Driver Shortage, Rising Diesel Prices and Truck Platooning

Driver Shortage, Rising Diesel Prices and Truck Platooning

In addition to the well-known driver shortage, the transportation industry is now facing another challenge: significantly higher diesel prices following the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East. In the EU, diesel prices increased by around 27% year over year in Q2 2026, while U.S. diesel prices recently stood more than 50% above last year’s level.

This means the transportation industry is facing two challenges at the same time: The scarcer drivers become, the more valuable additional transportation capacity per driver becomes. And the higher fuel costs rise, the more valuable every opportunity to reduce fuel consumption becomes.

For transportation companies, this development is particularly relevant: Fuel accounts for around 30% of total road freight operating costs. At the same time, the structural challenge that has been known for years remains: the growing driver shortage — not only in Europe.

With truck platooning, a digitally connected group of trucks travels at close distances, coordinated by the lead vehicle. The reduced aerodynamic drag within the closely coordinated convoy can reduce the overall fuel consumption of the platoon.

The economic logic is straightforward: Breaking away from the principle of “1 driver = 1 truck” through increasingly automated platooning makes platooning a potential productivity lever. At the same time, rising diesel prices increase the economic value of reducing fuel consumption, making platooning an efficiency lever as well.

In simple terms, platooning has the potential to address both challenges: more transportation capacity per driver and lower overall fuel consumption.