BAROMETER. France faced an unprecedented heat wave in July, which had repercussions on its economy, already hit by the conflict in the Middle East. Despite this the morale of transport companies seems to be improving.
Road transport prices in France fell by another 0.6% in July, month-on-month. A phenomenon linked to the delayed pass-through mechanism of diesel prices on transport costs. Last month, the CNR index for professional diesel fell by 8.4%, leading to a 2.4% decline in the CNR Long Distance Articulated Set (LDEA) index.
Source: Upply Freight Index – Road France
The 0.6% decline in the Upply index remains rather limited. This reflects a trend towards improved margins for carriers, whose cash flow was severely strained during the first weeks of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting surge in diesel prices.
On April 19, more than 6 weeks after the start of this conflict, the government put in place exceptional financial aid, which seems to be starting to bear fruit. This aid, capped at €60,000 per company for road carriers with less than 1,000 employees, was renewed by a decree of July 3, 2026. It aims to support the competitiveness of the sector.
The sector continues to face weak demand, with margins under pressure and still limited visibility. Although recent activity shows an increase compared to the first quarter and expectations are slightly less...
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