The transport problems that hurt Bangladeshi businesses most are unpredictable freight prices, too few trucks when demand peaks, middlemen, unreliable trucks, traffic congestion, disruptions at ports and on highways, theft and damage, unofficial payments, bad weather and rules that limit when and how trucks run. Each one shows up as late deliveries, higher costs or damaged goods. Logistics already takes up as much as 16% of Bangladesh’s GDP, against a global average of about 10%, so a business that plans around these problems has a real cost advantage over one that reacts to them.
Here are ten common problems, what each costs and how to reduce it.
Transport problems at a glance
| Problem | What it does to your business | How to reduce it |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel-driven price swings | Freight budgets break when diesel rises | Review rates monthly; add a fuel clause to contracts |
| Truck shortages at peak times | Late or missed deliveries | Book ahead; avoid month-end and pre-Eid dates |
| Middlemen | Higher fares, less control | Book directly with verified owners |
| Unreliable trucks and drivers | Breakdowns, no-shows | Use verified trucks; keep a backup option |
| Traffic congestion | Fewer trips a day, missed slots | Plan routes and times; use night slots for large trucks |
| Port and highway disruptions | Goods stuck, demurrage | Build buffer days into export plans |
| Theft and damage | Lost goods, unhappy customers | Covered vans, tracking, careful packing, insurance |
| Unofficial payments | Hidden costs per trip | Choose routes and markets carefully; ask owners to log costs |
| Weather | Wet goods, fog delays | Covered vans in the monsoon; slower winter schedules |
| Rules on size, weight and timing | Fines, forced unloading, rebooking | Book the right size; respect night and Eid rules |
1. Freight prices that move with fuel
No authority sets truck fares in Bangladesh, so owners pass their costs straight on. Diesel rose from Tk 100 to Tk 115 a litre in April 2026 and to Tk 135 in September. After the September increase, freight went up by Tk 2,000 to Tk 8,000 a trip, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Kushtia to Khatunganj fares went from Tk 32,000 to Tk 40,000. The government kept prices unchanged for November, but it reviews them every month.
How to manage it: Budget freight on current rates, not last quarter’s. Add a fuel-adjustment clause to any contract longer than a few months, and check the monthly fuel decision before agreeing long-term rates. Comparing several bids for each trip, instead of accepting the first quote, keeps prices honest.
2. Not enough trucks when you need one
Demand for trucks is uneven. House moves peak at the start and end of each month, and trucks are kept off the highways for about a week around each Eid. In 2026, the ban for Eid-ul-Fitr ran from 17 to 23 March, with exemptions for essentials, TBS reported. Just before those dates, every shipper wants a truck at once.
How to manage it: Book at least a day ahead for normal trips and several days ahead around month-end and Eid. Plan seasonal shipments, such as Eid stock, early. For urgent small loads, an app that books a pickup within minutes is a useful backup.
3. Middlemen between you and the truck owner
Much of the market still runs through brokers and agents at truck stands. “Truck businesses rely heavily on word of mouth,” the Dhaka Tribune wrote, and middlemen take a cut that comes out of the fare. They also add a layer of miscommunication: the shipper agrees one thing with the agent, and the driver who arrives has heard something else.
How to manage it: Book directly with the owner where you can, and get the fare, time, truck size and labour in writing. Platforms that let verified owners bid directly have cut out much of this, as truck booking has moved away from brokers over the past decade.
4. Unreliable trucks and drivers
An old truck breaks down more often. In April 2025, BRTA counted 46,481 trucks, covered vans and tankers more than 25 years old, about 12.5% of the total, Prothom Alo reported. A driver who does not turn up, or arrives with the wrong size of truck, can cost a business a full day.
How to manage it: Hire verified trucks with valid papers, note the registration number and driver’s phone number, and confirm the time the evening before. Getting the vehicle right also matters: booking the right size of truck avoids most of the arguments at the loading point. Keep a backup option for critical shipments.
5. Traffic congestion
Dhaka’s traffic limits how many trips a truck can make in a day. Congestion costs Dhaka about 5 million working hours and Tk 37,000 crore a year, a special assistant to the Chief Adviser said at a June 2025 seminar, as the Dhaka Tribune reported. Inside Dhaka, trucks longer than 12 ft can only be booked for city trips after 10:00 PM on Truck Lagbe, so daytime deliveries depend on pickups and smaller trucks.
How to manage it: Schedule large deliveries for night, and use pickups for daytime city drops. Avoid sending trucks into the city at peak hours. For regular routes, track how long trips really take and plan around that, not around the map.
