Business, Freight News, Logistics, Road

Hauliers see double-dip

[ January 3, 2012   //   Chris ]

Economic development and transport performance in OECD and EU countries will slow down and stagnate in 2012, following a feeble economic growth in 2011, according to the IRU Road Transport Indices. The IRU (International Road Transport Union) indices compare GDP growth, road freight transport volumes and new vehicle registrations in 58 countriesalso predicted that the BRIC countries would continue to outperform OECD countries in terms of growth in tonnes transported in 2012. In fact, transport operators from BRIC countries transported 7.7% more goods in 2011, whereas transport operators in the OECD and EU transported only 1.7% and 1.6% more respectively.
The 2012 forecast for OECD and EU countries shows that growth in transport volume will slow down to 0.9% and 0.8% respectively, before finally stagnating in the 3rd and 4th quarters. New vehicle registrations for the first 2 quarters of 2012 will increase for the OECD and EU by 0.9% and 0.7%, before equally coming to a hold in the second half of the year.
The IRU added that there were many parallels to the 2008 economic crisis as well as early signs that the OECD and EU are heading for a double dip recession, although a new recession is still avoidable.