gruppo Di Martino Kuehne+Nagel La Poste Group (Including BRT) Lannutti Group Number 1 Logistics Group SpA Poste Italiane Raben Group Savino Del Bene STEF Group Transmec Group United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS)

Additional Benefits:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support