The freight‑toll index for trucks with at least four axles on Germany’s federal highways rose by 0.7 % in February 2026 compared with the previous month. When adjusted for the calendar, the index was 1.5 % higher than in February 2025, the Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität (BALM) and the Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) announced on Monday.

Both agencies say that truck movements on the autobahns give an early signal of how the industrial sector is performing. Economic activity both creates and relies on transport services, so the freight‑toll index is closely linked to measures of economic activity, especially the production index for manufacturing.