6. Port and highway disruptions
Strikes, protests and port problems can stop goods for hours or days. On 28 September 2026, container deliveries from Chattogram port, which handles at least 5,000 TEUs a day, stopped for about six hours after a clash over gate-pass fees, TBS reported. Prime mover drivers struck in October 2024 and February 2025, and truck owners threatened a 72-hour strike in August 2025.
How to manage it: Build a buffer of a day or two into export and import schedules, follow transport and port news before big shipments, and keep in touch with your transporter so you hear about trouble early.
7. Theft and damage
Goods are lost on the road in two ways: they are stolen, or they arrive broken. Garment exporters have long worried about theft from covered vans on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. BGMEA and the covered van owners’ association called for more police vigilance and asked for GPS trackers on all goods-laden covered vans, TBS reported. Breakage is more common still, especially for glass, electronics and furniture.
How to manage it: Use covered vans for valuable goods, keep records of the truck, driver and helper, and seal loads where possible. GPS tracking on the truck shows where it stops on the way. Good packing prevents most damage, and the same rules apply to any business moving fragile stock. Buy transit insurance for high-value loads, because most transporters do not insure cargo.
8. Unofficial payments
Some trips carry costs that never appear on a receipt. In August 2026, fruit trucks at Badamtoli and Babubazar in Dhaka paid Tk 2,000 to Tk 5,000 each in unofficial charges, an estimated Tk 13.5 crore a year from about 150 trucks a day, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Owners pass those costs on in their fares.
How to manage it: Ask your transporter about the destination before agreeing a fare, and expect some markets to cost more. Where you have a choice of delivery point, choose the one with fewer such costs.
9. Weather
The monsoon, roughly June to October, brings rain that ruins goods in open trucks and floods roads. Winter fog causes pile-ups on highways: at least 20 people were injured in three fog crashes in one night on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
How to manage it: Use covered vans in the rainy season for anything that must stay dry. In December and January, allow extra time for early-morning trips and avoid pushing drivers to keep to tight schedules in fog.
10. Rules on size, weight and timing
Trucks face limits that a business needs to plan around. Overloading can cost the driver up to Tk 1 lakh and 2 licence points, and axle-load stations at the Padma and Jamuna bridges make overloaded trucks unload the excess. Large trucks run in Dhaka only at night, and highways close to trucks around Eid.
How to manage it: Book trucks by the weight of your goods, not the space, and split heavy loads instead of overloading one truck. The penalties for overloading fall on the driver, but the delay falls on you.
Build a simple transport plan
Most of these problems are easier to handle with a plan than in a crisis.
- List your regular routes and loads, with weight, frequency and the truck size each needs.
- Set a booking lead time for each, longer for month-end, Eid and long routes.
- Choose two or three trusted transporters or a platform, so you are not dependent on one.
- Agree terms in writing: fare, labour, waiting charges, packing and who pays tolls.
- Track every trip: date, route, cost, time taken and any problem. After a few months, the weak points show up clearly.
- Review costs monthly against the fuel price.
Smaller firms feel these problems most, because they ship in small, irregular lots, and cutting delivery costs for a small business usually starts with the same plan.
How Truck Lagbe helps
Truck Lagbe will not stop a strike or clear Dhaka’s traffic, but it addresses several of these problems. Shippers post a trip and compare bids from verified owners, which cuts out middlemen and makes prices visible. A 1 ton pickup inside Dhaka has a fixed fare. There is a customer care line if a truck is late, and businesses that ship regularly can use a business account with a key account manager, fixed or spot pricing and payment after the trip. Download the Truck Lagbe app to book your next shipment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common transportation problems for businesses in Bangladesh?
Fuel-driven price changes, truck shortages at peak times, middlemen, unreliable trucks, traffic congestion, port and highway disruptions, theft and damage, unofficial payments, bad weather and rules on truck size and timing.
Why are transport costs rising in Bangladesh?
Mainly fuel. Diesel rose from Tk 100 to Tk 135 a litre in 2026, and freight rose by Tk 2,000 to Tk 8,000 a trip after the September increase.
How can a business avoid delivery delays?
Book trucks ahead, especially at month-end and before Eid, confirm the truck the evening before, schedule large deliveries at night in Dhaka and build buffer days into port shipments.
How can I protect goods from theft or damage in transit?
Use covered vans, pack fragile goods properly, keep records of the truck and driver, use GPS tracking where possible and buy transit insurance for valuable loads.
Does Truck Lagbe remove middlemen?
On Truck Lagbe, verified truck owners bid directly on your trip, so you deal with the owner rather than an agent.
