In 10 years, 21.248 trucking companies have disappeared. From 2013 to 2023, the total number of companies, according to Unioncamere data, decreased by 20,8%, going from 101.935 to 80.687 units. At the same time, however, we can see a big push towards more structured corporate forms, also the fruit of mergers and acquisitions. The joint-stock companies have almost doubled in these 10 years (+46,3%) and today represent 32% of the total with 26.458 entities. They are the only ones to boast an increase, all the other types are decreasing, in particular individual businesses (the so-called small owners) which, although they still represent 46% of the total, have decreased by 40%.
This is what emerges from the new edition of the "100 numbers to understand road haulage – All the thorns of sustainability”, published by Federservice (group Federtrasporti) and created by the editorial staff of Men and Transportation, presented at Transpotec in Milan.
According to the register of hauliers, today in Italy there are 961 companies with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles: which, despite representing 0,95% of the companies operating on the market, manage 260.338 trucks, or 30,5% of the entire park with Italian license plate. This paradigm shift, which led to a shift from small business owners to joint-stock companies, was partly stimulated by awave of mergers and acquisitions, also driven by international crises such as the pandemic or hostilities in the Red Sea which have pushed logistics chains to reorganize and companies to respond to new market needs.
The surge in M&A to deal with the giants. Here is the map
Operators buying each other to extend the business, investment funds shopping in logistics, software houses entering the sector or vice versa, collaboration and partnership agreements. The movement of acquisitions, mergers and shareholdings does not stop, the report says, contributing to consolidate the dimensions of the companies that they see approaching on the horizon giants of the caliber of MSC, Maersk, Amazon and, in Italy, Poste Italiane and Gruppo Fs.
Even before the pandemic, the sector had seen a certain dynamism with the acquisition of the BRT courier by the French group Geopost, the transfer of Savino Del Bene to the Aprile shipping company, the sale of MIT Safetrans to Dhl Supply Chain and the entry in the capital of Trasporti Romagna of Atlante Private Equity and of the French Unigrains, but - perhaps also thanks to the Covid period which highlighted the potential and importance of the sector - since 2021 there has been asurge in M&A.
According to the findings of theContracts Logistics Observatory of the Polytechnic of Milan, the record year for operations was 2021 in which 24 were registered in Italy alone, followed by 15 in 2022, while in 2023 there were 13 acquisitions. But given the numerical decrease, the report points out, "it is necessary to underline the progressive increase in the importance of individual operations in terms of the size of the companies acquired and the importance of the operators involved, confirming the ferment that
continues to characterize the supply chain." These operations have not only contributed to greater aggregation in the industry but have also improved profitability andmanagement efficiency of the companies involved. In particular, Infocamere's analysis revealed that the added value of road haulage companies grew on average by 32,75% between 2012 and 2022.
Among the most recent operations, noteworthy in 2022 is the majority acquisition of Fa Chemical Logistic, active in the transport of chemical products and waste, and in 2023 of Giordo Trasporti from the Metco group, a maritime agency present in the management of ships and goods of all types which is added to 100% of the capital of Tra.N.Sider, a transport company operating in the steel sector, subsequently merged by incorporation in 2019. Autosped G has also become the sole shareholder of Omt, a company that produces and distributes tanks, semi-trailers and container ship, after taking over the shares they held from two companies of the same group (Sea and Sinelec). Finally, at the beginning of 2024 it took over from Cts, a company belonging to the Bertani family, two road haulage companies - Meritrans and E4M - with a fleet of 115 tractors and 137 semi-trailers, and the Ge.Di mechatronics workshop.
Also dynamic investment funds which are increasingly taking over capital shares in companies in the sector, a sign that the market is promising and promising. Among the latest trends is also that of green funds, active in supporting the energy transition of the planet who look at logistics and transport. The latest in chronological order is the operation which saw Argos Climate Action Fund (a European "Grey to Green" buyout fund) acquire a majority share of the Bergamo-based Bracchi with the aim of supporting it in decarbonisation. However, going back to 2021, it is worth mentioning the acquisition by F2i Sgr, one of the main Italian managers of infrastructure funds, of Compagnia Portuale Monfalcone
(CPM), active in the port of Monfalcone. The logistics platform was added to the port activities already managed in Carrara, Livorno, Mestre, Chioggia and in Monfalcone itself with the aim of establishing a national-scale operator in the bulk cargo port sector.
Claudius Villa, president of Federtrasporti, "the push towards aggregation also emerges from the trend of network contracts which went from 55 in 2013 to 861 in 2023 and also lead small companies to share important assets to compete better on the market".
Drivers on the run, but young people return
Despite these positive signs, the sector is facing the challenge of shortage of drivers, a problem that affects the whole of Europe. According to data from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, in Italy, more than 400.000 truck or bus drivers were lost as they did not renew their driver qualification card between 2019 and 2024, an essential document to be able to drive heavy goods vehicles. This shortage of qualified personnel is exacerbated by difficulty finding candidates for open positions, with one driver out of two being nowhere to be found. The flight affects drivers between the ages of 30 and 50, largely migrating to e-commerce job opportunities. However, there is a sign of hope given by the 65,9% increase in drivers under 25 from 2019 to today, although they still represent a minority in the sector.
Environmental sustainability: The adoption of heavy-duty electric vehicles is slow
What is rejuvenating, however, is not the aspect linked to environmental sustainability. According to Anfia data, only 2023 battery-powered trucks were sold in 72, a few, even if there were 2022 registrations in 17. Most freight vehicles with a capacity of more than 3,5 tonnes are still powered by diesel, and the adoption of heavy-duty electric vehicles is slow. As of December 31, 2022, the fleet of vehicles in circulation consisted largely of diesel trucks, with only a minimal fraction powered by batteries. The situation is further complicated by the increase in costs of fuels with low environmental impact, such as methane and LNG, due to international geopolitical tensions.
