And How Smart Fleets Stay Profitable
The European trucking world is entering a 0 crucial turning point. Rising fuel prices, new sustainability regulations, and ongoing driver shortages put pressure on every fleet, from small owner-operators to international trucking companies. Some carriers are even asking: “Are trucking companies going out of business?”
The truth: only the unprepared ones.
Smart fleets are not only surviving, they’re becoming more profitable by controlling the real hidden cost drivers of modern trucking.
In this article, we reveal what truly increases costs in 2025 and how fleets using flexible equipment like trailers rental, truck rental, trailer hire, and advanced fleet solutions stay competitive across Europe.
Fuel remains the biggest operating cost in trucking and 2025 brings even more uncertainty. Whether you run diesel, LNG, or electric trucks, prices fluctuate constantly.
Older trucks consume 20–30% more fuel than modern units, making truck rental services or truck hire with new-generation models a profitable alternative.
Europe’s driver shortage continues into 2025, increasing wage expectations, overtime costs, and recruitment expenses.
Truck drivers aren’t just workers, trucking is a lifestyle. Fleets that ignore working conditions suffer the highest turnover rates.
This helps fleets operate without constantly searching for additional drivers. For practical tips on supporting driver well-being and reducing turnover, see our guide.
Breakdowns cost far more than parts: they cost time, reputation, and lost deliveries.
Older trucks = more repairs.
Poor maintenance planning = more downtime.
Fleets that use rental equipment instead of owning everything reduce downtime by up to 40%.
One of trucking’s most expensive problems is low trailer utilization.
Every kilometre driven empty wastes:
A single trailer returning empty week after week can cost a fleet tens of thousands annually.
• use fleet solutions to track load factors
• invest in mega trailer or double-deck units
• optimize lanes with digital freight-matching tools
• use flexible rent-a-trailer solutions to avoid mismatches in peak seasons
For a deeper look at how smart integrations improve fleet performance, read our article on the role of TMS integrations in smarter logistics.
2025 brings stricter environmental requirements across Europe. Fleets must adapt to:
Compliance costs money, but being non-compliant costs even more.
To understand how the EU’s climate targets and decarbonization policies are reshaping the trucking industry, see our article: The Road to Net-Zero: How the EU Is Steering the Trucking Industry Toward Decarbonization. It explains the new CO₂ standards, their impact on fleet costs, and why modernizing equipment is becoming essential for every European carrier.
Modern trucking has evolved far beyond traditional operations and now relies heavily on advanced digital tools. Manual planning leads to longer lead times, higher fuel consumption, dispatching errors, and misplaced documentation.
• automate route planning
• use telematics and digital logbooks
• adopt GPS-based trailer tracking
• automate reporting and compliance
Digitalization can reduce administrative costs by up to 50%.
1. Use Flexible Rental Options Instead of Buying Everything
Reduce financial risk with:
Seasonal and project-based flexibility = guaranteed savings.
2. Upgrade to Fuel-Efficient Models
Running the most fuel-efficient truck models suitable for European routes can reduce fuel costs dramatically.
3. Optimize Trailer Pools
Using mega trailers, double-deckers, and modern curtain-siders improves load capacity without adding more trucks.
4. Invest in Digital Fleet Solutions
From route planning to cargo visibility — tech delivers fast ROI.
Egala by Boekestijn is designed for the new era of European trucking. With modern vehicles, efficient trailers, innovative fleet technology, and flexible capacity solutions, Egala helps fleets stay profitable while competitors struggle.
Whether you need:
Egala provides strong, scalable support for trucking companies across Europe.
European trucking faces real cost challenges, but these challenges reward the smartest fleets.
With the right combination of equipment, digital tools, and rental flexibility, trucking companies can not only survive 2025…
They can lead it.
