Road freight costs in 2027: what changes and when

2027 cost changes on our lanes by date

The table lists each change in 2027 that touches transport costs or freight documents on the lanes we serve. Most changes start on 1 January 2027. Two rows still wait for a parliament vote, so the last column gives the status on 24 October 2026. Every row comes from an official or primary source.

Each row is one cost inside a freight price, next to diesel, the driver, the truck and the distance. The effect on your price comes from your route, your truck type and your dates. For that reason, the steps at the end of this post start with a budget per lane.

Tolls and road charges in 2027

Three road charges on our lanes change in 2027. Lithuania replaces vignettes with Via Toll on 1 January. The Dutch truck toll returns to full rates on the same day. Sweden extends its road charge to goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on 26 March. Carriers pay these charges and include them in the transport price.

Via Toll charges vehicles in categories M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 for each kilometre on Lithuanian toll roads. LTSA approved the rates. A Euro 6 truck over 12 tonnes with up to 3 axles pays on average 0.111 EUR per km. Our Via Toll post has the full rate table and the ways to pay.

In the Netherlands, the 22.3% discount on the truck toll ends on 31 December 2026. On 1 January 2027, the base rates rise by 2.6%, according to RDW. A Euro 6 truck over 32 tonnes then pays 0.206 EUR per km. Our post on the Dutch truck toll lists the rates for other trucks.

The Swedish road charge is a fee for a day, a week, a month or a year. Today it applies to trucks of at least 12 tonnes. From 26 March 2027, it also applies to motor vehicles over 3,500 kg used for goods. Vehicles under 12 tonnes pay lower rates. For a Euro VI vehicle in CO2 class 1 with up to 3 axles, the amended law sets 510 EUR a year under 12 tonnes and 764 EUR a year from 12 tonnes.

The Swedish charge is paid in Swedish kronor, and the euro amounts are converted every year. A standard tractor with a curtainsider trailer weighs more than 12 tonnes and already pays today. Our own trucks mostly run full loads between Lithuania and Sweden, so Via Toll and the Swedish charge both apply on that lane.

Diesel taxes that wait for a vote

Two diesel tax changes for 2027 are not final. In Lithuania, the Excise Law in force raises the CO2 part of the diesel excise from 5.36 to 13.1 cents per litre. In Norway, the Government proposes a lower road-use tax and a higher CO2 tax on diesel. Both still need a decision by parliament.

On 20 October 2026, the Lithuanian finance minister said the ministry is considering a slower rise of the fuel excise. LRT reported that the 2027 budget draft does not include such a change yet. The Seimas plans to consider the budget on 19 November and 1 December 2026, and then sets the date of adoption. Check the final rate before you close the budget.

The Norwegian budget proposal for 2027 cuts the road-use tax on diesel from 2.28 to 1.84 NOK per litre. It raises the CO2 tax from 4.42 to 5.13 NOK per litre. Together, the two taxes go from 6.70 to 6.97 NOK per litre before VAT. The Storting can still change the proposal in its budget talks.

ETS2, the EU carbon price for road transport and buildings, becomes fully operational in 2028, according to the European Commission. Fuel suppliers, not truck operators, then pay for the CO2 of the fuel they sell. Our ETS2 post explains the cost per litre and the dates to keep.

Minimum pay and posted drivers in 2027

Minimum pay rises on 1 January 2027 in Lithuania and Germany. The Lithuanian minimum monthly wage goes from 1,153 to 1,245 EUR, and the minimum hourly pay from 7.05 to 7.61 EUR. The German minimum wage goes from 13.90 to 14.60 EUR an hour. Both amounts are already set.

The Dutch minimum wage is 14.99 EUR an hour from 1 July 2026 for employees aged 21 and older. On 24 October 2026, the Dutch government had not yet published the amount for 1 January 2027.

For truck drivers, the pay rules of another country apply when the driver is posted there. According to the European Commission’s guidance, a driver is posted on cabotage, which is a transport inside another EU country, and on cross-trade between two countries where the carrier is not established. A Lithuanian carrier’s load between Lithuania and Germany is a bilateral operation and is not posting. Transit is not posting either.

During a posting, the employer adjusts the driver’s pay and working conditions to the rules of the host country, according to Your Europe, the EU information portal. The national authority of that country answers questions about a specific case.

Customs and freight documents in 2027

Two document rules on our lanes change in 2027. From 1 March 2027, the direct transport scheme in Norway ends, and the customs declaration must be sent before or at the latest at the border crossing. From 9 July 2027, authorities in every EU country must accept freight information shared through a certified eFTI platform.

Neither change is a new tax. Both change how the papers for a load are prepared. For loads to Norway, our partner customs broker prepares the declarations, and you order them together with the transport. Our posts on Digitoll and eFTI explain who sends what and when.

Steps for the 2027 transport budget

Governments set tolls and taxes. A shipper plans for them in the budget and in the price talks with a forwarder. The five steps below cover the budget per lane, the questions to ask before you sign and the timing. Use the table above to see which changes touch each of your lanes.

1. 1

   Plan the budget per lane

   List each lane with its loads per month. Mark the rows in the table that touch that lane, for example Via Toll on every lane through Lithuania.

2. 2

   Ask for an all-in price

   Ask whether the price includes tolls and ferries. An all-in price makes two quotes easy to compare. Our price includes road tolls, and loads to Sweden include the ferry.

3. 3

   Agree a fuel clause

   Agree the reference diesel price, its source, the fuel share and how often the price changes. Diesel taxes are part of the diesel price, so the clause also covers a tax change after the votes. Our fuel surcharge calculator shows the result in % and in EUR.

4. 4

   Agree how long a price holds

   Write the first and the last day of the price, and which changes open it again, for example a new toll on the route.

5. 5

   Plan regular lanes early

   Send next year’s lanes, volumes and loading days in one request. Our guide to transport tenders has a table for it.

Dates to check again before you close the 2027 budget

Four numbers were not final on 24 October 2026. Check them again before you sign prices for 2027.

• After the Seimas adopts the 2027 budget: the Lithuanian diesel excise and its CO2 part.
• After the Storting adopts the 2027 budget: the Norwegian road-use tax and CO2 tax on diesel.
• The 2027 amounts of the Swedish road charge in kronor, converted every year.
• The Dutch minimum wage from 1 January 2027.