Maersk will raise intermodal fuel fees on truck, barge and BCO inland moves across Germany, Austria and Switzerland from 15% to 16%, effective 12 October 2026, while Poland's levels stay frozen for a second consecutive review period.

The adjustment, announced for the second half of October, lifts the rail-connected RCO surcharge in the DACH markets from 7.5% to 8%. Poland's truck rate holds at 16% and its RCO rate at 8%. The new percentages apply from 12 to 26 October 2026.

What changes, mode by mode?

The fees are percentages applied to Maersk's Inland Haulage Import and Inland Haulage Export charges:

• Germany, Austria and Switzerland, truck: 15% → 16%
• Germany, Austria and Switzerland, barge and BCO: 15% → 16%
• Germany, Austria and Switzerland, RCO: 7.5% → 8%
• Poland, truck: 16% (unchanged)
• Poland, RCO: 8% (unchanged)

The one-percentage-point increase affects every DACH surface mode Maersk prices. For shippers moving import or export containers by truck from North Sea ports into German industrial centres, the surcharge now adds a sixteenth of the base inland haulage charge on top of freight rates — a cost that compounds with each re-pricing cycle if energy markets keep climbing.

Why is Maersk raising the fees?

The carrier pointed to higher energy prices and fuel availability pressures linked to the security situation in the Middle East. That rationale has underpinned the surcharge structure since its introduction: the temporary Export Fuel Surcharge and Import Fuel Surcharge have been in place since the Price Calculation Date of 16 March 2026.

The mechanism is explicitly floating rather than fixed. Maersk will review the intermodal fuel fees every two weeks as energy market conditions develop — meaning the 12–26 October window is a pricing period, not a settlement, and DACH-based shippers should expect further movement in either direction from late October.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

For BCOs and forwarders routing cargo through German, Austrian and Swiss inland legs, the practical consequence is immediate: landed-cost calculations for October arrivals need updating, and budget forecasts for Q4 should model the surcharge as a variable line item on a two-week cadence rather than a stable annual assumption.

The divergence between the DACH markets and Poland also creates a routing consideration. With Polish truck fees now matching the DACH truck level at 16% but showing no upward momentum this cycle, shippers with flexibility over inland routing points may find Polish gateways marginally more predictable on surcharge exposure over the near term.

For Maersk, the pass-through protects intermodal margins against diesel cost volatility without renegotiating base haulage tariffs — a structure the carrier can recalibrate twice a month with 14 days' visibility for customers.

What happens next?

The next review falls due at the end of the 12–26 October window. Whether DACH fees climb further, or Poland's freeze breaks, will hinge on Middle East-driven energy prices through the autumn — and shippers with inland exposure in both markets should watch the next bulletin closely.