--- title: WHY IS THERE A PROFITABILITY PROBLEM IN THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY? description: More than half of Swedish haulage companies admit to having problems with profitability. 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[Back](https://blog.vbg.eu/en) Share the article - - More than half of Swedish haulage companies admit to having problems with profitability. And the situation is similar in the rest of Europe and the USA. Despite the fact that most forecasts indicate that transport needs will grow appreciably in the coming years, the transport industry is anticipated to have steadily increasing problems with which to contend. Under these circumstances, haulage companies have every reason to seek ways of strengthening their own businesses. ## MORE CHALLENGES THAN EVER BEFORE Something that in the past was a relatively straightforward service – transporting goods from point A to point B – has evolved into a complex enterprise in an equally complex market. A market undergoing rapid and continual change to which companies must constantly adapt in order to remain competitive. With steadily growing players, slumping prices, a lack of drivers, and increased (not to mention unfair) competition, haulage companies are forced to operate non-stop, chase costs, and attempt to streamline their businesses. If we add to this increasingly stringent requirements on safety and quality assurance and increasing demand for eco-friendly transport, we recognise that haulage companies are facing a multitude of challenges. And the nature of the challenges both reduces revenues and increases expenses. > **How can haulage companies adapt their operations to the challenges they face while still improving profitability?** *“Many would benefit from an overhaul of their company and their self-image, for example, by considering themselves less as one subcontractor among many others and more like a partner able to offer more services of a high quality. It may sound hard, but, to put it simply, it is no longer just a matter of arriving on time and saving fuel.”* – Ulric Långberg, The Swedish Association for Road Transport Companies ## YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE AND DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS Although the problems seem to pile up, there is plenty you can do to improve both your business and profitability. And even though many haulage companies have problems with profitability, there are still numerous companies with thriving operations and profitability. There is not, of course, a universal solution able to make every business profitable, but a great deal can be learnt from those who have succeeded well. Here at VBG we want to help preserve profitability in the transport industry – and not solely through the function and quality of our products. We have therefore compiled tips and advice from industry representatives as well as individual haulage companies so that you can easily see what others have done to preserve their profitability. Read the tips and perhaps they will give you some brand-new ideas and insight into how you can improve your own business.  [![Download your guide today](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2640104/37828c02-ea09-463f-9e18-5ad321481be0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2640104/37828c02-ea09-463f-9e18-5ad321481be0)   Topics - [Transport industry](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/transport-industry) [![Anders Erkén](https://blog.vbg.eu/hs-fs/hubfs/Author%20Portrait/Authors_BW_Anders_Erken.png?width=200&name=Authors_BW_Anders_Erken.png)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/anders-erkén) #### [Anders Erkén](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/anders-erkén) Anders is Executive Vice President of VBG Group as well as CEO and division manager of VBG Truck Equipment. He has a broad experience of global industrial companies and is since 2007 employed by the VBG Group. Born and raised in the Gulf of Bothnia region, he is still an ambassador for food, sports teams and culture from the north part of Sweden. Anders er Vicedirektør i VBG-koncernen samt adm. direktør og divisionschef i VBG Truck Equipment. Han har lang erfaring i globale industrivirksomheder og har været ansat i VBG-koncernen siden 2007. Han er født og opvokset ved kysten i Norrbotten og er fortsat ambassadør for Norrbottens delikatesser, sportshold og kultur. Anders är VBG-koncernens vice VD och koncernchef och divisionschef för VBG Truck Equipment. Han har stor erfarenhet av globala industriföretag och har varit anställd i VBG-gruppen sedan 2007. Han föddes och uppfostrades på kusten i Norrbotten och är fortfarande ambassadör för Norrbottens delikatesser, sportlag och kultur. - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anders-erken-39680939/) ### Recent posts - [VBG Strengthens Capacity with New Testing Facility](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/vbg-strengthens-capacity-with-new-testing-facility) - [How do I perform a function check?](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/how-do-i-perform-a-function-check) - [How Dagab uses VBG Driver Assist](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/how-dagab-uses-vbg-driver-assist) - [How to protect your investment and extend the system’s lifespan](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/how-to-protect-your-investment-and-extend-the-systems-lifespan) - [What technical requirements apply to 34.5 meter combinations?](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/what-technical-requirements-apply-to-34.5-meter-combinations) - [View all](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/all) ### Topics - [Transportation industry (73)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/transportation-industry) - [Ownership (48)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/ownership) - [Transport industry (40)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/transport-industry) - [Use (31)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/use) - [Engineering (5)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/tag/engineering) ### Authors - [Anders Erkén (2)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/anders-erkén) - [Emil Vikingsson (3)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/emil-vikingsson) - [Emilia Angséus (1)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/emilia-angséus) - [Eric Carlebom (5)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/eric-carlebom) - [Fredrik Gustavsson (1)](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/author/fredrik-gustavsson) ## Discuss this post Leave a comment ## Recommended reading ![VBG Strengthens Capacity with New Testing Facility](https://blog.vbg.eu/hubfs/HEADER.png) ~ 6 min #### VBG Strengthens Capacity with New Testing Facility VBG Strengthens Capacity with New Testing Facility VBG continues to invest in the future. With a new test rig designed for extra-long test specimens, the ... [![Emilia Angséus](https://blog.vbg.eu/hs-fs/hubfs/blogemilia.png?width=26&name=blogemilia.png) Emilia Angséus 25 Jun 2026](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/vbg-strengthens-capacity-with-new-testing-facility) ![How do I perform a function check?](https://blog.vbg.eu/hubfs/VBG_Norway_-6804-1.png) > 4 min #### How do I perform a function check? Summer and the vacation we all look forward to are just around the corner. No matter how you plan to spend your time off, it’s reassuring to know that your ... [![Emil Vikingsson](https://blog.vbg.eu/hs-fs/hubfs/VBG/VBG_Author_Portrait/Emil%20Vikingsson%20no%20bkg%20bw.png?width=26&name=Emil%20Vikingsson%20no%20bkg%20bw.png) Emil Vikingsson 28 May 2026](https://blog.vbg.eu/en/how-do-i-perform-a-function-check) ![How Dagab uses VBG Driver Assist](https://blog.vbg.eu/hubfs/Dagabekipage_w14%202026.png) ~ 5 min #### How Dagab uses VBG Driver Assist In a workflow where every minute counts, Dagab has chosen VBG Driver Assist to make trailer coupling more consistent and safer. Here, we explain why they chose ... 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