GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 23, 2026
Congestion Pricing for Freight
A haulier scheduled to deliver to a major city during peak hours may face congestion pricing: time-of-day or zone-based charges levied by public authorities to manage freight traffic and allocate road capacity more efficiently.
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Source: https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/congestion-pricing-freight.pdf
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Definition & Explanation
A haulier scheduled to deliver to a major city during peak hours may face congestion pricing: time-of-day or zone-based charges levied by public authorities to manage freight traffic and allocate road capacity more efficiently. Carriers that shift delivery windows to off-peak hours, reroute vehicles, or consolidate loads can reduce or avoid the charge altogether. The instrument is related to road tolling but differs in its core objective: the primary aim is to change traffic behaviour, not to recover infrastructure costs. For freight forwarders and consignees, congestion charges represent an additional cost item that must be priced into quotations and, depending on contract terms, either absorbed or passed on to the shipper. Several European cities already operate such schemes, with further systems under active development.
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