Why Shipping from Poland Is Sometimes More Expensive Than from Germany

For many companies that regularly purchase goods in Europe, the situation seems odd: the distance from Poland to Ukraine is shorter than from Germany, yet shipping costs are sometimes higher. This is especially common in international road transport, consolidated cargo delivery, and the transport of industrial goods, chemical raw materials, and commercial cargo.

At first glance, it seems that the logic should be simple: the closer the country of origin, the cheaper the logistics. But the international transport market works quite differently. In international logistics, cost is determined by more than just mileage. Load factors, transport shortages, carrier risks, legal requirements, and the specific nature of the cargo itself all play a huge role.

And today, Poland is one of the most challenging and congested routes for delivering cargo to Ukraine.

Poland has become the main logistics corridor for Ukraine

In recent years, Poland has effectively become the main logistics hub for Ukrainian businesses. Huge volumes of cargo for virtually all industries pass through Polish warehouses, terminals, and consolidation centers:

• industrial equipment;
• chemical products;
• raw materials for manufacturing;
• goods for the agricultural sector;
• containerized cargo;
• groupage cargo;
• products from China and Asia via the ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia;
• goods for retail and online stores.

Many European manufacturers now operate under the following scheme: Germany → Polish warehouse → Ukraine.

In other words, even cargo of German origin very often ends up in Poland first. There, consolidation, document processing, transshipment, or distribution by destination takes place. As a result, the volume of cargo requiring daily transport from Poland to Ukraine has become enormous.

This is particularly noticeable in major logistics hubs:

• Gdańsk;
• Gdynia;
• Warsaw;
• Łódź;
• Katowice;
• Poznań;
• Rzeszów.

And this is where the main market factor comes into play—overcrowding on the route.

When the volume of cargo exceeds the number of available vehicles, rates begin to rise. Moreover, this happens even during the regular season, without any force majeure events.

Why it’s harder to find available transport from Poland

One of the most common problems is a shortage of transport.

Moreover, many mistakenly believe that the shortage of vehicles occurs only before holidays or during the agricultural transport season. In practice, the Poland–Ukraine route is congested almost constantly.

Every day, thousands of Ukrainian companies are looking for:

• tented trucks;
• refrigerated trucks;
• ADR-compliant transport;
• tankers;
• transport for consolidated cargo;
• vehicles for urgent loads.

Available transport gets snapped up quickly, especially if the cargo requires special transport conditions.

For example, while a standard curtain-sided truck can still be found relatively quickly, it is much harder to find:

• ADR-compliant transport;
• tankers;
• transport for chemical products;
• vehicles for urgent loads;
• vehicles for specific temperature control,

are much harder to find.

That is precisely why carriers start choosing the most profitable loads. If a carrier has five requests for a single available vehicle on a single route, the rate will automatically be higher.

In Germany, the situation is often more stable. The freight market there is distributed more evenly, and the number of available vehicles is usually higher. Additionally, carriers are more likely to find a return load or a more convenient logistics chain.

Because of this, shipping from Germany can sometimes be cheaper than shipping from Poland, despite the greater distance.

SENT — one of the most important factors driving up transportation costs

When it comes to the real reasons why shipping from Poland can cost significantly more, one of the key factors is the SENT system. It is precisely this factor that many companies underestimate.

In Poland, there is strict government control over the transportation of certain categories of cargo. For certain products, transportation must be registered in special monitoring systems—SENT.

This applies in particular to:

• solvents;
• bulk cargo;
• liquid raw materials;
• certain fertilizers;
• oils;
• certain ADR cargo;
• chemical industry products;
• certain types of industrial raw materials.

If a shipment falls under SENT requirements, the logistics company assumes significant liability. Moreover, this is not merely a formality.

If the shipment is not recorded in the system, there are errors in the data, documents are improperly prepared, or there are discrepancies regarding the cargo—Polish regulatory authorities may impose very severe fines. This is precisely why many carriers are extremely cautious about such shipments—any mistake can lead to financial losses.

As a result, the number of carriers willing to handle such cargo is decreasing. And the fewer available transport options there are, the higher the cost of transportation.

The cost of shipping exports to Germany is higher than to Poland

Another important factor that directly affects the cost of shipping cargo from Poland to Ukraine is the situation with export cargo from Ukraine to Europe, especially to Germany.

Today, many Ukrainian carriers try to plan their routes so that after unloading in Ukraine, they can immediately secure a more profitable export load back to Europe. And here, Germany remains one of the most attractive destinations.

The reason is simple: the cost of shipping from Ukraine to Germany is often significantly higher than the cost of shipping from Ukraine to Poland. For the carrier, this means higher freight rates, a more profitable trip, and better vehicle profitability.

Why Germany is sometimes cheaper and easier

Despite the greater distance, transporting cargo from Germany often seems more straightforward and predictable for the carrier.

In Germany:

• lower route congestion;
• more available transport;
• a more stable market;
• fewer rush shipments;
• easier route planning;
• fewer shipments subject to Polish control systems.

In addition, many carriers specifically seek return loads from Germany. This allows them to offer more competitive rates.

This is precisely why the situation where shipping from Germany is cheaper than from Poland has long been standard practice in international logistics.

Why it’s important to calculate shipping costs correctly

Very often, customers compare only the mileage and don’t see the whole picture.

But the actual cost of international shipping depends on dozens of factors:

• type of cargo;
• product category;
• SENT requirements;
• availability of transport;
• seasonality;
• urgency;
• vehicle type;
• specifics of the load;
• documentation requirements;
• route characteristics.

Save Pro Solutions — international logistics with an understanding of all risks

Save Pro Solutions organizes international freight transportation from Poland, Germany, and other European countries to Ukraine, including road transport, consolidated cargo, ADR logistics, and the delivery of industrial products. We understand the specifics of the Polish logistics market and the operational features of SENT systems.

When planning logistics, we analyze not only the distance but also all the nuances of the shipment: cargo type, transport requirements, risks, seasonality, market conditions, and route specifics. This allows us to select the optimal solution in terms of cost, delivery time, and cargo safety for each client in advance.