We recently reported on the all-time record achieved at Eurotunnel for truck traffic. It appears their competitor, DFDS Seaways is also seeing success on their Dover to Dunkirk & Calais routes.

DFDS Seaways is reporting a 63% increase in freight traffic from Dover to Dunkirk and Dover to Calais in the second quarter of this year.

The growth is mainly due to the introduction of two new ships in February - the Cote des Dunes and the Cote des Flandres which have been refurbished with premium facilities for both passenger and commercial drivers. Both ships can each carry 120 freight vehicles!

Pre-tax profits have jumped 39% to £51 million compared to the same period last year, with a revenue up to £411 million.

The two new ships provide 54 daily crossing to trucks and freight.

Wayne Bullen, freight sales director for the English Channel at DFDS, said:

“We’ve invested heavily in improving capacity and enhancing both the booking and travel experience for our freight customers on the English Channel routes. Our new Dover to Calais ships allow us to offer higher frequency and more choice for our customers and we’re delighted to see the significant volume growth achieved as a result. We’re also seeing the benefits of our new and improved terminal at Dunkirk. Traffic flow has been improved to allow for faster discharge and loading at the port, which helps us better utilize the ships’ capacity and ensures we keep shipments on track for our customers. This is a strong performance across both routes that reflects the hard work and customer-focused approach of the whole team here.”

Mark Stephens, Director at Freightlink had this to say about the success at DFDS Seaways :

"We work closely with DFDS Seaways and it's great to see that they have had a successful 2016 so far. DFDS's onboard services for freight customers are unrivalled on the Dover straights and this is reflected in the continued custom we receive. Well done."

To book your HGV on DFDS Seaways services to France or Northern Europe, visit our DFDS Seaways booking page or give our friendly team a call on 0844 847 9000.