Minimum wage 2027 for truck drivers: a pay rise or a death sentence for small carriers?
Minimum wage 2027 for truck drivers: Germany's floor rises to 14.60 EUR per hour on 2027-01-01, up 5.0%, a modest squeeze on French cost data.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Minimum wage 2027 for truck drivers is a real pay rise for anyone paid at the floor: Germany sets 14.60 EUR per hour from 2027-01-01, up 5.0%, and foreign carriers pay it on posted days there. On French cost data it is a modest squeeze rather than a death sentence, sharpest for fixed-price fleets.
What is the minimum wage for truck drivers in 2027?
Four national floors checked on 2026-11-07 rise by 3.0% to 11.2% in 2027. Germany rises to 14.60 EUR per hour on 2027-01-01, about 121 EUR gross more per month at 173.33 hours.
| Country | 2027 national floor and change |
|---|---|
| Germany | 14.60 EUR per hour from 2027-01-01, up 5.0% from 13.90 EUR |
| Poland | 4,950 PLN per month gross, up 3.0% from 4,806 PLN |
| Czechia | 24,900 CZK per month, up 11.2% from 22,400 CZK |
| Lithuania | 1,245 EUR per month, up 8.0% from 1,153 EUR |
Sources: MiLoV5 , Dziennik Ustaw 2026 poz. 1213 of 2026-09-15, MPSV and LRT . Check every 2027 driver minimum wage in Europe for the full country list.
Which driver days does the minimum wage actually apply to?
A host country's floor applies on the days a driver is posted there. Under Directive (EU) 2020/1057 , applied since 2022-02-02, cabotage (domestic carriage inside a country by a carrier based elsewhere) and cross-trade are posted work, while bilateral operations and pure transit are not.
For a foreign carrier, that means at least 14.60 EUR for each hour worked in Germany on those runs, 0.70 EUR more than in 2026. See what the German 2027 minimum wage means for drivers .
In Poland, the floor is often not the binding rate. A Truckers Life survey of 777 Polish professional drivers found a median of about 9,000 PLN net per month, reported by trans.info on 2026-01-23 , against a 2027 floor of 4,950 PLN gross.
Can small carriers afford the 2027 minimum wage?
On average the effect is small, because the floor moves only one cost line. French CNR data, published by CCFA in its 2025 edition , puts driving staff at 29.1% (long distance) to 41.4% (regional) of cost in 2024. A 5.0% rise on the whole line would add 1.5% to 2.1% to total cost, or 0.9% to 1.2% at 3.0%. That is our own arithmetic on a French cost structure, assuming the floor is the rate paid; we found no dated margin figure to compare.
In our view, since no small-carrier data exists, the squeeze is sharpest for small fleets on fixed-price contracts without a cost clause, because they cannot pass the rise on. Tolls and diesel add to it: compare the 2027 truck cost changes .
Labour-market pressure is separate. The IRU Global Driver Shortage Report 2025 says the 2025 shortage exceeded every previous reading, so pay pressure exists whatever the statutory floor says.
Before 2027-01-01, a small carrier should check which days are posted, update the payroll, add a cost clause at each contract renewal and rerun its cost per km.
Frequently asked questions
Does the German minimum wage apply to foreign truck drivers in 2027?
Only on posted work. Cabotage and cross-trade days in Germany count, and MiLoG section 20 requires foreign employers to pay at least the minimum wage for work done there. Bilateral operations and pure transit are not posted under Directive (EU) 2020/1057.
How much does the 2027 minimum wage add to a driver's monthly pay?
In Germany the rise is about 121 EUR gross per month at 173.33 hours, for a driver paid exactly the 14.60 EUR floor.
Will the 2027 minimum wage push carriers into bankruptcy?
On the French cost data it is a cost squeeze, not a failure on its own. Fixed-price fleets without cost clauses carry the most risk; read the 2027 outlook for transport company bankruptcies for the wider picture.
Calculate your 2027 cost per km with the freight calculator before the next contract round.
