The ITLB recently published its estimates for the cost of road transport in 2026. It is mainly fuel costs and tolls that are responsible for a total increase of an estimated + 4.03% in general national transport. There is not yet a specific cost index for transport with electric trucks.
Of all the items that weigh most heavily in the cost of road transport, fuel is the most difficult to predict. The ITLB bases this on the forecasts of the Planning Bureau. The item ‘wages’ will increase by 2.55% as a result of the following changes: increase in the wage level, ARAB allowances and subsistence costs by 2.15% on January 1, 2026 and evolution of the solidarity contribution payable by companies.
As far as tolls are concerned, the ITLB takes into account the indexation of the Walloon kilometer charge on January 1, 2026 and its additional increase on July 1, 2026, the new composition of the rates in Flanders and Brussels (particularly the CO2 component) and an indexation of the rates for the Brussels-Capital Region. Tolls in the various neighboring countries, on the other hand, are not expected to increase. The Netherlands is an exception to this, as a kilometer charge will come into effect there in the summer of 2026. Other cost items are expected to increase only in line with inflation, with the exception of insurance costs, which are expected to increase by 5%.
Taking all of the above into account, the ITLB makes the following predictions for the year 2026:
- general national transport: + 4.03%
- courier services: +3.87%
- interregional transport with Germany: + 3.31%
- interregional transport with France: +3.15%
- long-distance transport with Italy: +2.74%
- long-distance transport with Switzerland: +3.06%
- general international transport: +3.07%
