The road freight sector is widely recognised for its operational efficiency, offering fast, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to its customers, including shippers and freight forwarders.

In today’s evolving economic and regulatory landscape, there are both opportunities and challenges in managing and optimising costs. Total cost of ownership (TCO) serves as a valuable tool for operators and shippers to guide their strategic investments.

This IRU Intelligence Briefing combines a TCO analysis with a CO₂ emissions assessment of different powertrains in Poland across a vehicle’s first life, based on current national conditions.

The briefing also provides a deep-dive into the various national assumptions used for the analysis with the latest country-specific data, as well as efficiency examples to reduce both TCO and CO₂ emissions.

CO2

Developed in collaboration with IRU member ZMPD, the Polish report covers:

• Country-specific, inflation-adjusted cost calculations for more accurate projections until 2031
• National vehicle prices by powertrain type, along with insurance costs and estimated residual values based on desk research and stakeholder consultations
• Equipment costs (e.g. tyres) and maintenance expenses
• Average annual fuel prices for diesel, AdBlue, gas-powered units (CNG and LNG), AdBlue, electricity (depot and public charging) and hydrogen
• Purchase subsidies per powertrain and vehicle type (T2S3 and R2) deployed as part of a financial support program launched by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW)
• Registration fees and ownership taxes by powertrain and vehicle type
• Average annual tolling costs of the Polish network that fall under the eToll system
• Well-to-wheel CO2 emissions assessment across powertrains, factoring in Poland’s electricity sourcing
• Impact of ETS2 regulation on TCO

Who is it for?

• Logistics and fleet planners who want to identify the most cost-effective powertrain for their operations in Poland
• Purchasing managers seeking visibility into the real cost of different truck powertrains to guide their procurement decisions in Poland
• Consultants looking for expert, sector-specific insights – including methodology and assumptions – to strengthen client recommendations and validate internal scenarios
• Policymakers who need reliable transport data to understand local decarbonisation dynamics and guide national policies

What is it for?

• Choose the right powertrain: Understand total costs in Poland for the first six years of ownership to make informed purchasing decisions
• Compare real-world costs: Evaluate all TCO components in Poland, including fuel, tolls, registration and ownership fees and taxes, vehicle purchase price, usage costs, inflation, and tyres
• Support sustainability goals: Select the most cost-effective fuel options in Poland to reduce emissions and contribute to Scope 3 targets • Anticipate policy shifts: Factor in national tolls and current and upcoming regulations to understand the six-year cost impact of operating a truck in Poland
• Benchmark operations: Compare your cost and emissions performance against national averages and policy-driven scenarios

Don’t guess. Understand Poland’s cost landscape and how policy shifts are reshaping the economics of every powertrain.

Preview briefing

Full 64-page briefing contents:

• Chap. 1: EU road freight: the big picture
• Chap. 2: EU and Poland: Vehicle and freight activity analysis
• Chap. 3: IRU TCO model and cost assumptions
• Chap. 4: IRU carbon emission factor assumptions
• Chap. 5: IRU TCO and CO₂ analysis results
• Chap. 6: Conclusions
• Appendix A: TCO calculation methodology
• Appendix B: vehicle characteristics