As influencers of the modes of transport used, shippers are at the heart of the concerns of transport companies.
Eurogroup Consulting, in partnership with AUTF, publishes for the tenth consecutive year the Barometer of shippers' perceptions of rail and combined transport.
This study provides an overview of the current state of rail and combined freightby analyzing a number of criteria, such as the modes preferred by shippers, the legibility of rail servicesor satisfaction and service quality.
Unsurprisingly, the choice of transport mode still depends on the sector of activity.
Conventional rail is traditionally preferred in industries such as agriculture, aggregates and building materials. Combined transport, on the other hand, is used to a greater extent by consumer goods, hazardous products and chemicals.
The picture to date does not demonstrate the attractiveness of conventional vehicles for sectors that do not traditionally use them. Consistent with previous editions, the road haulage remains the primary mode of transport, all sectors combined.
Freight forwarders, present on all modes of transport
For the first time, freight forwarders seem to be playing a significant role for shippers in all sectors in the organization of conventional and combined flows. For conventional rail, the majority (54%) of respondents say they are in direct contact with railway companies (-4 points versus 2022), with forwarders as the 2nd preferred point of contact (39%). For combined rail/road, we note that 43% of respondents are in contact with commission agentsof which more than 1/3 come from the consumer goods sector.
The rail system is easy to understand for most respondents
When it comes to understanding and understanding the rail system, the results remain encouraging. The companies surveyed are 59 % (-3 points) to find the organization of rail freight understandable and legible (of which 11% entirely), confirming the positive trend seen in recent years.
A general level of satisfaction that is improving but still far from satisfactory
Whatever the mode, only a third of the panel felt that the offer met their needs. On a positive note, however, this year's panel reports a level of supply/need adequacy for the combined is up sharply on 2022 (32% of shippers on the panel consider it to be suitable, compared with 12% the previous year).
Satisfaction with conventional rail transport was mixed this year, although up on last year (36% satisfied, versus 17% last year). Half of the panel (59%) considered their satisfaction to be slightly down (mainly hazardous products and chemicals, and aggregates and building materials). It should be noted that 11% of respondents said they were "not at all satisfied", up 10 points on last year.
Combined road/rail transport scores mixed marks this year too, with 32% of satisfied respondents (-11 points).
What are the prospects for rail freight?
When it comes to innovation, shippers' greatest expectations concern the possibility of pooling their resources. This is because.., only 27% panel declare that they have been offered these possibilities, while that 48% are waiting for alternatives in this area. Notorious fact, environmental innovation is cited by 45% of the shippers on the panel, more than double last year's figure (22%).
In the future, shippers will be particularly sensitive to innovations that make it easier to providing information and reducing environmental impact. Low-carbon energy engines are the services most eagerly awaited by shippers.
Strikes and the energy situation have had an impact on most shippers, who are unaccustomed to changes in electricity prices. More than a third of consumer goods (32%) and about two-thirds of aggregates and building materials (62%) reported a strong impact. The majority have been forced to switch back to road transport on a one-off basis, but a third of the panel have opted for a permanent reverse modal shift. On the other hand, new projects are not necessarily called into question by the energy context.
Unlike last year, when combined road/rail transport topped the list of transport modes expected to see strong growth, this year it is only in 5th place, after river, short sea, river/road and road. Overall, transport involving rail are perceived as having less development potential. While river transport is notoriously under-utilized, and shows real potential for development, other factors such as labor unrest and concerns about the future of the rail industry following the reorganization of FRET SNCF's activities may also explain these results.
