Industry journal L’Officiel des transporteurs reports 645 company insolvencies in the second quarter of 2025 alone: a stark reversal of the typical spring recovery pattern. The figures represent a 1.4% increase from the previous quarter and a 7% rise year-on-year, with insolvencies up 55% over two years.
The crisis extends beyond simple business closures. Business confidence in the road freight sector plummeted to 97.2 points in August, well below long-term averages, with 47% of company directors citing insufficient demand: an exceptionally high proportion that signals deep structural problems.
Employment in the sector has contracted by 1.1% over two years, leaving just 425,800 workers by the end of March 2025. Meanwhile, 632 freight…