Status: 08.04.2023 12:17 p.m
According to the will of the traffic light, the truck toll will increase by 200 euros per tonne of CO2 in 2024. She wants to strengthen rail transport. The logistics industry explains that consumers will ultimately have to shoulder the rising costs.
The freight transport industry has warned of rising costs due to the planned increase in truck tolls, to which consumers should be prepared. “The costs for the CO2 toll will very quickly end up in retail for the end consumer – that is, for all of us – and will continue to fuel inflation,” said Dirk Engelhardt, spokesman for the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal, the dpa news agency.
The truck transports what consumers order, buy and consume. “And it is precisely these consumers who will also have to shoulder the increased costs,” says Engelhardt. The introduction of a CO2 component of EUR 200 per tonne of CO2, which was decided by the coalition committee, would effectively double the truck toll from the beginning of 2024.
“Additional cost boost”
“However, there can be no noticeable steering effect in favor of climate protection because there are practically no trucks with alternative drives available – not to mention the necessary filling and charging infrastructure.” The transport industry cannot escape this “additional increase in costs”.
In the industry, the return on sales is low. “Anyone who cannot pass this excessive increase in costs on to their clients will disappear from the market sooner rather than later,” added Engelhardt.
CO2 surcharge on truck toll from 2024
The heads of the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed on a CO2 surcharge on the truck toll. As of January 1, 2024, CO2 differentiation of the truck toll and a CO2 surcharge of 200 euros per tonne of CO2 are to be introduced.
Zero-emission trucks are to be exempt from the fee by the end of 2025, after which 25 percent of the regular rate will be charged. The truck toll obligation will also apply to trucks with a permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tons in 2024, up from 7.5 tons so far. Craft businesses should be exempted.
In addition, the leaders of the coalition decided that the revenue from the CO2 surcharge from the truck toll should be used predominantly for rail investments. To date, the revenue from the toll has been used for the federal trunk roads.
Loud ARD Germany trend the increase in truck tolls in the population is supported in roughly equal proportions (43 percent) and rejected (45 percent).