Which country is hardest to leave with a truck? Europe's freight balance by country
Switzerland is hardest to leave with a truck: 53 tonnes loaded per 100 unloaded, 2024-2025. Logifie's Eurostat-based country ranking, method and limits.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Switzerland is the hardest country to leave with a truck: 53 tonnes loaded per 100 unloaded in international road freight over 2024 and 2025, by Logifie's country totals from its freight balance map, built from Eurostat data. Luxembourg (68) and Portugal (75) follow. Ireland is easiest at 146.
Which countries are hardest to leave with a truck?
The table lists the eight hardest countries and the three easiest, ranked by tonnes loaded for every 100 tonnes unloaded. Below 100, more freight arrives than leaves, so a driver who delivers there finds a load back less easily.
| Rank | Country | Loaded per 100 unloaded | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 53 | Hard to leave |
| 2 | Luxembourg (1 region) | 68 | Hard to leave |
| 3 | Portugal | 75 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 4 | Liechtenstein (1 region) | 78 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 5 | Croatia | 85 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 6 | France | 87 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 7 | Sweden | 87 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 8 | Estonia (1 region) | 88 | Slightly hard to leave |
| 28 | Spain | 122 | Slightly easy to reload |
| 29 | Finland | 136 | Slightly easy to reload |
| 30 | Ireland | 146 | Easy to reload |
Source: Logifie's own arithmetic from Eurostat region data, tonnes 2024 plus 2025, international only.
Volume is not balance. Eurostat reports international goods loaded or unloaded in 2025 reached 431 Mt in Germany, 231 Mt in France and 200 Mt in the Netherlands ( Eurostat Statistics Explained , data extracted 2026-07). Germany, busiest by that measure, scores 104 (balanced).
How does this country ranking work, and what does it miss?
Logifie summed loaded and unloaded tonnes over every rated NUTS-2 region listed for each country, using Eurostat tables road_go_ta_rl and road_go_ta_ru for 2024 plus 2025 ( Eurostat catalogue , tables last updated 2026-10-06). Domestic haulage by the country's own hauliers is removed, and cabotage (domestic hauls carried out by a foreign truck) is kept. Loaded divided by unloaded, times 100 and rounded half up, gives the figure. This is Logifie's own arithmetic, not an official Eurostat ranking.
Figures are tonnes, not trucks, and promise no load. The data shows the imbalance, not its cause. Big regions weigh most; unlisted ones, such as the Spanish islands, are left out. One-region countries are noisy: Montenegro rests on 196 thousand tonnes unloaded. The UK has no regional data, and Turkey, Serbia, Albania, Malta and Iceland are partial, so they are not ranked. A country figure also hides its regions: France scores 87 overall, yet 10 of its 21 regions are balanced.
Where do you go for detail below country level?
The map works at region level, so you can check where you unload. Open Logifie's freight balance map to look up a region, see the region ranking for the hardest areas, or read how the map works .
Frequently asked questions
Which country is hardest to find a return load in?
Switzerland, at 53 tonnes loaded per 100 unloaded over 2024 and 2025. Luxembourg (68) and Portugal (75) come next. These are international road freight tonnes, summed by Logifie from Eurostat data.
Is France hard to leave?
France scores 87 per 100 across 21 regions, which is slightly hard to leave. Yet 10 of those 21 regions are balanced, so the country figure hides large differences between regions.
Does a low number mean there are no loads?
No. The figure counts tonnes, not trucks, trips, empty kilometres or rates. It shows how freight is balanced over two years and promises no load on any day.
Why do some small countries carry a one-region mark?
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Estonia each count a single region, so that one region is the whole country. Read their figures as a hint, not a rule.
Check your own route on Logifie's freight balance map.
