Over 90% of Transport Company Owners Say They 'Cannot Sufficiently Pass On' Increased Fuel Costs Due to Deteriorating Middle East Situation to Freight Rates!

CUBE-LINX Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hino City, Tokyo; Representative Director: Miki Kiriake), which develops a business supporting the introduction of electric vehicles and auxiliary facilities, conducted a 'Survey on the Impact of Increased Fuel Costs Due to the Deteriorating Middle East Situation on the Transport Industry' targeting transport company owners (men and women in their 20s to 60s). This survey revealed the reality of transport company owners passing on increased fuel costs to freight rates, their sense of crisis regarding business continuity, and the challenges in advancing price pass-throughs. The rise in fuel prices due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East has spread to domestic economic activities, having a severe impact, especially on the transport industry, which supports logistics infrastructure. While measures toward collecting appropriate freight rates are progressing, many transport companies cannot sufficiently pass on the sudden increase in fuel costs during negotiations with shipper companies. This raises concerns about financial pressure and a future decline in transport capacity. To maintain a sustainable logistics infrastructure, it is essential to view this issue as a challenge for society as a whole, including changing the mindset of end-users who assume 'free shipping,' going beyond just proper price pass-throughs to shippers. However, there is a lack of objective data showing the actual extent of the impact of soaring fuel prices against the backdrop of international affairs on the ground of transport companies, and what measures are required against future fluctuation risks. Therefore, CUBE-LINX Co., Ltd. conducted the 'Survey on the Impact of Increased Fuel Costs Due to the Deteriorating Middle East Situation on the Transport Industry' among transport company owners. - Over 90% of transport company owners answered that they cannot sufficiently pass on the increase in fuel costs due to the deteriorating Middle East situation to freight rates. - About 90% of transport company owners feel a risk to business continuity over the next 3 years if the soaring fuel costs backed by the Middle East situation and the difficulty of passing them onto freight rates continue. - About half of transport company owners 'want to tackle, but haven't been able to take concrete action' regarding price pass-throughs or the introduction/revision of fuel surcharges. - The biggest barrier when advancing price pass-throughs or the introduction/revision of fuel surcharges is 'shippers' lack of understanding or refusal.' - The main initiatives transport company owners are considering or implementing against increased fuel costs, other than price pass-throughs or fuel surcharges, are 'optimization of delivery routes and delivery frequency' and 'operational fuel efficiency improvements such as eco-driving.' Survey Period: April 10 to April 13, 2026 Survey Method: Internet survey Survey Target: Transport company owners (men and women in their 20s to 60s) Number of Respondents: 272 Monitor Provider: RC Research Data *Since response ratios are rounded to the first decimal place, the total of response ratios may not equal 100.0%. Over 90% of transport company owners answered that they cannot sufficiently pass on the increase in fuel costs due to the deteriorating Middle East situation to freight rates. First, in response to the question, 'To what extent have you been able to pass on the increased fuel costs due to the deteriorating Middle East situation to freight rates?', the top answer was 'Not able to pass on at all' at 54.0%, followed by 'Only partially able to pass on' at 36.4%, and 'Sufficiently able to pass on' at 9.6%. The sum of the first and second responses totals 90.4%, revealing that over 90% of transport company owners feel they cannot sufficiently pass the increased costs onto rates. About 90% of transport company owners feel a risk to business continuity over the next 3 years if the soaring fuel costs backed by the Middle East situation and the difficulty of passing them onto freight rates continue. Next, in response to the question, 'If the increase in fuel costs backed by the deteriorating Middle East situation and the difficulty of passing them onto freight rates continue, to what extent do you feel a risk to business continuity over the next 3 years?', the top answer was 'Feel a very large risk' at 54.0%, followed by 'Feel a slight risk' at 33.5%, and 'Do not feel much risk' at 7.7%. The sum of the first and second responses is 87.5%, indicating that about 90% of owners feel some degree of risk to their business continuity. About half of transport company owners 'want to tackle, but haven't been able to take concrete action' regarding price pass-throughs or the introduction/revision of fuel surcharges. Subsequently, regarding the 'status of initiatives for price pass-throughs or the introduction/revision of fuel surcharges', the top answer was 'Want to tackle, but haven't been able to take concrete action' at 46.3%, followed by 'Currently tackling' at 23.2%, and 'Just started negotiations' at 14.3%.