Beyond Fleet Size: Market Indicators Point to Enhanced Efficiency
Market Monday - Week 49 - Not New Trucks, Efficiency Increase as Key to Easing Transport Pressure
With Christmas Eve and the typical year-end rally in sight, available capacity is the most pressing topic in the transport market during these hectic weeks. It is the perfect moment to revisit a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that we have used in the background for years in our interpretations and assessments - the Shortened Rest Period Index. This KPI measures the shortened weekly rest times taken by drivers within a month.
According to EU regulations, drivers can take a reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours instead of the regular 45 hours, provided that the reduction is compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the week in question.
This flexibility enables transport companies to manage their schedules more effectively, meet delivery deadlines, and temporarily enhance operational efficiency, while ensuring that drivers receive adequate rest to prevent fatigue and maintain road safety.
This KPI is based on Transporeon’s real-time visibility data, enabling us to assess operational pressure in a market environment.
Values above 100 indicate a market situation that required a higher usage of shortened rest periods than the average situation in 2022. Typically, the months with high transportation demand, often fragmented by public holidays, exhibit the highest values within a year, representing a seasonality that is evident in this chart.
What becomes evident in this data is that in 2023, a year with an overall high capacity supply, the need for shortened rest periods was low compared to other years. In 2024 and 2025, we see a different picture, one that clearly departs from the levels of 2023. However, since August 2025, we can derive a reduced need for shortened rest periods compared to 2024.
An interesting question is how this fits into the overall market perception of a stable to slightly improving economic market situation. While our data confirms a consistent increase in transportation demand compared to last year, it also indicates an improved capacity provision at the same time. But how is this possible if new truck registrations remained low, with no signs of net fleet additions?
If neither demand nor fleet movements explains the market, it could have adapted to the new market sentiment that has been in place since summer 2024. This pressure improved operations, increased utilization, and led to efficiency gains within shippers’ and carrier networks. This development demonstrates that efficiency gains, combined with a reduction in new operational hurdles such as wait times or traffic jams, could lead to a reduced need for shortened rest periods while maintaining capacity levels amid increased demand.
This is good news for the entire industry, as it indicates some relief from operational hurdles for the peak season days to come, compared to the December 2024 period.
Christian Dolderer
Lead Research Analyst
Trimble Transportation (Transporeon)