According to the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine, as of August 7, 7,342 trucks were registered in the “eCherga” system—2,394 more than the previous day. Nearly 88% of the total traffic is headed toward Poland, where 6,450 vehicles are waiting in line. Another 546 trucks are registered at the border with Slovakia and 328 at the border with Romania, according to Ukrainian media reports.
The sharp spike has caused concern among market participants; however, Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development urged people not to link the “eCherga” data to the actual situation at the border crossings. The ministry emphasized that the system records carriers’ preliminary electronic reservations, so a significant portion of the vehicles are waiting their turn outside the border infrastructure. According to the ministry’s assessment, the current volume of registered vehicles is in line with seasonal trends.
The authorities also rejected suggestions by Ukrainian media that the increase in queues is linked to complications in maritime exports following Russian attacks on port infrastructure. The ministry noted that the bulk of grain and metal products is transported by sea and rail, rather than by road, in comparable volumes.
The route through Poland remains the main overland route for Ukrainian exports to the European Union and traditionally handles the bulk of freight traffic. Data from the Polish Border Guard also show increased traffic at the largest border crossings, although wait times vary significantly depending on the crossing.
It should be noted that the “eCherga” system was introduced after the war began to manage commercial traffic flows and reduce physical queues at the border. It allows carriers to book crossing times in advance, so the number of registered vehicles does not reflect the number of trucks currently at the border crossings.
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