Things are going well in the transport sector. In the second quarter of 2015, not only did turnover at transport companies increase; profits also rose considerably. Those positive figures result in a growing number of vacancies. The number of vacancies has not been this high since 2008.
That is according to the Business Cycle Report for the second quarter of Transport and Logistics Netherlands. The increase in vacancies is mainly due to an improvement in the economic climate. Meanwhile, the number of bankruptcies is also said to be falling.
Satisfied business owners
The business owners surveyed by TLN are said to be looking to the future with confidence. The
satisfaction sentiment indicator rose from 7.3 to 7.6 in the second quarter. Since TLN began measuring this in 2010, this sentiment indicator has never been this high. Business owners are particularly pleased with the level of activity. Business capacity utilisation and liquidity are also reported to be in good shape.
Transport prices remain too low
Despite all the good news, there is still a downside. Operators are not satisfied with the level of transport prices. Where this dissatisfaction comes from is unclear. Just last week, the Transport Market Monitor reported that transport prices rose by 10.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2015. With this, the index reached its highest since measurements began in January 2008. This is a remarkable difference compared to the trend among TLN members. They rated the level of prices with a 5.5, while in the first quarter this was still rated with a 6.1.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
