Belgium Truck Toll Hikes Spark Bankruptcy Fears in Transport

Four separate toll measures for heavy trucks took effect simultaneously across Belgium and the Netherlands on 1 July 2026, dramatically increasing operating costs for transport companies and prompting warnings of a wave of bankruptcies. The cumulative increases—implemented in Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels, and the Netherlands without interregional coordination—add severe financial pressure to a sector already reeling from a record 413 bankruptcies in 2025.

A Coordinated Blow Without Coordination

According to La Libre Belgique, Philippe Degraef, Director General of the Belgian Professional Transport Federation (Febetra), condemned the situation, stating: “This without any political coordination.” The four jurisdictions all implemented new or increased kilometre taxes for heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on the same date, with no apparent collaboration between regional and national authorities.

The Four Toll Increases

Flanders introduced the most significant change: a new CO2 emissions component added to its kilometre tax calculation, resulting in an effective 40% increase in toll charges for most operators. Tariffs now range from €0.009/km for light, zero-emission vehicles to €0.395/km for the heaviest, most polluting trucks. The Flemish government estimates the change will generate an additional €125 million in 2026 and €250 million in 2027.

Wallonia increased its tariffs, set by the public highway management body Sofico, with rates ranging from €0.061 to €0.267/km (excluding VAT). A commissioned study suggests further increases and network expansion may follow.

Brussels indexed its tariffs as in previous years, with rates from €0.017 to €0.267/km on highways and €0.024 to €0.390/km on local roads.

The Netherlands launched an entirely new national distance-based toll system for trucks over 3.5 tonnes, requiring an onboard unit active on the entire road network. Unlike Germany or Belgium, electric trucks are not fully exempt.

Crushing Costs for Transport Companies

The financial impact on transport operators is severe. For a company operating in both Belgium and the Netherlands, the additional toll cost reaches approximately €12,000 per truck per year. A firm with 20 trucks faces an extra €240,000 annually. For companies operating solely within Belgium, the increase is roughly €3,000 per vehicle per year.

These increases come on top of a 6.15% general cost increase recorded by the Belgian Institute for Transport & Logistics (ITLB) for June 2026 compared to the previous year—before the new tolls even took effect.

Small Operators at Greatest Risk

Small transport companies are expected to bear the brunt of the crisis. Nearly 80% of the 413 bankruptcies recorded in 2025 involved operators with fewer than six trucks or vans—independent carriers and small businesses often working as subcontractors. The 2025 figure represented a 33% increase over 2024 and was the highest since the ITLB began compiling sector-specific data.

Johan Staes, CEO of Transport en Logistiek Vlaanderen (TLV), warned: “This decision will have a considerable impact on our transport companies. We are currently talking about a 40% increase in the kilometre tariff compared to the current rate as of July 1.” While acknowledging that the principle of emissions-based differentiation is sound, Staes noted that “once again, this is an increase without concrete compensation for the transport sector.”

Broader Economic Consequences

Febetra warns that higher transport costs will translate into higher prices for “everything that is produced, moved or sold.” Given Belgium’s central EU location and heavy reliance on road freight for both domestic distribution and international transit, the toll increases risk broad inflationary pressure across the Belgian economy.

The crisis may also accelerate consolidation in the transport sector, with larger operators absorbing smaller bankrupt firms. This could reduce competition and potentially lead to higher long-term transport prices.

Environmental Policy Tensions

Flanders’ CO2-based toll is framed as an environmental measure, but the sector argues it lacks credibility because the revenue flows into the general budget rather than funding the green transition. Degraef criticised this approach: “What was presented as differentiated taxation constitutes in practice a general tariff increase of 40% for almost the entire sector. A climate tax that does not finance its own objective lacks all credibility.”

The Netherlands offers a contrasting model, with toll revenue earmarked for reinvestment in zero-emission truck acquisition and charging infrastructure.

What to Watch For

The ITLB had forecast a 4% cost increase for 2026 before the new tolls took effect, but this may prove to be an underestimate. The wave of bankruptcies is expected to continue and potentially accelerate through the second half of 2026. Febetra’s call for a six-month freeze on toll increases was ignored, and calls for structural reform of the toll system and better interregional coordination are likely to intensify in the coming months.

The key question remains whether Belgian federal or regional governments will introduce relief measures for a transport sector facing what many describe as a perfect storm of rising costs.