With the exponential growth of business generated in a online, the freight segment is not far behind. São Paulo and Minas Gerais were the two states that moved the most cargo in 2023 on Frete.com, the largest platform online of cargo transport in South America. The State recorded approximately 1.7 million freights carried out, around 17% of the total in the country, second only to São Paulo, with around 2 million freights and 20% of the most 10 million transports made through the platform last year.
After the São Paulo/São Paulo route, the one that registered the most freight in 2023 was between the municipalities of Vespasiano (Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte) and São Paulo, with 12,361, 10% more than in the previous year (11,285). The route between Arcos (Central-West) and Piracicaba (SP) appears next, with 11,414 freights in 2023, an increase of 42% compared to 2022, when 8,033 loads were recorded transported. Soon after, the route between Vespasiano and Guarulhos (SP) stands out: 10,075 freights in 2023 against 7,687 in 2022, an increase of 31% in transport volume.
According to the CEO of Frete.com, Federico Vega, agribusiness accounts for 40% of products transported; 24% is made up of industrialized products and 13% are construction inputs. “In addition to its relevant representation, civil construction has the second most transported product via Frete.com, which is cement. In the analysis of last year’s freight volume, it was only second to fertilizers”, he compared.
From January to June 2023, Brazil produced 33 million tons of cement, and in Minas Gerais alone, where the loads registered by Frete.com came from, there were just over 10 million tons (about a third of the production national). The sector had a record of 62 million tons sold and the trend for 2024 is for 63.1 million, that is, 2% more than in 2023.
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The Southeast region is the one that moves the most cargo, according to the company. There were more than 10 million shipments on around 6 million different routes. In 2023, there were 13,743 shipments to destinations within the capital of São Paulo, an increase of 17% compared to 2022, when the platform recorded 11,775 shipments.
Anchored in this growth, Vega points out that the company is expected to continue maintaining high cargo movement on the platform this year. “In 2023, agriculture also had great prominence, but grain production projections are lower for this year, therefore, we hope that other sectors, such as industry and construction, can boost the numbers”, he explained.
According to the CEO, with the good performance of large sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, industry and construction, transport companies are increasingly opting for the digitalization of freight, hiring independent drivers to reduce their high transport costs. “By using a platform, companies can save between 20% and 30% when carrying out freight, instead of carrying out the same transport via their own fleet and paying more for it”, he compared.
Shipping became more expensive in Minas Gerais
According to data from Frete.com, in February the average price of transport per kilometer traveled in São Paulo was R$7.31, while the value in Minas was R$6.62. “In Minas Gerais, there was a small increase in the cost of freight, going from R$6.50 in January to R$6.62 in February. In São Paulo, the freight price per kilometer in January was R$7.32 while in February it was R$7.31, that is, it remained stable in the first two months of the year”, said the CEO.
The beginning of the year is already a period with a lower history of transported cargo. “As the months progress in the first half of the year, the volume of freight increases and, with more cargo available, there is a greater need for companies to find truck drivers to carry out the transport. A factor that, consequently, makes the price rise”, he assessed.
Another fact that could drive the rise in freight prices is its main input, diesel. According to Vega, despite a drop in fuel prices in January, February recorded the first weeks with higher prices. “If the perspective materializes and diesel increases, the price of freight will also tend to rise due to the existing pressure to transfer the value”, observed the CEO.
